ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19844, 17 July 1926, Page 2

ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR. Rib, —lt is mentioned in your issue of July 12 that in deference to the British Association of Rotary Clubs, the British Post Office has decided to abandon the slogan “British Goods are Best in cancelling stamps, as the slogan was not calculated to promote friendly relations between Britain and the United States. Permit me, as a British subject, and as one ‘who, at all times, endeavours to buy the British-made article in preference to the foreign, to ask when all this hunkering, bowing, and scraping to the United States, the most selfish nation in the world, is going to cease. No mention is made regarding friendly relations with France, Germany, Italy. Japan, or any other nation. It is just the United States we must toady to. During the war the best blood in the Empire was poured out lavishly in France and at Gallipoli ami elsewhere, all because the “feelings” of tlie United States must not be hurt. trade with Germany from America was not completely cut off, and so cotton, copper, nickel, and food poured into Germany, thus prolonging the war and causing the deaths of at least 25 per cent, more British soldiers than necessary. Let anyone who doubts this statement get a few statistics on the matter, and read the ‘ Life and Letters of Walter Hines Page, the American Ambassador to England in 1913-1918, and “Twenty-five Years,” by Lord Grey of Falloden. . From 1776 to 1926 Anglo-American relations have been those of a bully nation towards a good-natured peace-loving Empire. No other nation on earth would give in so much to the United States as England does, and the result is the Empire gets the dirty end of the stick every time. Within the memory of men still living, and not yet so very old either. Canadian territory, six times the area or New Zealand, was stolen from Canada amt annexed by the United States, and now forms what are now called the States ot Washington and Oregon, besides Maine in the cast and also a large slice of what is now Alaska. And this gross injustice was allowed to stand all because good relations with the United States must be maintained. , . . Friendship that has to be spoon fed is a farce. Friendship should be mutual, not a one-sided affair. AVhat have the Americans ever done to promote triencliy relations with England? History cannot record one single friendly act On the other hand, as during the SpamsnAinerican war, Great Britain went oil, of her way to be friendly, to and assist, the United States. New Zealand soldiers many of whom had seen four years ot active service, were insulted at Newport News when they called there en route for home. , , . rT j A lot of friendship did the united States display toward Great Britain in the settlement of war debts! One hundred thousand pounds per day for 62 years. What a nice friendly gesture, so soon after Great Britain very generously, but, alas, very foolishly reduced her hill for the transport of over one million American soldiers (who saw little, if any, fighting from about £30,000,000 to £18,000.000 And what friendship has tlie United States shown towards Great Britain in regard to the once very troublesome Irish question? A sum of £4,000,000 was subscribed in the United States tor rebellion in Ireland, and to-day as a result of propaganda in the United States and ot assiptance with money and arms and nmmunition, Ireland is divided in two, and fourfifths of it is a republic under tho sham name of Free State, whose citizens have been, and are being, taught to hate England, and call England a foreign country, and every semblance of British authority is repressed. And so I might go on and on and relate how during the tour of the United States by Mr dc Valera the Union Jack was burned while Insh-Amoncan mobs howled and cursed England and everything British, but sever a protest from Rotary International in the United States It is high time the Empire, led by our Mother Country, stood unafraid on its own legs. Let ns boost and develop our trade and commerce ns we see fit, turning neither to the right nor left, but advancin'* with the good and harmless slogan, “British Goods Are Best” shown in every movie theatre, painted in big letters on every ship, and embossed in every postage stamp And let ns not be deterred by what the anti-British may think, say, or do, even if they are citizens of the United States—a nation of over one hundred million people, which did not have back-bone enough to declare war on Germany when the Lusitania was sunk and 114 Americans were drowned.—l am, etc., Canadian.