AMERICAN DIPLOMACY

Hokitika Guardian, 21 November 1928, Page 7

AMERICAN DIPLOMACY

(Auckland Star.)

The great Napoleon i.s credited with the remark that one of worst weaknesses of a democratic republic i.s that its diplomats have no man tiers. Whether that was true or not of France in Napoleon’s time it certainly applies with considerable force to tlie American method of dealing with foreign affairs to-day. We must, of course, make some allowance for the extraordinary American practice of allowing irresponsible officials to pronounce authoritatively on all kinds of diplomatic matters without instruction or permission from their Government. Rut nothing can explain away or excuse the impudent anti offensive attack just 'made by tlie

-miirman of tlie Naval Committee ot the House of Representatives upon European diplomats in general and British .staliesnianship in particular. It seems that .Mr. C’oolidge was mistaken the other day when lie cxproseil regret that the British and the Americans do not understand each other. For .Mr. Rritten now assures the world that the Americans understand the British only too well, and they have learned by latter experience that the British, like all Europeans, are, In Scriptural terms, “deceitful above all th ugs and desperately wicked.” It must have been an awful shock to the pure-minded and guileless citizens of the Great Republic during and after the war to be forced into association with these cunning and perfidious foreigners. Mr Rritten draws a pathoth picture of “the honesty of purpose, coupled with trank -and open expression of opinion.” which characterise tlir> “hundred per cent American” inveigled into the toils of European dip loniacy, of which “the very heart r deception and the soul is trickery.” Those who have read modern history to any purpose will strive in vain ti remember, and even more to forget before tbev can endorse Mr Britten's fervid eulogy of himself and liis compatriots. What makes this puerile attempt to claim for Americans the monopoly of all miblio virtues till tlx more contemptible is the fact that h is intended as a resnon.se to Mr Raidwin’s courteous and sympathetic references to Mr Coolidge and the ( nil od Stales in his speech on the Ad-dress-in-Reply. If this is the return that Britain is always to receive lor her constant efforts to establish friendly relations with America, the monotonous process of turning her cheek to the smitor will wear her patience out.