Evening star., 1929-06-25
PROPOSED MACDONALD VISIT
IS IDEA OF NEWSPAPER MAN
Edward Price Bell of Chicago
Originator of Plan for
Meeting.
Correspondent Has Long
Been Interested in Relations
of Britain and U. S.
BY BEN HARTMAN.

BY BEN HARTMAN.
| (Writing in the Editor and Publisher. }
! In the brain of an American news
paper man who for more than g
| quarter of a century has been a keer
observer of Anglo-American relations
and goodwill envoy between the two
nations was born the idea of con-
ference between the President of the
United States and the prime minister
of England, an idea which is about to
become a reality, with Ramsay Mac
Donald planning to come to Washing
ton soon for a conference with Herbert
Hoover.
The man is Edward Price Bell, vet
eran foreign correspondent, who is now
in England, but will sail for the United
States on June 90, arriving home
July 8. Mr. Bells dispatches fire.
quently appear in The Star and the
Chicago Daily News.
On April /, Mr.. Bell sailed for Eng
land on mission of goodwill. He
went with the avowed intention of i'm
proving the relations between Britain
and the United States and, If possible,
OF finding some means of solving the
ancient Anglo-American naval contro-
versy. A personal conference between
President Hoover and the British prime
minister was one of his first proposals.
His dispatches in the past several weeks
have indicated the tenor of his primary
diplomacy" conversations, first with
Prime Minister Mackenzie King of
Canada, then, in turn, with Stanley
Baldwin and Ramsay Macdonald, each
of whom expressed hearty approval of
the idea.
Consulted Baldwin.
Mr. Bell first approached Prime
Minister Baldwin on the subject Of a
visit to Washington and received his
cordial consent to make the visit II in
vited to do so. President Hoover was
duly informed of this fact. After the
British general election, Mr.. Bell asked
Ramsay Macdonald whether he would
be willing to go to Washington for a
conference with the President. NJ.
hesitation and authorized Mr.. Bell to 30
inform President Hoover. That in
formation went to the President at once
and was in his possession at the time
Gen. Charles G.. Dawes was given his
instruction in Washington before his
departure for his post in London.
In a dispatch to the Daily News Of
May 6, Bell suggested meeting such as
Is about to take place.
rs it not about time" he wrote, that
a prime minister met the President OF
the United States? There is no crisis.
The diplomatic relations between the
two countries have been and are in
capable and well disposed hands. But
questions of immense importance con-
front Great Britain and the United
States. These questions have not only
British American but world bearings.
They touch virtually every sea and
shore on our planet. II ever the relations
of peoples warranted the attention and
the service Of primary diplomacy GER
tainly the relations of Great Britain
and the United States do.
Hoover known Slightly.
president Hoover is known slightly.
but only slightly, to Prime Minister
Baldwin or any other prospective Brit
ish prime minister. Mr.. Hoover, in the
days when he occasionally met these
men, was not at all transparent per-
sonallty. He was reserved, elusive and
dificult to understand. And as Mr..
Baldwin and other Britons of prime
ministerial timber do not know Mr..
Hoover as well as they ought to, so am
sure Mr.. Hoover does not know them as
well as he ought to. 1t is my conviction,
not idly formed, that before a great
while after the imminent balloting in
this country there will be meeting be-
tween the British prime minister and
the President of the United States.
ut Is possible now to foreten some of
the things about that meeting if 1t shall
take place. It cannot fail to advance
almost immeaSurably the cause of Brit
ish-American understanding and peace.
Why? Because everybody concerned
wants British-American understanding
and peace. President Hoover wants them
profoundly. Prime Minister Baldwin
and all other British leaders of the first
consequence want them profoundly.
Moreover, on both sides exists q sense
Of certainty that nothing substantial, or
at any rate insuperable. stands in the
way Of British-American understand
ing and peace.
C0nferees' idea.
'If and when the meeting suggested
shall come about, one l-comprehensive
idea Will occupy the conferees. It will
be the idea Of emphasizing the principle
that in no circumstances shall Brit
lsh-American question or controversy
imply as an ultimate result the arbitra-
ment OF war. This principle accepted
and made fundamental, everything else
VIII be If not easy, at least not source
OF tragic possibility.
That which is proposed, in other
words, is simply an extension of an
existing rule. Canada and the United
States think of disputes and they have
disputes all the time, but they never
think OF war. They have outgrown that
supreme ignominy and faulty. Their
long border Is disarmed-in a way the
worlds most glittering symbol of the
march of civilized man.
Some people in England have said
You had better let this sleeping dog
ne'-meaning the Sleeping dog of
British-American relations. The trou-
BILE is that this sleeping dog is not
asleep. He may not be on his feet. He
may look as If he were curled up and
quite comfortable. But his eyes are
wide open. He is not only awake but
watching. 1t remains for those of the
highest responsibility to put the Sleep
ing dogs disposition right"
The political correspondent of the
London Daily Express, who has the
reputation Of always being behind the
scenes in Downing street, regardless of
what political party is in office, gave
full credit for the coming conference
between Hoover and Macdonald to Mr..
Bell.
Bell Is Praised.
eff this conference comes to pass" he
wrote, "the world will not begrudge
credit and praise to the three statesmen
whose practical idealism and sense of
world citizenship brought 1t about. But
behind these public figures there will
MOHAIR SUITS