STRONG BONDS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 40, 15 August 1925, Page 13

STRONG BONDS

BRITAIN AND AMERICA

SEA POWER AND PEACE

ADDRESSES OF SIR F. BELL AND UNITED STATES ADMIRALS.

Impressive addresses on the strong aonds existing between the Englishspeaking peoples' of the United States and Great Britain were delivered by Sir Francis Bell, Attor-ney-General, and by Admiral Cole, of the United States navy, at a reception given to the officers of the visiting squadron by the Wellington branch of the English-speaking Union yesterday. Admiral Coontz, who arrived late owing to another . engagement, also spoke briefly in support of the objects of tho organisation Sir Francis Bell said he felt sure that the officers and men of the United States navy must have already recognised th» sincerity of the welcome offered to them in this part of the world where we inherited, with them, the English language. They must have seen that it wa» not a more matter of formal international courtesy. He hoped that we would practise courtesy to any representatives or citizens of a foreign nation visiting our shores, but we had never qujte come to consider Americans as foreigners. (Hear, hear.) They had now Become in some respects the groatcst Power in th» world. They were our nearest neighbour. Along the whole of the northern frontiers of the United States—some natural and some empirical —lies the Dominion of Canada, and within a very short distance of her shores there are the West Indi-ji possessions of the Empire; and in our small way Now Zealand was a neighbour of America, for in Western Samoa we were almost within coo-ec of one of America's latest possessions. "THE TONGUE OF SHAKESPEARE" It was- not only in. propinquity— though that must lead to'friendship (but in some foreign lauds it led to enmity)— it was not only in propinquity^, but both the Americans and ourselves spoke tho tongue of Shakespeare—the most powerful machine for the expression of human thought that the world—with perhaps one exception— ly,:d ever known ; and it might be remembered -by both of us that in that language was written our Bill .of- Rights and their Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States, Surely in that language we could agree that there- was hope of some union in sentiment. ■ It was because of that feeling that the English-speaking Union was founded some years ago by an agreement, ne thought, between the American ,-Ambassador in London and Lord Balfour. The union was now widely supported throughout the British Empire and in many parts of America. The feeling that initiated the union was that which inspired its 'members to-day—the hope, that the possession of-a,common language might have its effect in joining the British Empire and the United States in the purposes of common humanity. AMERICAN KINDNESS TO OUR SOLDIERS He did not< know whether the American officers present knew that New Zealanders were almost as well acquainted with the various routes across America, from West to East and from East to West as were the Americans themselves, for one of the purposes that Providence made that country for was to be a highway between New Zealand and the Mother Country—(lauehter)— arid -we made full-use of that purpose •

We had something to remember; and ■we must try in our small way—for it was but a small way —to repay America, and that was for the unbounded hospitality, kindness, and generosity which was shown to our travellers through their country by the American people. (Applause.) It had been truly said that if you asked an Englishman to tell you your way, bcinsj astray in his country, he would courteously point it out to you, but an American would walk all the way with you. (Laughter.)

Thore is one other thing we shall never forget (said Sir Francis Bell). AVhen our wounded men were returning from the Great War through the Panama Canal, America made it part almost of her natural work to tend them, and .to make their days and hours comfortable, co that there is no returned soldier who came through, the canal but epeaks with unfeigned gratitude of the tender care ,that Americans showed to him and to his fellows when they were in the course of their transit. That is not forgettable, and will remain in the memories of many of our young, men till their latest years. "THE GREAT EXPERIMENT The speaker said he was interested in the gwat experiment that the American nation wae making for the world. It was.a great experiment—a marvellous experiment, whatever one's feelings were on the question dealt with. No man could look on'that great human experiment without the widest interest. Passing reference was made to the fact that America grew great quantities of hops, and as the whole American na.tion stopped drinking beer, the hops being useless for America were now sent all over the world. Enormous quantities were sent to England, and our own market for New Zealand hops was completely destroyed. It was interesting to know that that was one of the results of the threat experiment. It was still more interesting, because the first protective duty that nad been set up in England on articles of food—and beer had been decided to be an article of food by the Courts in England—the first protective duty wae that lately imposed on hops. The present experiment in America had destroyed the hop industry in Europe. (Laughter,) If he referred to tho lighter side, he wasnot at all ignoring or attempting to ignore the great example set to tne world by thd Americans in thie respect. HAGUE AND GENEVA Adverting again to the English language, Sir Franpis Bell said that no one could deny the importance of the • possession of one common speech; and all that that meant 1; the inheritance of the same literature, the same culture, and, ho believed, tho same ideals. He had seen two great American jurists sitting in the Court at The Hague—and be Relieved one could mention the word Hague, though one might not mention tho word Geneva—he had seen and worked ■with • and been on committees with Americans at Geneva engaged in the suppression of the opium traffic and in the suppression of a traffic worse even than the opium trade. No men. engaged on-those committees wero more earnest and moTe determined than the grc;i.t representatives that America sent there. •* THE SAME IDEALS That experience at least had taught him, continued Sir Francis Bell with emphasis—and he believed other* had

