The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-07-16
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

LONDON, July 15.-Whether peo-
pie like it or not, and some sup
pose do not, 1t Is undeniable that
a new close. solid friendship is
growing apace between the United
states and Great Britain. This is
based, il my observations are
| sound, on more than sentimental
platitudes delivered at banquets on
more even than the stronger senti-
ment which exists and always will
exist between Americans of old
| British stock and what was once
to them the mother country.
Americans not of British stock
with some exceptions no doubt in
| large groups of foreign strains not
yet amalgamated-are friendly and
sympathetic to British folk while
not abating by any jot their own
American outlook. All signs point
to fair weather ahead between our
two English speaking peoples, due
good deal to the Washington
conference at which we cooper
ated successfully for the peace of
the world by a general &C
acknowledgement on both sides the
Atlantic that on broad issues apart
| from minor conflicting interests.
| our trend of thought, our desire
| for the future of the world, ano
our way of looking at things was
very similar.
Gives Credit to Press.
! think the praise for this draw
| ing together must go very largely
to men of my profession, WELL
known journalists, men of letters
of America and Britain who have
done honor to the press. with GER
tain lamentable exceptions, by
their friendly Interpretation and
generous idealism. The click of
their typewriters has been good
| music to those who are sick to
| death of the cheap sneers, the
raucous shouts of the 100 per cent
patriots who can see no good in
| any col1try but their own.
One cause of the increasing
| friendliness, and the best. is in
creasing knowledge. England has
been favored by the presence of
many distinguished Americans
Gently on this side-and they have
| done much in private intercourse
and public speech to enable the
English people to understand
| American character and thought.
| Bankers and business men of all
kinds have lately visited England:
most of them had an opportunity
of putting forward American views
very clearly without reservation.
One cannot go to any important
| dinner party without meeting
Americans of standing who gem
| orally give the attitude of the
| United States as far as they know
il to world affairs, and what they
| say spreads in groups aud circles
and has its effect. Also magazines
and periodicals of the United
| States, which fairly invaded Eng
| land. are read each week by clerks
and shop girls. middle class folk,
as We call them, so life in the
United States. humor. adventure,
social customs, are no longer un-
| familiar.
American Novels Popular.
Sinclair Lewis recently declared
that American fiction does not in
terest British readers. but the plain
truth is that English writer's feel
little hipped because so many
American stories appear in the pop
| ular magazines on this side and the
bookstalls are crowded with Amer
lean novels, not so solid as Main
Street" of the sentimental type, but
such as they are, American back
I o.
goo d. because it breaks down the
barrier of ignorance and creates a
sense of intimacy with the smaller
ways of life without which no two
peoples can really have friendship.
In a political way. not in the mar
row sense of the word but in the
larger aspect, George Harvey.
American Ambassador to London,
Is quite a powerful influence in Gre
ating social goodwill and under
standing. He certainly made a sue
cess of his job. 1 cannot pretend to
be ignorant of the violent objections
raised at Harvey's appointment I'm
certain American circles, and with
out having met the man was strong
ly prejudiced against his person
ality, his methods Of journalism, his
type of mind, as they were inter-
preted to me by distinguished Amer
| leans who feared he would "let
down" the reputation of the United
States and make a hideous and hu-
initiating failure at the Court of
st. James.
Everything hear, however,
seems to show that the American
Ambassador in London has won a
good deal of confidence and Is very
generally liked by all who come in
contact with him. He has won his
position in spite of his early
speeches. which raised the hair of
some English heads, or, if they
hadn't any hair. gave a draughty
sensation to their scalps They
were aggressively American, being
hostile not in intention but in fact,
to the sensibilities Of quite a num-
Der of good friends of America, and
seemed to bar the way to any pros
pect OF American cooperation in
Europe. Since then Harvey has
mellowed. He loves America no
less, but he likes Europe more and
| understands England with what ]
should say is pretty shrewd
though friendly judgment. 1 think
his ideals have broadened: he is
out for the peace of the world, re-
construction of the nations, not In
visionary way, but by means OF
commosense, facing up to facts, get
ting hostile views to agree on COM
promise and arbitration.
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