Evening star., 1921-02-11
WAR WITH BRITAIN
ABSURD, VIEW HERE
Ample Room for Dispute, But
HostiIities Beyond
Possibility.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Whatever passed between the
American correspondents in LONDON
and Sir Auckland Geddes in their
confidential talk relating to the pos
sibility of war between the United
ington is sure that an exaggerated
Importance has been given to the in
cdent and that If Sir Auckland has
any idea that the relations between
TINS country and England have
reached Il critical state. he has per-
haps been misled into taking seri-
ousiy many of the anti-British DEM
onstrations i'll the United States.
There is no denying the existence
of an anti-British feeling right here
in Congress. There lis no denying
that our government departments
more or less disconcerting kind with
British officials.
Moreover. there is no denying that
British public opinion is building false
hopes if it thinks the Harding adminis-
tration will feel any more kindly toward
a cancellation of war debts than did the
Wilson administration
War Talk Is Absurd.
Sources of controversy exist, but any
fody who takes the trouble TO go be-
meath the surface here will find first of
all that government officials rs well as
members of Congress consider another
war of any kind in the present genera
ton an absurtity. if not an impossibility,
gestion that America and England are
treading the path leading to war as
about as accurate a reflex of the true
situation as the statement of future
conflict between America and Abyssinia.
But, aside from such absurd conse-
ably factors Of growing Importance
in the relations between the United
States and Great Britain which Sir
Auckland Geddes recognized while he
was here and which. in the interest Of
friendship between the two countries
are not being camouflaged wherever
Anglo-American questions are frankly
discussed.
Irish Question to Front.
First and foremost in the situation
in Washington is the influence of the
Irish question. Englishmen resent
American criticism on this subject
but so long as there are Americans
of Irish descent in the United States.
just SO long will there be speeches
and even bitter feeling on the part
of members of Congress representing
districts where those Americans Of
Irish origin reside. AS for a prece-
de Mt, these Irish sympathiZers point
"
when America was in the throes Of
civil war England went further than
America has ever gone in the Irish
controversy when she recognized the
belligerency of the Confederacy.
What is happening on the Irish
question isn't particularly new to the
present generation either. 1t is not
so long ago since the democratic ma
tional convention adopted a plank ex-
pressing sympathy with the aspira-
tions of the Beers in their conflict
with the mother country. The rec
ords are full of American expressions
of sympathy with liberal and inde-
pendent movements in all parts of the
world.
The cause Of Ireland will continue
to be agitated in the hope that moral
force will persuade the British gov
ernment to give Ireland autonomy,
but the suggestion that the United
States may some day employ physical
force for any such purpose is charac
terized as ridiculous even by the most
active of the Irish synpathiZers in
our government.
Not Aimed nf Great Britain.
To read. the -dispA1ches about the
building >of an American Navy 'at
least the equal of any other power"
the far-away observer might think
the general board of the Navy and the
of Congress were really
at Great. Britain, but that isn't
true. The naval policy of the repub-
lican and democratic administrations
is tending to coincide in the sense
that all parties agree America must
enter a disarmament conference with
just as powerful a hand as anybody
else in order that reduction of arma-
ment may be- really begun. Hereto
fore the powerful nations have re-
fused to reduce ornaments and natu
rally the nations Of lesser strengt;
have followed suit
But there is nothing in the discus
sion over armament which threaten.
good relationship between the Unitci
States and Great Britain. An agree
ment on navar armament is fully ex-
pected by fffe~4eading men of our gov
ernment as an initial example to al
other natibffsS
Irritations.' over trade and such
things as cable communication v
no doubt continue. but nobody her
considers the suggestion of war b.
tween the two English speaking cour
tries as anything but the remotes
contingency, and certainly no issu
thus far has been presented which
in any way susceptible of such ser
Gus consequence.
Copyright, 1927