The Washington herald., 1921-07-29
British Embassy Program
to Honor Noted Guest
Ends Suddenly.
VISCOUNT BLAMES
ENEMIES AT HOME
Says Lord Curzon Seeks
Revenge for Articles
i'm His Papers.
BY ROBERT ,. BENDER
united News correspondent.)

I
publisher. saw President Harding
yesterday for an hour and twenty
minutes. The same evening he was
not the guest OF honor at the Brit
ish Embassy. as had been originally
planned by Ambassador Sir Auck-
land Geddes.
The comb nation Of circumstances
| in the long feud between North
clifre and Premier Lloyd George, Of
England.
Meantime. official and diplomatic
Washington is in attempting 10
recover its breath from the sudden
cancellation OF the Embassy dinner
| Invitation sent To members OF the
Cabinet and other prominent on
| cials, including, IL is said, President
Harding. 49,
Light on Event. arr
The facts in this interesting side
/ light on British political life are
| these:
Lord NorthclfIe and Lloyd George
don't LIKE each other. Northciiffe
/ fer a long time has been shooting
barbed editorials at the Welshman
through the medium OF the power
/ full Northcliffe press. Just before he
sailed for this country Northclide's
papers challenged the right OF
either Lloyd George or Lord CurzOn.
| secretary for foreign affairs. to he
members OF the British commissicp
to the Washington disarmament
conference. NorthclifTe contended
/ that Lloyd Georges past perform
| ances would place him under diplo-
matte suspicion in the United States
and that Lord Curzon was utterly
untitled for the big job in prospect
Was 20 Have DI.ner.
Despite the situation Of govern
mental unfriendIiness behind him.
NorthclifIe sailed with the under
standing, IL is said. that he would be
housed at the British Embassy here
when he arrived and also had been
Informed that Geddes was 20 give q
dinner in his honor, at which Presi-
dent Harding. members of the Cab
met and other prominent oficial folk
were TO be invited. Also Northcliffe.
either at the dinner or otherwise.
was TO be introduced TO President
Harding
! Invitations to the dinner, 70 be
held last night. were sent out all
right by the British Embassy. Sew
!
ceiving them. But the same invita-
tions within the last forty-eight
hours. were cancelled. according TO
the same prospective guests. In
fact, the cancellation was so short
that official Washington verged on
being all dressed up only to ind
there was no place to go after all.
So, while British Embassy secre-
taries yesterday denied that a dinner
had been arranged, they apparently
had not learned Of several. at leaSt.
who had been invited.
Tells own story.
Among the latter invited guests
was Lord Nor.hcliffe himself. who.
last night stated to the United News
that the facts are these:
My friend, Sir Auckland Geddes
| invied me and my stan to stay at
the embassy and ] was informed
that one or two banquets had been
arranged at which l was to meet
members of the Cabinet and others.
Meanwhile, my London Times eN-
pressed views that I entertained that
Lord Curzon is entirely the wrong
man TO send TO the United States
! for the conference. a..
''on arrival in New York 1 was
automatically informed in the kind
est and incest way that the visit TO
the embassy and banquets were OF
and that one of your yell-kno~n
social leaders OF Washington had
| kindly undertaken to reinvite the
embassy guests TO meet me-"
The social leader referred TO BY
Northcliffe is Mrs. Edward B. Nc
Lean, who is to entertain the orig
inal embassy guests at her home TO-
night in NorthclifTe's honor.
Methods OF Curron.
Lord Northcliffe continued:
Now, 1 happen to know some
thing about Lord Curzon's press
methods and / am very sure that
he Is trying TO do the same things
in the United States as he did with
the natives of India when in India
IL a newspaper criticized him he
placed an embargo on its news, as
he has upon my newspapers. and
he also placed a social embargo
upon writers 10 the. newspaper
striking their names from the list
of entertainments given by the
government He is very much
afraid OF criticism and is hostile
to Americans in general.
Il have not seen the oficial de-
nisI issued by the British Ambas-
sador. No official denial will alter
my conviction. I have no feeling
about the matter at all.
Il have been to the British En-
bassy here before. but I have not
had the pleasure OF being enter
tained by Mrs. Mclean. which VIII
be novelty and I am told a charm
ing one" '-
Visit at White House.
When Northcliffe was Informed OF
the cancellation of the embassy
| hospitality, he also learned. IT.
would seem, that the embassy
would be unable TO take care OF
his desire to see President Hard
ing.
Not wishing to be placed In the
POSITION OF having his plans inter
rupted by what appeared ts be the
influence OF Lloyd George and Lord
curzon exerted through cabled in
stractions to the embassy here.
Northclitfe made his own private
arrangements for an audience with
the President. The success OF his
effort was demonstrated when ne
talked newspaper shop with Mr.
Harding for an hour and twenty