"A MODEST VIOLET."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18050, 27 March 1922, Page 3

"A MODEST VIOLET."

PEER'S VISIT. TO AMERICA.

LORD RIDDELL'S ANECDOTES.

MR. BALFOUR'S POPULARITY.

[rnOM OTTR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

LONDON, Feb. 1.

Humorous anecdotes of his visit to America in connection with the Disarmament Conference were told by Lovd Riddell, when he was the guest of the American Luncheon Club at the Savoy.

Mr. Wilson Cross, chairman of the club, remarked that Lord Riddell had presided over the world's press representatives at the Washington Conference and at Cannes. An American reporter was heard to say after the first Press Conference over which Lord Riddel] presided at Washington:—" He is not like a Loi-d at all; he is a regular fellow." Here Lord Riddell was best known as an enthusiastic golfer. He carried his golfing enthusiasm " across the water," and organised a match between the British and American Press golfers, thus converting the old diplomacy of "Hands Across the Sea " into " Hands Across the Tee." He was the foremost and meet skilful moulder in the world.

" Association with Amorica, like drug taking, gr >ws on one," said the guest of the day. " I began the habit 12 years ago, and tovv that I have been to America I am a a>i:!inned associate of Ameri'Ana. I found America very interesting. Thfc people paid me so many compliments thai) after I had been there a tonnight " began to th.nk that I had never' been adequately understood in my own cor,.;try. One gentleman kindly referred to ua u 'Britain's modest violet,' remarking that I was a good typo of the old E/glish aristocracy, and that my clothes :rang upon me like the ivy of an old cl arch tower. Another gentleman said tb*t I had a rugged but good-natured face and someone else observed that, alhou ; h a most distinguished-lookinj persor. I dressed 1 Lke a third-rate chauffeur. '?hat gavo mo a very pood opportunity, - .d I at, once sent a cablegram to my tailor, ' Serious comment on my clothes. Will you kindly pass this to your cashier ?' " (Laughter.) Not A "Blood Peer."

" A young lady," proceeded Lord Riddeil, " timidly asked me if she might put a questioD to me. When I replied, 'certainly, 1 she asked, 'Are you what they call a blood peer V '

"'lf,' I replied, 'you use the term in (he same sense as you speak of a pedigree j bull, I mu*,.confess that I am not.' j " Whereupon the lady said, ' Then, good God ! How did you get it V " I ''Everyone I met in America wanted to | know what I thought of it. ' An English- : man never asked an American 'What do | you think of England,!' or a Frenchman, What do you think of France?" But in ! America, which is a young country, every I American wants to know quite seriously < "-hat is thought 0 f his wonderful country. ! There is no doubt that Americans think— I and are quite justified ir, doing so—what i a wonderful country America is, and what i they have done in such a short period. ! There is no douht, too, that the bulk of ■ Americans think that the Old Wcrld is ! rather played out, and that America ia i destined to become the centre of finance, 1 shipping, commerce, education, science, literature, and political ideals. That is | what America is striving for. It is a j most laudable ambition on the part of I Americans. At the samo time, they might 1 find the Old World a tough nut to crack."

"land of the Free."

While America is the land of the free, Lord Riddell noticed that it had a great many laws, and that many people who came from America, to Europe and who had resided here for some time ehowod no disposition to return to America. This, he thought, was a great mistake, because, he being a teetotaler from birth, it wao probably his intention to emigrate permanently to America himself. ' The Americans admired Mr- Balfour bo much that even the Hearst papers used to say that he was a marvellous man, and that each day he made a better speech than that of the day before. They added: " What a great patriot this maa is; what, a sense of duty ha has got! Here is a man 73 years of age sacrificing himself for his country, and we all admire him. And then we "find the venerable Lord Riddell, the most genial, urbane man, the most 4elightful peran, a great patriot like Mr. Balfour, a vary earnest) man. But ji'hat about poor America? How did America got on yesterday? Defeated again! All the good points taken away from them and misrepresented in the American press!" (Laughter.) That, of course, was not true. Lord Riddell had never seen abler men than those who represented America at the Washington Conference.

Future Relations. In conclusion, Lord Riddell said that America was changing her policy in regard to international commerce. For a great many years, during which she had been governed with the greatest discretion and skill by successive Governments, attention had been directed mostly to tht development of America and her home markets. The time had come when the United States Government believed that it the American peopla were to maintain the high standard of comfort which they had enjoyed they should sell more produce and more manufactured goods abroad. That was why America was go much interested in China, in which she saw a great outlet for American goods. America was full of Chinese students, and arrangements had been made to send American students to China. The change to which he referred was of world-wid* importance,- The British business man might say that America would bum her fingers. That was possible, for she was a young country and had to leara; but she was a very rich country, acd could afford initial losses. His answer to thos« who asked whether he thought tie future relations of this country and America would be friendly was in the affirmative-