The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-03
British Commerce
Opposes Ship
Subsidy Measure
BY DAVID NJ. CHURCH.
international News Service Staff

London, July g. - Great Britain
has her eyes upon the United States
Senate once again. Not since the
League of Nations rumpus was in full
swing in the United States Senate has
Britain paid so much attention to this
greatest deliberative body" The
present causes for Britain's interest
in the Senate are the tariff bill and
the proposed ship subsidy bill.
For some reason Great Britain
doesn't pay any great attention to the
to the Senate as the barometer of
American affairs. and there is the
greatest interest in official circles here
concerning the Senate deliberations
shdy bill. Both of these legislative
measures are matters Of vital con-
Germ to Britain, for they affect Br1-
fish trade. and British trade Is Bri-
tish life.
There have been open and yelled
threats of retaliation by British com
mercia1 leaders If either or both of
these bills are finally passed and
the government has been one that is
apparently passive. Occasionally
there have been utterances from Lord
Derby and other leaders to the eff
rect that British interests must be
protected, but there have been no
open statements regarding the action
the British government might. take.
Lloyd George Opposes Bill.
It is generally believed here, how
ever, that Lloyd George and his Cab
power to prevnt any action over the
American tariff or the American ship
subsidy which might lead to any un-
pleasantness between the two ma
tons.
Cordial Anglo-Arerican relations
are most necessary to the present
British government. Lloyd George,
it is understood, still has hopes that
the policy of the United States to.
wards Europe will change and that
eventually he Will find himself work
ing with PRECEDENT Harding and Sec
rotary of State Hughes toward EURO
pean reconstruction the present
government realizes that it needs
America and needs it badly, and IL
has no intention of letting any undue
excitement upon the part OF business
men interfere with it's plans Tor cor
dial entente with the United States.
War Debt Is Thorn.
Then there is the question OF the
British war debt to America. rms
is a thorn in the side OF Great Br1-
tain-a gloomy cloud that hangs oyer
budget of the British government nor
the present year has brought about
tax reduction, which has been peas
ing to the general PUBLIC and Whlch
has won strength for Lloyd George.
An urgent demand from the United
States for an early payment or the
British war debt would mean thaI
British taxes in the next budget would
have to be increased, and this is not
a pleasant prospect for men who de-
pend upon the ballot to MAINTAIN
their power to look forward to-
The United State Senate may pass
| both the tariff and the ship subsidy
| bill and it is doubtful whether there
will be any strenuous official protest
from Great Britain, but in the mean
| time there is a furore and clamor
from business interests that mas TO pe
Needed. and the government finds it
self between the Scylla of pressure at
| home and the Charybdis of necessary
lAnglo-American cordially. 1t IS a
difficult situation, but undouotedly II
man from Criccieth-the man VINO
has surnounted far bigger dithculles
than this for the past sixteen years