Evening star., 1923-12-30

Washington, being still in his forties.
From the first he took an active part
in official life, both in the field ot
diplomatic negotiation and confer
ence and on the public platform. AL
though he came here after having
been president of the board of trade
in the British cabinet and with a
reputation for a considerable knowl-
edge of trade affairs, he perhaps
performed his most notable service
during, the preliminaries of the
Washington conference on Iimita-
tion Of armament and Pacific ques-
tions and as a member of the Brit
ish delegation to the conference
itself.
He was deeply interested in trade
questions. believing that If any seri-
GUS friction should arise between. the
two countries it would be over such
matters, and no phase of such sub
jects as the tariff, immigration and
the merchant marine escaped his at
tention. He also was active In the
negotiations for the funding of
Britain's wartime debt to the United
States.
During the. passage by Congress
Of the McCumber-Fordne tariff bill,
Ambassador Geddes with other diplo-
mats in Washington was regarded by
some as actively, even If indirectly.
opposing enactment of such a meas
ure, and the question was taken upon
the floor of the Senate with the result
that some Of the diplomats explained
their positions officially to Secretary
Hughes.
Referred to Report.
Sir Auckland, however, In so far
as concerned a much discussed speech
OF his at Chicago was shown by the
stenographic record merely to have
suggested that the resumption of
trade between Great Britain and the
United States after the war years
was largely dependent upon the ca
pacity of the British Empire to buy
American goods and pay for them
with dollars in America.
Attacked by Senator Watson Of
Indiana for some statements on the
American merchant. marine reported
to have been made In the same speech,
the ambassador. declared that his
position had been erroneously de-
scribed and referred to the steno-
graphic report. This shows that he
said 1t was the right of the United
States to build up a great merchant
marine" and added that when 1t
comes to the question of the balance
Of trade between the countries that
means that there will be diminishing
credits-dollar credits-for the Brit
ish to purchase your goods within
this country" -
Sir Auckland was keenly interested
in the conditions arranged for the
arrival at American ports Of immi-
grants from Great Britain, and df-
rected particular attention to Ellis
Island, New York. He made a per-
sonal visit Of inspection there, and
upon his return to England last sum-
mer submitted a report of his OBJ
servations together with some con-
illusions, which, while amounting to
Washington for the diplomatic tact
displayed in setting forth his position.
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, December 29.-Virtualiy
all OF officialdom was away from Lon
don for the holiday season when the
Washington message = was received
tonight announcing that Sir. Auckland
Geddes had resigned as British am
bassador to the Unied States.
The announcement will not cause
great surprise. for ever since Sir
Auckland came home on leave 1t has
been an open question whether he
would be able to take up hts am