Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-04

Officially and ostensibly 1t is a matter
of tons and guns that brings Prime
Minister Macdonald to Washington.
Actually cruisers and correlated ques-
tons are merely the pretext for his
coming. The cause of his presence on
the soil of the United States Is vastly
different and immeasurably more fun
damental. The British premier has ar
rived in this country to explore at first
hand the practical possibilities of pool
ing the strength and resources of the
American Republic and the British EN-
pire for the preservation Of peaceful re-
lationS not only between themselves, but
among all the nations of the world.
Any other description of the Hoover
Macdonald conversations" is as wide
of the mark as to suggest that President
and premier are about to negotiate an
Anglo American alliance. Ambassador
Devastated coiner of terse phrases
epitomized the situation accurately in
his striking speech at Sudbury, England,
on october l. "All that is now past"
he said, referring to the wars which
America and Britain have waged against
each other, "for our two countries now,
under the providence of God, are to-
gether fighting a battle for the worlds
peace"
X II n II
Continuing Dawes useful metaphor,
It may be stated that the Hoover-Mac-
Donald meeting Is council of war for
peace. 1t will deal, as such councils
always do deal, with the grand strategy
of the campaign that is to be waged.
It will not waste time on relatively I'M
essential details. 1t will particularly
avoid issues that are irrelevant and ex-
traneous. It will definitely keep of
the grass Of questions which both gov
&c Tn N I'll
dents, such as the Anglo-American war
debt settlement. The only chance that
that special question will be brought up
while Mr.. Macdonald is in the United
States is that the discussion will be
initiated by American spokesman. That
is another way OF saying 1t will not be
talked about at all. The President and
the prime minister will also not permit
themselves to stray from the bigger
as % the diplomatic status Of Soviet
Russia, 90 the private disputes of
American and British oil interests for
advantage in world markets, 90 the
international aspects of prohibition, or
a. the possible effect of the Hawley-
Smoot tariff bill on British trade in
the United States.
X X X n
Mr.. Macdonald has himself set forth
mission. He wants to see what can be
done to marrow the Atlantic" What
exactly does the prime minister mean
by that? He means that John Bull de-
sires to find out just how far Uncle
Sam is willing to go to insure that the
immense power and prestige of the
EngliSh-Speaking races shall hencefor-
ward be used exclusively for the COM
mon purpose of peace, and never for
the purpose of mutual destruction. One
of the premiers who preside over "Brit-
statesman with paramount interest in
what is about to happen at Washing
ton-summarizes the great objective as
follows: "Our two fleets united to pre-
vent war and pledged to fight only on
the same side If war cannot be pre-
vented"
Naturally, practical naval questions
require decision as part and parcel Of
the great and cleaning goal which Co
lumbia and Britannia have set them
selves: No peace partnership with the
British would satisfy the American peo-
ity of seapower. Fifty fifty" Is our ir-
reducible minimum on that score.
Britain is ready to concede it. Assured
of that mutual respect thenceforward-
the respect which always flows from
equality in any sort Of relationship,
whether between men or between gov
ernments-the Republic and the En-
pire are about to discuss the use to
which their predominant naval strength
is to be put. Their considerations start,
of course, from the premise that they
are never going to war with each other.
The question then arises as to the justi-
fication for their mutual determination
to maintain the worlds biggest two
navies. For what-for examples the
United States about to carry out her
own 15-cruiser program? Why do we
insist upon possessing ourselves Of an
immense modern battle fleet?
n X X +
The shortest possible answer to all