Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-29
WHAT THE ENGLISH FAIL TO REALIZE

The British press is almost unanimous in Its comment on the
criticism in this country of Lord Birkenheads speech before the
Institute of Politics at Wiliamstown, Mass, last Friday night. The
general opinion is that we got just what was to be expected when
the English frebrand was invited to come here and address Amer
lean audiences. Birkenhead is better known in England that he is
here. There they know what to expect from him; he is almost GER
tain to pick up a row with somebody. He i a master of satire, and
his keen thrusts at his opponents put forth in his particularly bril-
liant manner, generally have a telling effect.
Lord Birkenhead's Wiliamstown speech was delivered with
in a few hours after he had landed on American soil. He had
come to enjoy American hospitality, yet in his very first public
appearance here he took a fling at former President Wilson that
did not set very well with the majority of those who heard him,
and that sounded even worse when read in cold type. Many peo-
pie including those who differ with the former President political
ly resented the criticism, especially coming from an outsider. This
resentment which was expressed not only editorially in leading
American newspapers, but in numerous letters to the press as well,
was cabled back to England with the result that we hear them
saying over there: 81 told you So" and they are inclined to
laugh up their sleeve.
But the British comment fails to grasp the real cause of this
resentment on the part of Americans. The English newspapers
after saying that such an outburst was to be expected from Lord
l~Birkenhead go on to excuse his remarks by calling attention to
various attempts on the part of Americans when addressing Eng
hh audiences to criticize British policies, mentioning particularly
The speech or theodore Roosevelt when the latter visited England
after his African trip and made an address in Guild Hall severely
arraigning the British policy in Egypt. The British press
intimate that we are poor sports in not being willing to take that
which we so freely give. Overlooking the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt
was urged to say what he did by prominent English officials who
desired to arouse their country to the need of a change in the
methods being pursued in Egypt, We would like to call attention to
the fact that what Mr.. Roosevelt had to say to the British, and
what every other American has had to say in the way of criticism
in Great Britain has been directed at the British government. not
at any one individual.
1t is a well known fact that while the English people will
stand for almost any amount of criticism directed at their govern
their king. AS Sir Paul V~inogradof, the famous Oxford lecturer
on jurisprudence told the Institute of Politics in one of his lee
lures at Wiliamstown during the recent session, the English still
adhere to the doctrine that the king can do no wrong. He is their
sovereign in spite of the fact that the British government today
is more democratic in many respects than is the government of the
United States. The British realizes that around the personality
of the king centers all that is tangible of the British Empire.
This, then, is where the British press fails to grasp the full
meaning of the situation that has developed out of Lord Birken-
heads remarks at Winiamstown. Had he contented himself with
a criticism of the American policy at the peace conference at YER
sailes and not INDUCED in personalities, particularly singing out
a former President of the United States, his words would not have
aroused the resentment that they did. For Englishmen should
understand that while the American people have no use for kings,
any man who has held the high office of President is honored and
respected by the citizens of this country, regardless of their poll
tics, just as much as ~Englshmen revere the man who sits on the
British throne.