NOT UNDERSTOOD

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 November 1926, Page 5

NOT UNDERSTOOD

—t AMERICA’S ATTITUDE. MR BRUCE SPEAKS PLAINLY. EUROPEAN SUSPICIONS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT Received 11 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Nov. 4. Some banter by the chairman, Mr 3?. E- Powell, about the respective sizes and virtues of America and Australia, gave Mr S. M. Bruce, who was the sole guest aud speaker at the luncheon of of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hotel Cecil, an opening for the happiest outspokenness of speech during tho present visit to London. Mr Powell asserted, that when examining the map of tho world, he found that two thumbs were sufficient to cover Austraiia.

Mr Bruee retorted that even the chairman’s thumbs, large as they were, would not be adequate to cover Australia, which was just as large as America, perhaps larger. To illustrate the claim, he told the story of a honeymoon couple taking up their residence on a dairy farm so large that their children brought in the first consignment of milk from the remotest part. Mr Bruce said: “Of course we know you say America is God’s own country. Well, let me tell you that Australia is twice God's own country. Roars of laughter followed both sallies, after ■which Mr Rruce went on to discuss points in common between the two countries, remarking: “Australia was facing probloms which America had long ago overcome. Both were trying to create a new civilisation by overcoming old animosities and uplifting humanity to a higher plane of happiness and prosperity. Both desired to keep free of the Old World's entanglements; both were great Powers in the Pacific, to ■which the centre of activities had' now been transferred from tho Old World. All these things created an outlook not dissimilar.

lt Australians regarded themselves as inheritors of all that your forefathers fought for in the War of Independence. Probably had Australia been a nation in those days she would have been en f thusiastically on the side of the American colonies. We feel there was something wrong in the British Government’s and the Crown’s attitude of *mind in not recognising the ideals and aspirations of a young people, but all these things had passed away. Possibly because of your forefathers’ actions, a new empire has grown up enjoying a great heritage of freedom of autonomy, to which in your time and generation you contributed much.” After paying a tribute to the Americans' part in the world war, Mr Bruce went on to tell tho Americans candidly that their country was hopelessly misunderstood on the Continent, where -the view was largely held that America was very late in coming and bore no share in the burden thereof, but became rich on the sufferings of Europe, and was now taking advantage of the world’s greatest tragedy to improve her own position and hold Europe to ransom. AH must strive to remove that misunderstanding, because the future of the world depended thereon, and America ’s co-operation was necessary for a solution of the economic problems facing the world to-day. Furthermore, Europe did not understand the Munroe Doctrine and America’s intense feeling therefore. Mr Bruce said that the Australians had the same desire not to be implicated in the brawls which took place in Europe, and to be free to go on with their own peaceful development. America, at the same time, better understood Europe and its tragic suf feriugs, the solution of which was beyond Europe’s powers. If we could remove the present doubt and suspicion the way would be paved for overcoming the hideous tragedies still confronting Europe. The large assemblage loudly cheered Mr Bruce at the conclusion of his speech.