Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1928 SPEAKING PLAINLY TO AMERICA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 29 October 1928, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1928 SPEAKING PLAINLY TO AMERICA

LORD MELCHETT (formerly Sir Alfred Mond) deserves well of his country. Last month he attended the British Trades Union Congress and was instrumental, with the help of a group of employers, in persuading representatives of the Congress to adopt a scheme of co-operation between capital and labour. Following this understanding between delegates, the Congress by 3,075,000 votes to 566,000 endorsed the proposed policy of industrial co-operation between employers and workmen, and authorised the General Council

to proceed with discussions with Lord Melchett and his colleagues on all questions of industrial relations and industrial reorganisation, and to take steps in conjunction with the Confederation of Employers’ Organisations and the Federation of British Industries to establish a national industrial council and machinery for the prevention of disputes. That seems to be the beginning of a better outlook in British industrialism, which has suffered from the antagonism of labour and capital, whose co-operation is essential to success. It is satislactory to note that when Mr A. J- Cook, whose Communistic sympathies are well known, made a “torrential speech'’ urging the Congress to refuse to endorse what he termed “alliances with the enemy,” Mr Herbert Smith immediately mounted the rostrum and explained that he and not Mr Cook was speaking for the Miners Federation, which supported the principle of conciliation between labour and capital, and approved of the proposed scheme of eo-operation.

Following upon that good work, Lord Melchett formulated large financial plans which took him to the U.S.A., where lie is now soliciting the co-opera-tion of American financiers in promoting the important proposals of himself and his British coadjutors. But anxious as he is to cement British and American relations, socially, politically, and financially, he is much more anxious to preserve the honour and good name of Britain, which have been attacked by enemies of Britain in America, over the Franco- British understanding in reference to further naval disarmament. Speaking in New York at a meeting of the representatives of major industries, laird Melchett said, among other things, as reported in a cablegram which we printed, last Friday: Our difficulties in Europe are great enough, hut we feel we are competent to deal with European problems.

Whenever an attempt is made in Europe to come together, we are always greeted with suspicion and hostility on the part of the people on this side'of the ocean, who attribute to us

all kinds of motives which never outer our heads.

In reference to the settlement of the German reparations’ problem, he said that if America did not wish to take a part in that important matter, he asked her “at least not to get in the way.” That is fairly straight talking, but it was fully called for. Many Americans have of late adopted a habit of belittling Britain on every possible occasion. From tho scum of Chicago, led by “Big Bill” Thompson, to university professors there has been a persistent and apparently a systematic attempt to blacken the fame and tho name of the Old Country. These detractors, moreover, received the tacit support of the U.S. Government, whose attitude towards Britain has been such as to encourage her enemies in America to exhibit their spleeij. Lord Melchett’s rebuke is therefore i loth timely and courageous, and he will receive the approbation of people in Britain, the Dominions and in the United States who love fair play and are imbued with goodwill. For it must not be forgotten that there are in America a largo and influential number of people who are good friends of Britain, whom they admire and esteem for the chivalrous and gallant part she plavgd in saving Belgium and France from German tyranny in 1914-18. These higlL-mindod citizens of the United States realise that tho best interests of civilisation and the maintenance of peace on earth are best served by promoting good feeling between Britain and America, but which cannot be established while the enemies of such a rapprochement are unanswered. Such well-disposed Americans will approve heartily of the sentiments expressed by Lord Melchett, whom they will recognise as the mouthpiece of the British Empire.