Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-10-29
Sees Need Britishers
and Yankees in
Closer Relations

Oxford. Eng, Oct. 2S-Dr. Stephen
Leacock. head of the department of
political economy in McGill Univer-
sity at Montreal, Que, told the men,
bers of the British American Union
in an addfess here today that the
British and American peoples should
have better knowledge of each 9TH
er, maintain more sympathetic per-
sonal relations. if British American
union, without pledge or compact, is
to become a fact.
He declared that the time for a
parliament of man" and federation
of the world" was not yet. The
League of Nations, though it may
contain within it the seeds of future
concord, cannot serve as yet as a
shield against aggression and injus-
tice," he affirmed. THE principal
hope of the world is to be sought in
the continued friendship of Britain
and America.
The vast communities of peoples
gathered under the British and
American flags represent an organi-
cation of power easily superior to
any force that could conceivably be
brought against it. Where these two
nations lead the world must follow
Peace and war lie in their hands.
'On the other hand. disagreement
between Britain and America spells
ruin.-not only for themselves but
for the world. So great is the power
Of each that war between them could
mean nothing but mutual destruction.
Neither could conquer; both must
fall
The efforts of evory honest citizen
should be bent towards the mainten-
ance of peaceful relations and mu-
tual understanding. There is no
question here Of union in the narrow
er sense, of federation in it's organic
form. A century and a half ago it
might have been. But the page is
written and cannot be blotted out.
But for the more real form of
union there is still ample need and
opportunity The basis is there in a
common speech, common literature
and common tradition. To q great
extent the tie of a common descent
still holds. The union that is needed
and ink and written on scrap of pa
rer, but the union that reflects an
understanding and a common pur-
pose. a union of sympathy and not of
symbols.
"TO my thinking the best and
truest means of union is to be sought
in enlightenment. Our quarrels in
the past have arisen from our lack of
knowledge of one another. our inabil-
ity, through ignorance, to share one
another's point of view. For this the
remedy is better knowledge. The
more we can interchange our
thoughts the more certain are we of
agreement AS far as possible. we
should seek to share one another's
ideas, through books. through the
press, through the drama.
I'VE should facilitate in every way
the sympathetic relations of our
great universities. Harvard should
come to oxford, and oxford in return
should come and sit among the elm
trees of Cambridge, in Massachu-
setts, listening. There should be be-
tween Britain and America q con-
slant and perpetual interchange. a
sort of tidal ebb and flow. of all that
makes for scholarship and literature.
Much is already done. But much re-
mains. In business men have long
since found out that the personal re-
lation is everything. We must apply
the same to our political relations.
We must not rely upon conclaves of
po hinntc ND
know one another. In the face of such
knowledge ill-will will vanish, and
British American union. without
bond or pledge or contract, will be-
come a fact