INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1928, Page 7

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

AMERICA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. “American opinion as represented by Rotarians is entirely different from American opinion as a whole,” said Dr. G. Homo when discussing at the New Plymouth Rotary luncheon yesterday the feeling towards England and international affairs generally. ‘‘They say they have lots of politicians but no statesmen,” he added, before proceeding to relate some experiences of his recent trip through the States. As a result of her lending and trading activities both before and during the war America had been gathering an the dollars until she had millions hoarded, said Dr. Home She wanted some means of investing them, and he suggested the idea of a bigger navy was taken up as a means of spending some of the money. Nothing was more obvious on the Continent of Europe than the unpopularity of Americans in general. In England the feeling was fairly well veiled. In Germany the people had been very reserved towards his party until they discovered they were not Americans; after that the visitors were given warm welcomes, The Americans were great advertisers and displayed their wealth, .and their attitude over war loans was not favourably received by Britons. The doctor pointed out, however, that in a population of 120,000,000 not 10 per cent, were of Nordic origin.

The American Rotarians at the Ostend Conference were very concerned about the feedings towards their countrymen and in discussing the matter with them the doctor mentioned the idea that the money lent the Allies by America during the war should have been pooled for the general cause. Under the present arrangement it looked as though one partner had lent more to another for him to carry on the business. That was the way the world looked at it. Following the same line of argument, America might logically expect England to pay her compensation for her wounded. The Americans agreed that the United States would be deservedly unpopular if this were so, and Dr. Home thereupon suggested that a somewhat similar case was presented in Britain paying interest on American money used by Italy. It was a difficult question to explain or discuss. Regarding the wrong statements made about Britain by certain American politicians, Dr. Home said wo had little idea of the political intrigues for power. A British Empire dinner was given at Ostend and the 1600 guests included American Rotarians. In their speeches Dr. Home believed he detected a sorrowful note at the attitude of America over world polities. But such people represented .less than 10 per cent, of opinion in the United States, though it was to be hoped that in time a different general attitude would be created.