S.O.S. TO AMERICA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 82, Issue 288, 6 December 1938, Page 7

S.O.S. TO AMERICA

THE ROYAL VISIT HEARST WRITER'S ARTICLE. NEW- YORK, Dec. 3. The Hearst Press gives prominence to-day to an article on the “Decline and fall of the British Empire,” in which Their Majesties’ visit to America is described as “a Royal SOS to the United States. ’ Karl von Wiegand, Hearst's chief foreign correspondent, comments: ..Lange and ironic as it will appear, .i.c fate of Britain of George IV in no i jail measure may lie in the hands ! of the one-time American colonies of George 111, who hired German legions to fight George Washington. Her weaknesses being manifold, Britain is turning to America, and the visit of King George and Queen Elizabeth is the biggest and most dramatic SOS to America that England could possibly make.”

The writer makes charges of incredible complacency, inertia, or incompetence in high places in England, and says that the British Commonwealth is a loose-jointed democracy where each foot and each hand goes its own happy way. The outstanding weakness is London's inability to command Australia and other Dominions.