seen Bnd knew as he did—that the ideals of the American and the British' people could not be very far apart. England had now no ambition for further expansion. In her own territories there was ample room. She had only one purpose in the world, beyond the government of her own Empire, and that was the advancement of human interests and the rights and privileges of humanity, and in that America had surely joined. OBJECTS OF THE UNION Mr. jjarold F. Johnston, chairman of the executive of the Wellington branch of the English-speaking Union, said he had been asked to express a welcome to the visitors in addition to that expressed by the president. He hoped the visitors would recognise and would feel more at ease in recognising that the union was an organisation which was both American and English. The headquarters of the English-speaking Union were situated in London and in New York, and there were many,branches in England and America. The president of the English Association was Earl Balfour; the president of the American branch was Mr. John W. Davis. The chairman of the executive in England was Mr. Winston Churchill, and the chairman of the American executive was Mr. G. W. Wickersham. Amongst its members were many distinguished American and Englishmen. The asso- j c'iation, which had one language but two branches, was formed out of a friend- I ship existing in London between many distinguished Americans and Englishmen, and they determined that come what may they were not prepared to let the intimate ties that bound them in friendship be submerged. In New Zealand they were constantly receiving letters from members of the association, telling them of the courtesy and kindnesß they received at the hands of the association in New York. Here we did exactly the same for the members of the American Union who came to New Zealand. The late Mr; Walter Page, the distinguished American Ambassador in England during the war, had said that the foundation of peace was courtesy, and Lord Balfour had said that if at the end of a long political life he had been able to do something towards promoting friendship bewcen America and England he would feel proud. On behalf of the Wellington branch of the English-speaking Union, Mrs. if.'H. Chatfield presented Mrs. Coontz, wife of Admiral Coontz, with a New Zealand rug, similar to that presented to the Prince of Wales. Admiral Cole returned thanks on behalf of Mrs. Cocntz. ADMIRAL COLE'S ADDRESS CONVOY OF NEW' ZEALAND TROOPSHIPS. Admiral Cole said that the eloquent words of welcome of Sir Francis Bell had touched their hearts/and they were most grateful for his cordial greetings. The officers of the American fleet recognised 'that these welcomes and courtesies were . directed to them only because they represented for the moment the people of the United States. "We come- to you," said Admiral Cole, "bearing words of goodwill, of heartfelt sympatliy, and good fellowship. That, indeed, is the object of our visit. My first acquaintance with New Zealand was seventeen years ago, when the j American flest visited Auckland. My second acquaintance • with iSew Zealand, strange as it may seem to you, perj haps, wa3 in the Panama Canal. It was in December, 1917. I had been in command of one of the ships of the United States Navy in the South of France. I was ordered back to Panama to meet other ships composing rthe convoy of troopships conveying the soldiers of Now Zealand, bound for Great Britain, and then for service in the trenches of France. 1 made many plet.»anfc acquaintances amongst them before we left. They were all eager to get over to the front. Sdme of them had been there before, had been wounded, had returned for convakscence here, and again were on their way across to that great work. I have not had the pleasure of meeting them face to face since then. Well, we left the tropics. You can imagine the balmy atmosphere, the warm air; everyone was comfortable. We left Panama a little after the middle of Decsmber, 1917, and in less than twelve days we were entering the harbour of Halifax, with the temperature. ,25 degrees below zero,- It waR »> most astonishing picture. The whole' surface of the r spa was boiling, just like a steaming pot over a stove. That was the first introduction of the New Zealand soldiers to the "balmy" temperature of the" North Atlantic in . winter. I hope to meet some of those fellows in New Zealand. I have not been able | to exchange thoughts with them as the years have gone by, and to revive memories of that Christmas morning that we entered the port of Halifax. PEACE OF THE WORLD "Sir Francis Bell has been good enough to speak very delightfully of our few merits and our characteristic* as Americans. I am afraid he has about mentioned them all. It was very good of him. He went very far afield, arid I cannot hope to follow him, except to thank him for the very kind expressions he has made with regard to us. "I should like to talk to you for a I moment, if I may, on the English-speak-ing Union, and what it may do for the peace of the world. I feel that I can talk on that subject, because the navies !of the world, including the United I States Navy, exist 'lor the peace of the | world—(hear, hear)—to brine about the solidarity of the English-speaking people in the world. That, I think, is the object of the English-speaking Union, and I hope for a moment to touch upon those factors which go to make up solidarity— meaning by solidarity a community of interests, of thoughts^ of ideals, of objects. _ "The world is growing smaller all the time. Why_ ? Because of the means .of communications, the crossing of eeas and continents, and the practical reduction or annihilation of distances. There are two factors that have helped to annihilate space. One of them is aviation, and the_ other is the radio. As to the radio, it is extraordinary what has been done in the last two years in that regard— even more so, it eeems to me, than aviation.. Only the other day, when we were about 600 miles off the North Island of New Zealand, we were in communication with Johannesburg, in South Africa. That .is indeed annihilating space. Think what it means in the matter of our getting closer together in all our thoughts, and hopes, and aspirations." SEA POWER AND PEACE Proceeding, Admiral Cole said the Eng- • lish-speaking Union was working for the well-being of the English-speaking people, but they were working so that having the strength which came from solidarity they would be able to give a helping hand to all others in the world who might be in need of it. jApplnuse.) Without such an end, a union of this sort must always tend towards selfishness, which was the precursor of envy, hatred, and malice. "Let us then," he said, "gather together not only that we may maintain our own level of happiness, prosperity, and culture, but that we may, whenever the occasion offers, endeavour Lo lift others up to that level. In that we must be lure that the lines of communication are kept open. We mußt be lure that the seas w* frge for the

