New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-27

Many people do not realize that hitherto
all the active political relations between
Great Britain and America have been hostile
relations. Twice the two nations have been
at war, and there are not few Americans
who are fond of boastng that in both OF
these conflicts they whipped" us. Our nor
nal level relations have no doubt been
amicable enough; but whenever the level has
been broken it has been by incidents which
left a certain legacy of ill-feeling. The
general attitude of Britain during the great
Civil War was anything but sympathetic.
Once we were on the verge of a rupture over
the case of Mason and Slidell. The affair
Of the Alabama was exceedingly disagreeable
the Venezuelan squabbe led US, not perhaps
to the brink of hostilities, but some way in
that direction. The incident of Manila Bay
is perhaps the only international episode of
any note that has definitely tended to draw
the two nations together.
OF course tbs does not mean that there
has not been real friendship between them.
} There has never been a moment when thou
sands of Englishmen and thousands of Amer
leans have not felt the warmest regard for
each other. Perhaps it may even be said
that the reciprocal feeling of the majority
of both peoples has been a sort of vaguely
critical and suspicious kindness. But there
have always oeen certain classes in America
that cherished old rancors against England,
and these were not little encouraged by
the general tone of common-school education.
No one can read the American newspapers of
to-day without realizing that, except among
a cultured minority in the Eastern States,
pro-Ally sympathies are centred rather upon
France and Belgium than upon England, and
that in the Middle West and West the feel
ing of the masses toward the Allies in gen.
eral, and England in particular, is at best
one of indifference.
Whatever may happen, this is not going
to change all at once. We are not going to
fall on each others neck and swear eternal
friendship. Nevertheless, great new fact
has come into existence. In the most mo-
mentous crisis in the history of the world
the whole English speaking race is at last
standing shoulder to shoulder Nothing but
criminal unwisdom or Malignant i'll fortune
can cancel or turn to evil the beneficent re-
suits that ought to flow from this wonder
full and almost unhoped-for achievement of
German political genius. Never again can it
be said that call active political relations
between Great Britain and America have
been hostile relations" That remark is ex-
plunged from the page of history.
And now ii is up to us--why should we
not talk American to make the best of
this new situation. Htherto-take us all
round-we have been culpably and stupidly
inappreciative of America. The time has
been, no doubt when there was a great deal
of rawness in American life which lent it.
self to caricature, and when, on the other
hand. many Americans displayed at once
great self-assertiveness and morbid resent
fulness of our criticism. But the Civil War
may fairly be said to have made an end to all
that-or at least the beginning of an end.
Since then half century has passed, and
now we have not the smallest rational ex-
cuse for carelessness o. captiousness in our
judgments of America.
To any one with srark of Imagination
the United States is the most fascinating
country in the world. It's past is romantic
its present marvellous, its future inconceiv-
able.
Let me give one instance of the romance
OF the past that clings to so many places
in America. | will not speak of Lexington
or Concord; | will not speak Of Mount Yer
non or Charleston; will speak of the place
in all America which most people in England
perhaps, think of as the very antithesis of
romance mean Pittsburgh 1t is called
hell with the lid off, and | don't say il
does not merit that term of endearmcnt;