NO NAVAL RIVALRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10747, 19 November 1928, Page 5

NO NAVAL RIVALRY.

BETWEEN BRITAIN AND AMERICA EMPIRE’S CIRCUMSTANCES VERY PECULIAR MUST GUARD NARROW WATERS TO GUARANTEE FOOD FAILURE WOULD - MEAN STARVATION AT HOME United Prea» Assn, by El. Tel. CopyrUrbi (Aastralian Pres* Association 1 (Received Nov. IS. 0.0 p.m.) OTTAWA, Nov. 17. “I wish ono could see a greater disposition on the. part of the American people to study the actual position in Gieat Britain and see how peculiar it is”, said Sir Austen Chamberlain, in an interview at Quebec on Saturday when asked for comment on Air Coolidge’s Armistice Day statement . “We have no rivalry with tfio United States”, he said. “We Lave no desire to start or' to enter into naval competition wiQi them, but our circumstances are very peculiar, and I believe they would judge us more fairly if they appreciated them. We are the centre of a world Empire. While their are mainly Continental our communications lie across the seas. We have often no more than a few weeks’ supply of food in our country. "We are dependent on keeping open sea communications with CanSouth Africa. The United States in the matter of food is almost entirely self-supporting. While the approaches to her coasts with the exception of Panama, which ia heavily fortified are across open sea, the to England are through narrow waters exposing trade to peculiar dangers. Canadian grain and meat reaching Britain have to pass through narrow channels surrounding our coasts. Supplies from the East or. from Australia, have to pass through what is little more than a canal the moment they leave ' the Indian Ocean. “If you saw. as I have seen”, continued Sir Austen, “a chart of vessels sunk around the Mediterranean and British Islea during the war, you would find crosses indicating that wrecks almost cover tlm floor of our sea waters. If wo fail to guard our vital arteries. Canada and other parts of the Empire will lose their markets ,and he plunged into distress, while we will starve. If these facts were recognised, I am confident the American people would .give more sympathetic consideration to the British case, and with the goodwill which exists on both sides, I believe, we should reconcile what little difference we have.” Sir Austen Chamberlain sailed for Homo on Saturday.