BRITAIN AND AMERICA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25056, 21 November 1944, Page 3

BRITAIN AND AMERICA

HOW TO STOP MISUNDERSTANDINGS

STRAIGHT TALK—NO HARD FEELINGS

By J. L. HODSON, Noted British Author and War Correspondent

During the past six or eight months I have been thrown into contact a good deal with American people—in the United States, which I visited, and in Italy, whence I have just returned. I like the great majority of Americans I have met, and for many of them I have a affection. But I am not writing to set down compliments, sincere as they are. My view, as a result of my experiences, is that we British would get along better with America and Americans if we were franker and more outspoken. We and our American Allies have done, together, magnificent things in this war. (Russia has done, perhaps, even greater things, but I am here dealing only with America and us.) Between Allies the only right basis of working is equality. Equality between America and us does not always exist. We have a host of very good friends in America, and many journalists among them who put our British case; we also have some enemies. A good deal of anti-British feeling exists and we are from time to time severely criticised, especially in certain sections of the United States press. Wise to Reply That is, perhaps, not unnatural; no man and 110 country is perfect. But when we are attacked, I think we should be wise to reply. Silence is no good—especially no good with Americans. They like straight talk provided it is sincere. What I think they loathe and fear is suave diplomacy wherein they suspect an ulterior motive. Why are we criticised P Some of the reasons would astonish you. We are credited with having the smartest business men and diplomats in the world, who outdo the "innocent" Yanks every time. I was given in America a variety of reasons why we are not liked better; the English are high-hat and arrogarit; Britain is going Red; Britain, on the other hand, is not a democracy, for she still has Royalty, and the Old School Tie weights the scale in favour of fools when appointments are made; Britain is meddling in United States politics; Britain always fights her wars with other folks' blood and treasure; Britain draws great revenues from India, and, in spite of what she has said, has no intention of getting out of India. The English have no sense of humour, I have been told; the British didn't pay their war debts last time — they'll never be forgiven for that; for the second time the British have dragged Americans into war; Britain won't help America fight Japan, I have heard people say; as soon as the war in Europe is over, she'll pack up. I call myself a Radical; I have never voted Conservative. Social Reforms May I, then, say a word to Americans in reply to some of the criticism of us? I speak for nobody but J. L. Hodson. Have you met any English who are high-hat? What proportion are they? Did . Shakespeare never make you laugh, nor Charles Dickens, nor Gracie Fields ? ... Britain is not going Red. Britain is deeply conservative —with a small c, but I hope and believe we shall have many social reforms. We have Royalty, but we also have Labour Cabinet Ministers Herbert Morrison, Ernest Bevin. As for lighting wars with others blood, the British Commonwealth had a million dead and two and a-half millions wounded in the last war. United States figures were trifling by comparison. In this war also our casualties, proportionate to population, are much greater than those of the United States.don,t draw & darnec j ha'penny in taxes from India, and we shall depart from India as soon as this war is finished and Indians can agree among themselves on the Constitution they want; we are pledged to do it. Does anybody suggest that Russia or the United States should emerge weaker from this war than when they started to fight? And if not, why should the British Commonwealth be weaker ? War Debts Where does our sin lie? If we had gone down in 1940 when we stood alone against Hitler, would not the world have been lost? Sure, we didn't pay all our war debts last time, but far more war debts were owing and unpaid to us than we failed to pay America. Audit' I may be excessively blunt —would you Americans, anyhow, pit your lost dollars against our English dead? For that was a war in which you finally decided it was right to fight—and you reached the starting line two years late. Why should we British bo expected to be uninterested in who is America's President? Ihe future peace of the world may, in part at least, turn on it. If the United States had elected a President who turned out to be virtually Isolationist, 1, for myself, should regard that as inimical to future world peace and as imperilling the lives of my children. Shall we not fight the Japanese? Are we not fighting them now? Are not some of our warships already in the Pacific? Have we not as much cause to hate and destroy the Japanese as Americans have? I believe so. We shall certainly be there. We British are deeply grateful to America for what she has done for us. Wo do not forget, and shall never forget, that within six, days of the fail of France the first of those 80,000 machine-guns America sent us, the first of those millions of rounds of ammunition and thoso old trench 75 s reached our shores. Too Much Flattery We are deeply grateful to you. I hopo you are a little grateful to us also. We stood, uid the earth abided. In our gratitude to you, wo have, J think, flattered too much, appeased too much. I don't think you like it. I think you are suspicious of it. Why, after all, should we flatter you? We have been in the war two years longer: our soldiers do their work for one-third the pay of yours; our workmen in ou.r factories work longer hours—also for one-third the pay; our food is lamentably small compared with yours; your rationing is a farce compared with ours; we have conscripted grandmothers —and your labour leaders assert that a National Service Act in America would be slavery. We British need to copy three things from you—warm friendliness, frankness, toughness. Be critical if you like but don t object if wo hit hard in return. Boxers who give punches must expect some ba Our good relationship is vital—not only for us, but for all mankind. It

won't be well founded on misapprehension or on flattery. „ We've got to learn to know and understand one another. "We're deplorably ignorant at present. Just as most of our people have no idea what you've done on the Russian convoys, so, I daresay, most Americans at home think your men are doing four-fifths or tho fighting in Europe; and they re doing nothing of the sort. . If you emerge from this war thinking you've won it, and that you are entitled to retire once more to your aloof mountain-top, and you do so leaving Europe to stew in its own juice —then, sooner or later, this monstrous job in which your men and ours are now engaged will have to be done all over again. That is why it' is important we should talk straight—but with no hard feelings.