Evening star., 1925-05-23
HOWARD'S SPEECH
HELD REPLY T0U.S.
answer to Houghton and I'm.
piled Plea for Tariff
Cut Are Seen.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Great Britain has made pointed an
swer to the recent speech Of Ambassa.
dor Houghton. This is the general
feeling here after reading the address
of Sir Esme Howard, British Ambassa-
dor, before the American Iron and
Steel Institute in New York.
The British argument that trade is
the only solution of Europe's trouble.
taken with the significant delineation
OF Americas commercial responsible.
ity to the rest of the world. is viewed
here as a polite but firm appeal that
the tariff wall erected by the Fordney-
McCumber law be reduced.
European economists have all along
been saying that the operation of the
Dawes plan, as we.! as tie payment
by tie allies ot tae!. va debts 10
america, were dependent to 20 s.aa-.
extent on Americas readiness to buy
goods from Europe. It was not until
Ambassador coward made els public
statement In New York, however,
that the British government, speaking
really for the rest of Europe, made an
ofhcial point Of the tariff situation.
Inference Held Plain.
1t would have been indiscreet for
the British Ambassador specifically to
criticize the tariff law. but without
treading on undiplomatic ground he
showed the relationship between ex-
ports and imports In the British
American trade and said plainly
enough for American officials to grasp
his meaning that unless Britain sells
more goods to America neithar she
nor the rest of Europe can pay war
debts.
Although the warning sounded by
American Ambassador Houghton was
really directed toward the political
instability of Europe. the British Am
bassador. in reply. went step further
in arguing that the peace of Europe,
While desirable enough, was not the
only factor that would tend to restore
normal conditions in Europe's rela-
tfonship to the United States. This
is the most significant por:ion of the
address.
"All ask Is that there should be in
America sympathetic understanding
toward those who are endeavoring to
bring together the jarring and con-
fiicting elements in Europe, and en-
deavoring to see II they cannot work
together for an economic, IL not for
any higher, reason, for the good of
ALL"
Needs More Purchasing Power.
The Ambassador pointed out that
after peace was re-established, it was
necessary to increase the purchasing
power of the countries to which Great
Britain sold her goods.
He added:
Now, If Great Britain cannot sell
her products abroad she cannot, of
course, continue to buy raw material
and manufactured goods in the United
States, as has been her custom. 1t
is. am sure. fully realized that Great
Britain could scarcely carry on an
unfavorable trade balance with the
United States forever and yet pay
the 32-odd million pounds per annum
required to meet her Indebtedness to
the United States Government"
The Ambassador forecast that de-
spite Great Britain's good intention
to pay her debts, the time might come
when 1t would be impossible to make
heavy purchases in the United States
and still pay interest on the war debt.
These observations are regarded
here as by far the most important
that have been made by the British
government in the last year. Nothing
has come from a British premier or
foreign secretary which is as pointed
as this.
Followed L. S. Policy.
Great Britain, however noted that
President Coolidge and Secretary Kel.
logg selected the Ambassador at Lon
don for their most important express
sion on foreign policies made this year
and the speech was as effective as II
1t had been issued by the Government
at Washington. The British therefore
adopted precisely the same plan and
authorized Sir Esme Howard to re-
veal the official British position. in the
hope that the United States Govern.
ment would realize that advice to Eu-
rope, even if taken by Europe. was
not sufficient to restore economic
equilibrium in the world. but that
America must he ready, reciprocally,
to accept advice from the nations
across the seas. The British Ambas-
sador's speech is SO skillfully worded
that it keeps within the bounds of
propriety, yet 1t will go down In dip
lomatic history as a most significant
declaration of British policy, the full
meaning of which is already grasped
in official quarters here and may fur
nish the ground for considerable de-
bate next December in Congress.
Copyright. 1925.)