Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-01
ANGLO-AMERICAN VIEWS
AMERICA AND BRITAIN
Professor McLaughiin's Lectures Clear
Atcay Some Traditional Mis-.
uudersfaudinrs

America and Britain" is one OF the
best Of the multitude Of books on rela-
tons and concords between the two ma
tions which has succeeded to the numer-
ical proportions Of the production OF
war books" of the last two seasons.
1t Is n reprint of lectures qua lectures
delivered by Andrew c. Mclaughlin,
LII. D.. head of the department of his
tory of the University Of Chicago and
author Of "A History Of the American
People" and other standard historical
works. at the University OF London In
May 1918.
Professor Mclaughlin does not pal
late the errors of British statesman
ship toward the United States and the
misconceptions fosted on British read
ers by fy-by-night uniformed. misun-
derstanding and prejudced English trav-
elers, nor does he, on the other hand,
gloss over the traditional errors OF
view and opinion entertained for genera
tions by the great mass of Americans
toward England. which, by the way, he
does not emphasize, as do so many or
his fellow-writers on this subject, as
the "motherland." He evidently pro-
ceeds on the basis that in more than
century and half of Independent, self
sufficient. mayhap overly self-sufiicient
and blatantly complacent existence. ow-
Ing IlTSt 10 tHp COIODlHl InlNluTt VI Idtto'
and later to immigration from the four
quarters of the globe. the American
people have attained an essential homo
geneity and very definite and integral
national consciousness, and that Amer
lea is beholden, as many Americans
confidently believe, to no one of the
I many acknowledged components OF
Americanism as dominant or even pri-
mary element in the coalescence OF GUS
/ toms. habits and ideals that made the
United States virtually united nation
! of 100. 200. 900 persons in democracy s
war on autocracy. Refreshing also is
Professor McLaughln's omission to put
forward and even stress. as some of his
colleagues do. the Irish question" as
the major rift of misunderstanding
within the lutte of harmony. In fact
he omts to mention the Irish question
at all, though 1t had. albeit to a much
more limited extent than is usually
claimed by those who argue 1t, some
superficial effects in augmenting misun-
derstanding and in some cases hostility
But it was augmentary. not initiating
judging by Doctor McLaughlin's omis-
sion of it altogether and his exhibits
and analyses of other more direct and
potential causes of mistake and discord
Among the subjects which Doctor Nc
Laughlin elucidates very informatively
and admirably are our Monroe Doctrine
in which he pays deserved tribute tc
the British statesman Canning's coop
Grafton against the Vaccinations of the
Holy Alliance with its adhesion to thu
Metternichian doctrine of Legitimacy
the relations and obligation Of our fed
eral system to that of seventeenth cen
tury British. very valuable, stimulat
ing study in itself: why America die
not enter the war until 1917, yer.
sane and convincing apologize for wha
has been called our tardiness to respon'
to the call of liberty and which was
despite the righteousness of hotspur
and partisans, a very legitimate and jus
titled delay. and two addresses oil
British and American Relations"
AMERICA AND BRITAIN. BY Andrew c
McIaughin. LID. New York: l.. T
| Dutton Co. 81.