The Washington herald., 1921-07-03

despite its wider repercussions."
in a measure. we have challenged
that supremacy as IL has never
been challenged either by France or
Germany.
Have Common Viewpoint.
But Anglo-Ametican rivalry and
worse, whatever 1t meant for the
British Isles would mean something
quite different for Canada. even for
Australia and New Zealand. In all
the problems Of the Pacific. Canada
and Australia not only share the
AAperican viewpoint. but must for a
period OF years. at least. see in the
policies OF the United States, even
more perhaps than in the remoter
British Isles, guarantees OF their
own security and bulwarks against
a common danger. A war between
the British Empire and the United
States would mean ruin for Canada
and Australia, the one direct, tho
other indirect. granted that both
supported the home country. and OF
this there is small doubt.
Thus the first problem Of the
British Empire now becomes in q
sense a far-nung federation OF in
dependent states. with a common
language, tradition and relation
ship. was frankly accepted to the
adjustment OF relations with the
United States, the pursuit of every
goal which might seem to contrib.
ute to the abolition Of rivalries and
the expansion OF friendly relations
In q certain sense the greatest
question now awaiting answer on
this planet Is precisely this ques,
tlon of Anglo-American relations.
AnEio-American Rivalry.
know 1t seems absurd to Amer
leans, and yet all over Europe one
may hear the debate going forward
as to whether or not the next great
world struggle will be between the
American and the Briton. Berlin
believes 1t, Paris fears it. one may
hear much Of 1t in Rome. To Eu-
rope nothing seems more logical
than that the two nations which
emerged from the world war actu-
ally victors, who today stand forth
as the supreme powers of the
planet. should drift or even rush to
rivalries which could only lead to
war.
Moreover. and the fact Is siry1ifi-
cant. Europe expects Britain to ad-
here to her traditional policy apd
seek to construct an anti-Amerf.
can alliance. Always in the past
Britain had fought each OF her
rivals by enlisting on her own side
all the smaller nations Of the Con-
tinent. In this way she defeated
Louis XIV, Napoleon. William n
Yet the fact is manifest that, shouId
the United States actuallv emba,k
upon aggressive policies. we shouIo
be Instantly a more deadly rival
than any BritainS has ever encoun-
tered on her long and stormy path
way.
Spirit OF National Pride.
Confidently Europe expects An
SIo-Saxon rivalry. not friendship n,
association. will fill the next chan
ter In world history. Moreover, Brit
ish statesmanship, which in tho for
elgn held surpasses the statemanshin
OF all other nations immeasurahly
perceives and has long perceived
the evil possibilities of such rivslr,,
That there are in England, inst az
there also in the United States
those who would not shrink fror,
the race. is clear. The rise of the
united States on sea and economic
ally has not failed to stir national
pride and patriotic prejudice, but
these influences could hardly CON
troll were Britain only an island in
the sea and they cannot control
IN that empire in which the British
ISLANDS are but one of several
mighty commonwealth
Brltlsh eyes, the eyes OF the
statesmen in the overseas domin-
ions have recognized far moro
clearly than American, the effects
of the war, so far as the United
states Is concerned. We are stiu
debating in our own minds between
traditional isolation and unprece-
dented international participation
Recent partisan and personal ouar-
rels still serve to dictate interna.
tional conceptions in many quar-
ters. But the British all over tbeir
vast empire have perceived the es-
sential fact that, whether We will
~ VI Hot' we nave become entan-
gled In world affairs, we have he
come a great power in the interna-
tional sense. the pursuit of pros
perity and peace at home will hence
forth drive US into the world mar
kets and compel US to share in the
world councils.
War Cements Tie.
Even before the world war tn.
truth was apparent in Britain. As
far back as the Spanish
war, British policy had undergone
defnitive change - American
friendship. American understand
ing, even an American alliance,
tacit rather than written, these
were the objectives of succeeding
ministries. But the world war de-
molished the last veil which hid
the United States as it is. from the
eyes of the observing. What this
country was able to do between
Apri 6. 1917. and November II. 1918,
what its comparative wealth ana
strength are, as a result Of the war,
these were facts which dominated
British policy at the Peace Confer
ence.
And since the peace conyer.n.a