The Washington herald., 1920-04-30
Geddes Details
Europe,s Needs
hFirst Speech

Il r d
trouble that reaches into the United
States. diving into the heart of pol.
itics in this country, according to
Sir Auckland Geddes. Ambassador
from Great Britain to the United
States. Sir Auckland made his first
public address In the United States
at tonight's session of the eighth
annual meeting of the Chamber OF
Commerce of the United States.
The million dollar pier was
thronged with delegates and
friends<to to hear the' new ambassa-
dor.
4 Tells of Needs And Desires.
Tho diplomat detailed to the
gathered business men of the
United States the needs and desires
Of Europe in these post war days.
He denied that friction exists be-
tween his country and France and
Italy.
| Sir Auckland said in part:
Il wish first to express my pro-
found appreciation of the honor
you did me when you invited me
to address this immense gathering,
SO representative of the business
and commercial life Of this great
nation. I wonder IL you know how
great your nation is. Nothing has
surprised me more In. the few
days that 1 have been back in this
country than the note of self de-
probation, almost of pessimism.
which is struck in so many of the
newspapers and in the speeches of
so many men whom 1 have met.
All Nations Have Troubles.
Have you difficulties? So have
we. So have all the nations of the
world.
IN Europe mems thought is still
restless with the swell of the awful
hurricane: mems brains are still
tired with the strain of fve years
of nervous exaltation and harrow
ing emotions. The young men of
Europe are not normal. Before
they were full grown they were in
hell. Children are not normal.
Terror and sudden death were their
daily companions. Little ones still
little have seen their playmates
blown to heaps of bloody rags.
Wives that waited with hope have
waited in vain. Hundreds that have
longed for their wives with over
whelming love have returned to
lind fhamQeIvaa cd
TO these add shattered homes
and broken mills, hooded mines and
ruinee fields that at any moment
lmay belch forth with flame and
death as the plowshare meets the
unexploded shell. Still add an in
,creased cost OF living which makes
your increased cost look like a
bonus. Add a real shortage of eggs
milk and sugar. and in some places
-four and you have a picture of
large areas of continental Europe.
The continent of Europe is in
trouble and it is trouble you can
not get away from. trouble that
Iwill come after You and haunt
trouble that the call OF the blood
will bring right here into your do
mestic politics and there / must
leave it-for that is forbidden
Iground.
The British empire has troubles
too. but they are little troubles in
comparison with those of Europe
A fraction of the population is war
shocked, a fraction is weary of
effort, but broadly. the swell of the
great storm is dying down. output
is improving. business is better
The burdens are colossal and no.
body likes them. The cost of liv-
ing. the weight of the taxes, the
alleged incompetence of the gov
ernment and its incapacity to look
after business in this combined
with the unpleasantness of the
weather form the staples of dinner
table conversation.
War Has Worked Big Changes.
But there is a profound change
in England. The war has work ed
or during the war there has been
worked-a series of changes which
almost deserved the title of a rev.
olution. Vast new classes have
been enfranchised. Ultimate polit-
ical power in England now rests
in the hands of the working classes
They are strongly, anti-militarists
new relations between capital and
labor. They seek to the limit of
the nations power to secure tran
quillity in Europe, in Asia Minor.
in Asia and Africa. Silently and
without fuss or noise they have
lreduced the army to strength
many think barely sufficient to
police the empire. They are de-
termined to deal with the problems
of health. housing and education.
They see clearly that to secure
their purpose they have to end the
rancours and animosities which
have torn Europe and brought her
to the brink of disaster.
when you read stories of con-
fiicts between Britain and France
and France and Italy 1 beg you
not to believe them.
Are You Going to stand by.
The great question you have to
decide is this: Are you going to
stand by and wait for Europe's
troubles to come after you, as come
they will, or are you going out to
help Europe (remember l am ex-
cluding the European part of the
british commonwealth of nations)
to win through to reasonable con-
lditions? 1 do not mean help Eu-
rope politically but as a loRg-range
business proposition.
Il shall tell you Britaff's answer
to that question, for she, too, had
to answer it. on a business footing