The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-19
ENGLISH HOPE WE. WILL BE GENTLE. WITH ADMIRAL SIMS.
While Not Taking Sides They Smile and Wink the Other Eye at Trend of
 Events
By GEORGE \. BARNES Farmer Member British War Cabinet Speciai Wireless Dispatch to The Age
 Herald

tEngInnd hopes we twill be gentle with Admiral sims when he arrives this week in Washington to fnce Secretary of the Navy Denby, who wns '.amased" at the ndmirnl's Irish speech in London. British ndmirnls hnve been in hot wnter ever since the time of the great Nelson and the English people, ns whole have en- ioyed their freedom of speech. The Rotarinn, visiting in the British Isles, may do much to help the friendly relations between America and Great Britnin).
 London, June 18.-(Special.) )-De- cidedly the piquant event of the week has been the correspondence regarding the anti-Irish speech of Admiral Sims. The speech itself was breezy and the reply of the admiral to an American interlocutor was no less so.
 We English of course, cannot take either side, but without being com mitted in any way to an indorsement of the sentiments expressed in the speech We have been tickled by the correspondence which has arisen out of it and are heartily in sympathy with the admiral.
 Perhaps that is because it is all so familiar to us. Some of our great est sea dogs have been thorns in the side of the constituted authority themselves. The great Nelson threat ened to resign his commission be- cause of what he regarded as ped antry on the part of the titled bar nscles" who had power and author Na1c n nt has been maintained by most of the outstanding figures in our naval service right up to the present time.
 Lord Charles Beresford and Adimral Fisher always were in hot water with the admiralty when they them- selves were not in it, or of it. and 1t is only a few months since Admiral Scott told a committee of the Brit ish cabinet that he was going to take his own course and they could do the same.
 But tradition is not confined to admirals. Free speech to us is breath to the nostrils. John Wilkes, sturdy supporter of the American colo nists in the eighteenth century, cham pioned free speech and suffered for 1t at that low ebb of our fortunes when the lack of liberal principles
 
 speaking peoples. And free speech has never been challenged since.
 It is true that we hale person before & magistrate now and then, such as a Sylvia Pankhurst or a Bertrand Russell but it has been done only in extreme cases and on the principle that the Lord loveth whom he chasteneth.
 Perhaps our love of free express sicn comes from our literature; per haps it is in our atmosphere, but In any case we hope that America will deal gently with our recent visitor even if 1t be thought that evil com munications on our part have cor vupted his native good manners.
 Parting Admiral
 As we speed the parting admiral. we are glad to welcome number of his fellow countrymen who are spending some time among us. I re- fer to the Rotarians, 1.500 strong. They are here, we are assured by Albert Adams of Atlanta, Ga, their chief spokesman, "to preachN the gospel of friendship" They will find us very responsive, And in view of the misunderstandings I alluded to last Sunday. they have come at an crportune time.
 After moving among our folk, the Rotarians will carry back to the states knowledge which can come only by direct contact. That knowl- edge will be an appreciation of our determination to do nothing in the future which might prevent the Eng fish speaking peoples being found together on the high road of history vixen great events are shaping hu- man destinies.
 Still another crowd of guests have come this week. These are .he prime ministers and their staffs from the British dominions overseas, and they have come for conference with the British government primarily on the question of imperial defense. put in- cidentally to give form and sub stance to their new status of self governing communities.
 English Children of Today
 These younger children of British stock are today paradoxical as 1t may seem, entirely free to go their own way. although they were never less disposed to do so. and they are gcing to discuss with us questions of foreign policy as well as imperial defense.
 It Is a new and interesting devel- Crment in international relations, based on sentiment rather than me- chanical ties, and 1t will be watched with sympathetic interest
 The imperial conference will be- gin Monday, but two days thereafter there will be an event of even great CT promise. The King will open the new Ulster Parliament. This will be an event pregnant with great possi- bilities. for it is scarcely likely the government would have consented to his making the journey unless the government had something impor- tant to say through him.
 Will the King be charged with a message of hope and help in the so- lution of the great Irish problem? 7 If not the government will have underrated the opportunities of the occasion. We must wait and see. EASTERN STARS ELECT OFFICERS
 Auburn. June 1S.-( Special The regular annual election of officers took place here last night at the meeting of the Auburn Eastern Stars, at which time the following officers vere elected: Worthy matron Mrs. |