New-York tribune., 1909-10-03
Anglo-American Memories
Copyright. 1909. by George W. sm.uey.I

Englishman, holding out his hand to his Amer
lean cousins L the hand happened for that
| moment 20 he cenched IL none the less
greeting. and was understood as such. You
could not look into his face without seeing in II
the spirit OF kfnship and of friendship. only Lord
Grey is pre-eminently one of those men who
think the best relations between men or between
communities must spring from frankness- He
wanted 10 clear the ground. and he did clear it.
| If he had asked anybody's advice he would GER
tainly have been advised not to say what he did.
He preferred 10 trust to his instincts. and
they proved 20 be true instincts. The danger
was that freedom of speech which would be
| accepted from his lips might be resented when
read in cold print. But it was not.
No American will have forgotten Lord Grey's
gift Of his portrait of Franklin to Philadelphia
That endeared him TO still further. II was a
prize OF war which he surrendered taken in the
War Of the Revolution by General Sir Charles
Grey 1t used TO hang the ceiling in one
Of the reception rooms OF HowicB House. North
cumberland / il there some time before
the gift, and Lord Grey told me its history but
did not tell me he meant to give it back TO
America. I believe he did ask whether thought
Philadelphia would care 10 have it again. ques-
tion to which l could not but say yes Yet it
might almost be thought of the family, with a
good deal more than hundred years of posses
years do not count so much elsewhere. The
English have long since got into the habit of
reckoning by centuries.
When Lord Grey went 10 Washington the
President asked 10 bring him TO the White
House. Mrs. Roosevelt had a reception that
! evening, and l said with her permission would
bring him then. Very good" said the President
and mind you bring him to as
YOU come" did as told. The President
greeted him, he did everybody. wa,nly, but
in way that made Lord, Grey understand he
was welcome. Within thirty seconds they
deep in political economy. a matter of which
Lord Grey had made a profounder study than
tho President For the Engishman had not.
like Bacon and Mr. Roosevelt. taken all knowl-
edge 10 he his province. and able to master
his subjects More than once had occasion to
see something of his familiarity with difficult
premises-once at dinner, when the late Mr..
Belt. the South African magnate, sat on his
right, and the two discussed financial and po-
litical questions. Mr.. Belt had made great
| fortune in South Africa and Lord Grey had not
| The Chartered Company had not then proved
mine of wealth TO its administrator But the
\ minds of the two were at one. The knowledge
| of each immense. The power of graphing
with great subjects was common to both. Per-
| haps Lord Grey sometimes took an imaginative
view. but the feet Of the capitalist planted
the solid earth.
| The President and the Governor General be-
| came friends at once; neither OF the two being
| the kind Of man to whom friendship requires
| length OF years TO come into being. 1t is OF
course. for the interests of both Canada and the
| United States that relations Of sympathetic good
! will should exist between the rulers Of each.
| A few hours before their meeting the President
| knew nothing about Lord Grey. Even to Mr.
| Roosevelt's omniscence there are limits. But
| he desired TO know, and when he had heard a
little Of Lord Grey's history. said joyfully "AE
| right; We have subjects in common and ideas
| too" So the doors of the White Ho0se opened
wide 10 the Governor General; and the impress
| sion in Canada was a good impression.
/ q