MOST FOREIGN NATION

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 5

MOST FOREIGN NATION

ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONS DANGEROUS POSSIBILITIES Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 27. (Received January 28, at 10.10 a.m.) “ I do not believe that it is possible to exaggerate the potential gravity of the present Anglo-American position,” said Mr Wickham Steed at the Overseas Club luncheon. “ Admiral Plunkett and Big Bill ’ Thompson have a perfect right to say what they think if they are expressing the feelings of a good many Americans whose ideas are largely a counterpart of those of the old pundits. Some of the West End clubs in Britain should realise that the Americans are perhaps the most foreign nation with which we are dealing. A notice that the British people are foreigners should be posted in New York harbor, and a similar reminder should be posted at Southampton and Liverpool that Americans are foreigners. Only contact between the 'average decent people of the dominions, Britain, and America can reduce the effect of Admiral Plunkett’s and Mr Thompson’s balderdash and moonshine. We must combat reciprocal vanities and the ignorance of British and American Governments or we may automatically reach a most dangerous position.

[Mr Wickham Steed is proprietor and editor of the 4 "Review of Review He was formerly editor of ‘ The Times, and is the author of publications on social and political questions. He recently returned to England from a lecturing tour in America.]