Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
GEDDES BACKS DRY
ACTIN AMERICA
Former Envoy StartIes Brit
ish by Frankness of Ex-
pressionS About u. S.
BY tile Associa ted Press.

By tile Associa ted Press.
LONDON. March Sir Auckland
Geddes, whom the Pilgrims entertain
ed last night in honor of his return
from Washington, kept his word,
which he gave upon departing. from
New York, that he would continue
as unofficial ambassador of the
American people on this side OF the
Atlantic, by remarkable speech
which for candor and frankness has
rarely been surpassed at a meeting
Of the Anglo American Society.
The former British ambassador had
barely started his reply to toasts by
Lord Desborough, John Robert Clynes
and former Premier Baldwin before
he reused the distinguished gather
ing of King Georges subjects by say
ing:
Il don't think the people of Eng
land recognize amid the mass Of sto-
lies of violation of the prohibition
laws of the United States how strong
the feeling of the best minds of the
best people of America is on the sub
Jet of prohibition. Given the Amer
lean problem, given the American
climate, | think that If l were an
American | would he a prohibition
ist"
Tables Loaded With Wines.
AS is always the case at banuuets
in London, the tables We're abundantly
supplied with wines and liquors, and
Sir AucklandS announcement, which
seemed heresy to the banqueters, who
had been not at all sparing in par
taking of refreshments of this ma
ture, was made more acceptable by
the remark that followed. ''Fortu-
nately | am not given the American
climate"
The former ambassador resumed in
serious vein, however saving that
seldom had there been a more humili-
ating position for any British ambas-
Sador than to go week after week to
sec the Secretary of State for. the
purpose of requesting the release of
this. that or the other disreputable
British or alleged British schooner
engaged in handling stuff which any
body should have been ashamed Of"
Having startled his hearers to at
nearly an hour his efforts to dispel
many of Britains popular Illusions
Of the people on the other side of the
Atlantic. He upheld the funding Of
the war debt as great work that
would yield future fruit. and added
that the British people did not fully
realize how far the United States
came to meet the British negotiators,
considering the situation that existed.
Speeches Were Broadcast.
Sir Auckland told his pilgrim au-
lience, and a hundred thousand 9TH
ers scattered throughout the British
Isles-for the speeches were broad
cast-that although America may
have some things to learn from Great
Britain, Britain certainly had many
things to learn from America, not
only in purely industrial development,
which John Robert Clynes, lord privy
seal in toasting the former ambas-
sador earlier in the evening had men
toned, but in art and architecture, as
welIas in social service and agricul-
ture, particularly horticulture, and in
protecting the home markets, which
Sir Auckland said Americans through
out all the states he visited told him
was the secret of their prosperity.
He asked Mr.. Clynes to listen close
ly while he described the conditions
under which American wage earners
worked and lived. According to his
account. the British working people
might well envy American wage earn
ers for their housing facilities and for
the comforts and luXuries they en-
joyed. Undoubtedly they were better
housed, fed and clothed than their
kindred here. He would urge the Ia
Dor government, whose special care,
after thinking of the good of the en-
tire nation, was directed to the wage
Garner, to consider whether anything
could be learned from the protection
list methods of the United States. The
audience cheered, and the former
minister, Stanley Baldwin, seemed
pleased.
The American ambassador. Frank
r. kellogg. in short extemporaneous
speech. said: Great Britain has been