THE REAL AMERICA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144711, 21 June 1915, Page 6

THE REAL AMERICA.

HER ATTITUDE IN THE PRESENT

OUR VIRTUAL ALLY

At the weekly session or tho New Plymouth Brotherhood on Sunday afternoon, a fine address was delivered b.v Mr. C. H. Poole, M.P., on “The Real America,’’ with special reference to that country's attitude in tho present crisis. Air. Poole, who has visited North America several times, dealt with Ins subject in a very interesting manner. His address was really a compression of one he gave to the Leys Institute of Auckland—a most exclusive debating society—and not only did he show himself to he thoroughly an fait with his subject, but bo also employed figures and detailed accounts in such a way that his address was invested with added interest. _ Twice, when he suggested bringing bis discourso to a close, bo was requested to continue. Air. Poole first of all remarked that some of the nations had not, apparently, taken the altitude expected of them in the great world crisis, and foremost amongst these was the United States el America. But there was a groat risk of misunderstanding America s reluctance to enter tho struggle, and if tho facts wore generally known, people would realise that this idea was wrong. The American people, ho declared, were a wonderful people, but their internal difficulties and the international complications they were faced with, were taxing the greatest brains in tho world to solve. RECENT POLITICAL HISTORY. Detailing the recent political history of the States, Air. Poole said that Dr.. Woodrow Wilson was elected President by accident. Air. Theodore Roosevelt was not satisfied with Mr. W. Taft's administration as President, and “bolted” from the ranks of tho Republican Party, causing -a split in that party. Alr.'W. i. Brvan, a strong man m the Democratic Party, _ would uot accept tho party’s candidate, Mr. Champ Clarke, and ho insisted on the acceptance of Dr. Woodrow "A ilson as a compromise. On the Democrats achieving .success. Air, Bryan, who hold' decided pacific opinions of bis own, was appointed Foreign Secretary, the duties of which post are rendered very light by the Alonroe, Doctrine, and where, it was thought, he could do but little harm. Unfortunately, however, tho world crisis arrived with Mr. Bryan holding what then immediately became a most important position, where his strong convictions against any form of violence were a disturbing factor. President Wilson certainly did not represent a majority of the people, and his task was a difficult one. COMMERCIAL TIES. In Now York itself, British and German inlhlenee often came into conflict, and many storekeepers there had placed notices in their windows announcing that, they wore neutrals, and also in some eases such statements as “No fights wanted here.” Germany bad been working towards the one great object of placing tho whole of tho world under her military control, but that would never lie. The commercial tics between the States and Britain wore so strong thab they could never be broken. Afillions of dollars of American money wero invested in the big British shipping combines alone, fro T ;i which much bettor returns (-oulil lie obtained than from American-owned lines, with ships registered in the Suites and with American crows. Altogether, the common interests of those countries were so strong that they must ever go hand in hand. Referring to the history of the States and their treatment by the Home Government in tho early clays, Mr. Poole pointed out that the signing of tho Declaration of Independence on July 4,177 G, led to the defeat of Britain’s despotic control by force of arms, as also* would the Germans’ despotic sway in Europe be very shortly ended. A YOUNG AND GROWING NATION. The United States was only a young and growing nation. Its present population was one hundred millions, of which twelve millions wore negroes, while the remainder comprised every race of Europe'. In a similar manner was the British race built, and as they had progressed so would America, but to a much greatw extent. He predicted a wonderful future for America. With this great population they possessed a navy which could not face tho British—undoubtedly the best; in the world—for half an hour. Their army in 1913 numbered only 29,411 men and 1195 officers, or, ns tho Secretary for War stated, in all about twice the number of tho New York Police • Force. Only 20 per cent, of tho naval men stayed in the sendee for more than tho tlireo years for which they joined in tho first place, while tho array possessed only sufficient artillery ammunition to servo their guns for one day. A 16-inch defence gun was made, but lay without a carriage, or even without the plans being made for a carriage, for several years. There was no Prussian militarism to bo found in America, and he considered that, tho were reaching a higher plane of civilisation than other nations of the world, and wore lending themselves to other pursuits than war. At any rate, they might well do this now, for there was not like!}' to ho another war for many years to come—if, in w ed, another was ever fought. A VIRTUAL ALIA'. He had referred to the segments of which the growing American nation was composed, and a powerful one of these was tho Germans. There was a settlement of 500,0CX) Germans in Chicago alone. The negro, Japanese and education problems were probably the greatest with which the Government had to contend, but all the various races had to bo considered, including the Germans. Brutal as they all knew the Gormans to bo, yet there was one trait in their character that all must admire and take into account, and that was their groat love for tho Fatherland. Ho thought that this love for their country and their idea of nationhood was so groat that the young German was practically dedicated to it. This and British influence had always been at war in .America, and wore factors with which America had to reckon. Many declared that the States should have become active participants in the war long since, but sbo war. lending the Allies much greater assistance at present than sbo could ever hopo_to do with her army and navy. Ships were continually crossing the Atlantic with stores for the armies of the Allies, including food supplies, munitions of war, clothes, motor vehicles of all descriptions, etc. As an instance, the speaker road out a list of part of an order “placed” in the States of the value of one hundred millions sterling. These things wero manufactured m

American factories by men of all nationalities, and thus was America helping ns. It was often said that America. wa,s out after the dollars, but were they not all the same in that respect, in America, in Now Zealand, or in England herself? If not, why was Mr. Lloyd George going to tax the high profits of the big munition firms m Great Britain? Ho could assure thorn that many and big mistakes were made in gauging tho American people and their attitude in the present crisis. For his own part, ho was convinced that flic attitude of America as a. nation was at the present wholly friendly to Britain, and that only the difficult, complications he had striven to outline prevented that friendship from taking military shape. But even when all tilings wore reckoned, it was evident that, as leading Knglish and Canadian journals had acknowledged. America was rendering vastly larger help in this crisis than she could as an acknowledged military ally.