New-York tribune., 1920-04-20
Keep Hands
Off Ireland,
Says Ceddes;
British A m b a SIS a dor,
Landing in New York,
Pleads for United States
Amity With England

The Right Hon. Sir Auckland Geddes,
X. C. B., who recently was selected by
Great Britain as the successor of Wis
count Grey for her embassy in Wash
ington, arrived here yesterday from
Southampton on the Cunard liner
Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. He was &C.
companied by his wife, Lady Geddes,
who was born at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y,
and spent the greater part Of her life
with her parents at Livingston, Staten
Island.
Sir Auckland, who has just turned
forty, is tall, spare man, with strong
features and an omnipresent smile He
is a Scot of few words and half hour
of conversation on the run up to the
Battery from Quarantine failed to draw
from him more than was set forth in
the prepared statement which he gave
to the newspapers soon after the
Kaiserin came into port.
He made it clear that he comes as a
friend and admirer of America and
that he has no fsvors to ask. His big
JOD, lc SdlO, was W fcpIcScuC LIc IIldly
interests of the British people, and
when this duty is attended to he would
regard it as a rare privilege to give the
best that is in him for the interests
of the United States.
England, he said, had for centuries
given sanctuary to representatives Of
the unhappy, the downtrodden and
oppressed and is doing her utmost
to-day to provide political machinery
by which the antagonized sections of
the Irish people can work out their
own internal political salvation with
out economic ruin to Irish interests.
Issues Prepared Statement
Sir Auckland said:
Con arrival wish first 10 say that
look on my appointment as British
Ambassador at Washington as the
highest honor and privilege which could
possibly have been granted TO me.
believe that the main hope of world
peace rests on the existence of mutual
respect and understanding between the
peoples of the United States of America
and the British community of nations.
1t is my ambition to help to develop
such respect and understanding.
IL do not suggest that even if there
were complete understanding of the
difficulties Of the one nation by the
other there would be in either country
complete agreement in detail with the
method of solution which may have
received the support of the majority
in the other, but at least we should
have got rid of suspicion breeding mis-
conceptions.
For generations England has given
Sanctuary to representatives of the dis
contented and the unhappy, the op-
pressed and the downtrodden. We
have listened to narrowing tales of
great wrongs and we have been moved
to action time and yet time again. We
have learned how difficult it is to right
small wrong or even a great and bit
ter wrong without creating a new, a
greater and still more bitter sense
of wrong elsewhere.
1--WE have learned that to keep peace
for that quarter of the human race
which owes allegiance to the British
Grown imposes a heavy strain upon
the material and moral resources of
our peoples. To avoid worse evils than
those we seek to remedy it is often
necessary to move with slowness, al
ways with caution; but one thing I can
say positively and without fear of in
formed contradiction, the inspiration
OF British policy during the period I
nave known it has been, if possible. to
bring order out of chaos. to extend the
boundaries of freedom, to improve the
lot Of the oppressed, to increase the
material prosperity of the world.
Discusses Irish Problem
I'VE are trying now, as always, to
meet the legitimate aspirations of the
dependent peoples, such as those in
India and in Egypt, so far as in our
judgment is possible without WORKING
mlschlef where we seek to do good.
"Similarly, in Ireland, we are irving
to provide political machinery whereby
the antagonized sections of the Irish
peoples can work out their own in
ternal political salvation without eco
nomic ruin to Irish interests. If it be
true that it takes two to make a quar-