THEN-AND NOW

Otago Witness, Issue 3581, 31 October 1922, Page 19

THEN-AND NOW

FRIENDS OF FREEDOM. VANCOUVER, October 12. On behalf of the Sul grave Institute, Sir Charles Wakefield, ex-Lord Mayor of London, 9 and a prominent oil manufacturer, to-day presented to the people of the United States a statue of Edmund Burke and a bust of Viscount Brvce. Tlie statue of Burke was unveiled at the City Park, Washington, and the bust of Bryce was unveiled in a corridor at the Capitol. Sir C. Wakefield referred at length to the circumstances leading up to the war of independence, and declared that the policy of the British King of that time was stupid and un-English. The beliefs expressed by Burke were not only those of the British people, but of most statesmen. “His utterances sank deeply into the hearts and minds of the wiser Englishmen of succeeding generations.” said Sir Charles, “and laid the foundations of the more generous and intelligent policy which has brought into being the free commonwealth of British nations of to-day.” Secretary of War Weeks, who accepted the statue of Burke, said that America never had two stronger friends than Burke and Lord Bryce. The latter was probably better known to the people of the United States than any British subject of this generation. Burke, who died 125 years ago. never visited the United States, and there appeared no particular reason why he should have given American affairs any unusual attention. But, said the speaker, “although a loyal British subject, no American who has read history can ever forget the service Burke rendered to our country in the days of stress, and his endeavours to see that our forefathers received justice at the Hands of the British Government.” Americans and Englishman who had the best interests of their countries at heart should enthusiastically endorse and support every means of preventing misunderstandings between the United States and Britain. “This is the task,” be concluded, “to which the Sulgrave Institute , has dedicated itself, and in which it is admirably succeeding.” Ex-President- Taft (now Lord Chief Justice of the United Stales) accepted the bust of Lord Bivce—the British statesman and ambassador." WHITEFIELD AND WESLEY. LONDON, October 27. Mr Lloyd George, speaking tit the White-field Tabernacle, said : “No men did so much for Anglo-American relations as

Whitefield and Wesley. America responded to practically the same ideals as England. Her moral training was identical with ours. We owe America about £1,000,000,000 at the present moment ; but that is nothing to the debt America owes us. In writing the balar.ee sheet, We should be shown as debtors for £1,000,000,000, and given credit for John Wesley and George Whitefield. This without bringing in Shakespeare, Burns, Milton, and the Pilgrim Fathers, who vvou d run up a bill which would bankrupt even America. Whitefield and Wesley brought America into the war. They were going to take America by the hand and lead her through the golden portals of the League -of Nations.” „