KING’S VISIT TO AMERICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23703, 10 January 1939, Page 11

KING’S VISIT TO AMERICA

Between the first trial balloons on the question of a visit by British Royalty to the United States and the actual acceptance by King George of an invitation from President Roosevelt some weeks have elapsed, notes the Christian Science Monitor. This time was taken, no doubt, to assess the political effects of such a visit before actually announcing it. Thus the announcement itself acquires political significance. It seems to say that questions as to whether diverging policies of Britain and America could be harmonised sufficiently to make the royal visit worth while are being answered by the inner circles of the two Governments affirmatively. Obviously, foreign relations are in such a fluid state at the moment that to tell what will be the effect of a royal visit to the United States six months hence is impossible. But that both the American and British Governments feel that it will be useful indicates that they are aware of the more immediate usefulness of closing the gaps

between their attitude toward aggressive diplomacy elsewhere, and

that they must believe that this can be done. Otherwise they would hesitate to arrange an event that would attract so much close and critical attention to the relations of the two countries.