Evening star., 1925-07-12
BRITISH EMPIRES FATE
n HANGS In THE BALANCE
America Likely to Be Profoundly At
fected by Manner in Which Pressing
Problems Are Worked Out.
BY SHELDON S. CLINE.

oNDoN Every American
schoolboy is familiar with
the declaration of the Revolu.
tionary patriot that I'VE
must hang together or we shall hang
separately"
That. perhaps, does not quite &C,
curately describe the situation of the
British Empire, but it will serve as
an introduction to what many
thoughtful Englishmen regard as the
most serious of British problems.
Probably they would paraphrase the
American Revolutionary sentiment
into We must get closer together, or
we shall fall entirely apart"
He would be speaking, of course, of
what is more modernly, as we'll as
accurately. termed the British Com
monwealth of Nations. For there is
a very widespread belief here, as well
as in British dominions overseas, that
things cannot continue to go on as
they have been going since the great
war and as they were trending even
before the war. The dominions-par-
ticularly Canada, Australia. New Zea-
land and South Africa-are becoming
less and less dependent upon the
mother country, less and less inclined
TO pay heed TO the programs and as
pirations of the government at West
minister, more and more inclined to
go their separate ways and to work
out their separate destinies.
Affecting Economic Forces.
And in this problem of the greatest
next to our own, of English-speaking
peoples the American people have a
very vital interest. 1t promises TO
affect profoundly the future course of
history, but, more Immediately to the
point, 1t already is beginning to affect
the economic forces which govern the
world and under which we must live
our daily lives, whether we will or no.
1t long has been the proud boast of
Englishmen that the sun never sets
on the British Empire. But many OF
them are wondering today if that
Will remain true. They are wonder
ing, indeed, if the sun of British
greatness has not already passed its
zenith and Is sinking toward the hori-
zon, beyond which lie the shadows of
other empires relatively as great and
which now are only memories
1 do not want to convey the i'm
preston that the Englishman is pan
icky or faint hearted as he takes this
long look into the future-and back
at the past. He is merely sobered
He knows that If he is to maintain
his place in the world a long, hard
struggle lies ahead of him. He
doesn't finch from the struggle. He
believes he will come through. but
he knows the road he has to travel
is not an easy one.
And he thinks fortunate America
ought TO and will give him sympathy,
and now and then a helping hand It
is almost pathetic, the anxiety one
finds in all circles here, that America
should know Britain better and under.
stand her problems. OF course, this
does not mean that all dislike of
Americans has disappeared, or that
there is not a great deal of envy
mingled with the admiration they ex
press for US. But the British sin
cerely do want to be our friends, even
If they don't care to be our intimates.
Anglo-American Friendship.
Before passing on to a more de.
tailed study of the British problem,
this envy, or jealousy, one finds exist
ing here and directed toward things
American is of more than casual in
terest. When Anglo-American friend
ship is under discussion, one finds
Englishmen speaking glowingly and
with great enthusiasm of the 5000
miles of undefended border between
the United States and Canada. They
cite it as evidence of a natural and
Unbreakable friendship between two
great branches of the same family
But when one gets away from senti-
ment and begins to talk business. he
finds that self same undefended border
is a mighty sore spot with the aver
age Englishmen. He rejoices that
there are no guns along its splendid
length, but 1t hurts him that there
is so free a flow of goods across It,
1t makes one wonder sometimes If
the Englishmen would not be willing
to endure few guns If they were ac-
companied by commercial barriers.
And when Mr.. Houghton, early In
May, made his initial speech as Amer
lean Amba ssador here it was received
with a dignif1ed attitude of somewhat
wounded sensibilities. Mr.. Houghton
didn't waste much time on the senti
ments that have, come to be asso
ciated with Pilgrims dinners in Lon
don. He said that Anglo-American
friendship could be taken for granted
and then went on to discuss the prac
teal affairs of everyday life. particu
larly with respect to present condt
tions in Europe and Americas atti-
tude there toward. 1t was a plain
robust talk, just the sort of talk that
was needed to help clear up the
European atmosphere, and this was
generally recognized by the British
present and by the British press, but
in the mostly favorable comments,
both public and private, there ran an
unmistakable note of disappointment
at the absence of the hands across
the sea" business which has in the
past generally been the theme of Pill
grims' dinner speeches.
However, the British are not them
selves a very sentimental people, at
least not superfiCially, and | think it
is anxiety more than anything else
that just now makes them so eager
for kind words from America. They
would like awfully well to team up
l1Urpprp1a WaVS least
wherever such teaming would be to
British advantage. 1 don't find any
particular anxiety to do team work
for the direct benefit of America; but,
then, the British don't think America
has any need Of such assistance, OF
course, they hold that the future well
fare and happiness of the world is
bound up in the friendship of the two
countries, but that is the political
rather than the commercial view.
1t Is rather hard to get at just what
Is the typical British view as to the
commercial relations which ought to
exist between Britain and America,
for the average Briton is not much
more reckless asa talker than Presi-
dent Coolidge is, but if / were called
upon to give definition 1t would be
something like this: The average
Britisher thinks Americans ought to
be willing to give the British a little
the best of ii now and then, not, pos
sibly, through any feeling of gener-
osity, but in order to keep the British
going concern until they can get
back on their feet, all for the sake of
the whole scheme of world peace and
welfare assured by Anglo-American
friendship, reinforced by the strength
and stability of the two countries. If
that is too involved, another way of
Al 4 I4a I.