passage of all peoples on their lawful business. That is really the reason for navies as exponents of sea power; and, indeed, it is sea power that makes most for tho peace of the world, because it ensures free and open communication, which brings people to know each other better. More than th.it, it makes them ready for the settlement. of disputes that may arise between them—settlement by judicial arbitration." (Applause.) "We shall be sorry to leave New Zealand," said Admiral Cole, in conclusion, "but we will carry with us many happy memories of you, and we wish you prosperity and happiness always." (Applause.) REMARKS BY ADMIRAL COONTZ At this stage Admiral Coontz arrivea, ana made a short address. He apologised for being late, owing to having another engagement. It was, he said, one of the inconvenient things in life that one could not De m two places at once, except in thought. He was strong - for the Eng-lish-speaking Union for several reasons. He told an amusing story of how, when he was a young man attending the Naval Academy, ho studied French, among other 'tilings, and indeed thought he was a real French scholar. With about fifty other young students he visited Parla. On that occasion at the hotel he made desperate but ineffectual efforts to give his orders in French, and was astonished, when the waiter ultimately told him that he would get along much better if he spoke in England. (Laughter.) He had a similar experience in South America. He found that the best way to get around the world was to speak English, and next, to have a dollar in your pocket. (Laughter.) He said he believed in everybody speaking English, and he hoped English would eventually become the language of the world. He concluded by wishing the- English-speak- , I ing Union God-speed in Hb work.