The Washington times., 1929-02-22
BRITISH ENVOY
TALKS BEFORE
D. A. R.

Only honest differences of: opinion
separate England and the United
States on naval disarmament and,
with patience, an agreement will be
reached, Sir Esme Howard, the Brit
ish ambassador, told the Daughters
Of the American Revolution today at
a celebration of Washington's birth.
day in Memorial Continental Hail.
The ambassador decried the possi.
bility of war between the two coun-
tries and recalled the sorrow that
swept England when President Gar.
field was shot and that which was
felt in this country when King
George recently lay so desperately
i'll.
Il cannot but feel" he said, that
when we share each others sorrows
so truly as in these two cases there
cannot really be anything very wrong
with AnglO-American relations.
Raps Trouble Makers
Yet in spite of this evident good
feeling and in spite of the desire OF
the two peoples to live in friendship
with one another, there seem to be
some people on either side of the
Atlantic, be it said, who really enjoy
stirring up trouble between us,
whose lips distill gall and wormwood
or whose pens are dipped in vitriol.
Those necessarily make agreements
difficult on any subject with regard
to which there may be perfectly
reasonable and honest differences OF
opinion"
Sin Esme quoted at length from a
speech made by Sir Austin Cham.
berlain at Birmingham, England,
on the subject of failure of the
Geneva disdrmment conference and
the differences which separate the
two countries, and pointed to the
speech as representing the friendly
feeling felt in England for the
United States.
1.-THE difference between US even
then" he quoted Chamberlain, was
not difference of principle. We
admitted, freely and willingly ad
mitted, a battle between the United
States naval forces and our own.
Urges Brighter View
''It isvan admission which we have
never made to any other nation,
which we should have made to no
other nation
The, differences. Chamberlain as.
serted. were those arising out OF
the difficulty Of applying the prin.
cipIe to the different circumstances
and: needs OF the two countries.
rs it not then unfortunate, Sir
Esme continued, that now on this
side we hear mutterings even of
the possibility of war? OF sinister
designs and evil ulterior motives
when judging by the utterances OF
those in really responsible positions,
there is no foundation whatever for
such steries?, -
''On the whole. therefore. we may
az Well ignore them and take the
brighter view that, as Sir Austen
says, 1t Is rinconceivable that with
patience and at an opportune mo.
nent, friends should not be able to
resolve technical difficulties which
have hitherto prevented them from
reaching. an agreement.
The Kellogg anti war pact was
described by Sir Esme as a step a
STATE Oh UNIVERSAL peace.
ITO sneer at such a universal
covenant to reject force as means
of settling disputes Is surely very
cheap" he said. Are we really to
suppose that all the nations which
have ratified this treaty have done
so without the intention of keeping
their plighted troth? ANY such
supposition seems to me monstrous.
This treaty has made an incalcul.
able difference in world affairs
though this is not vet generally
realized"
Formerly, he added, going to war
was not considered an immoral act.
Now. at any rate" he continued.
whatever other grounds there may
be to justify such action q. govern
ment which goes to war win be
branded by world opinion as a
breaker Of oaths, as false to the
promise it has solemnly given
"Such is the true meaning of the
Kellogg pact" he said. ''and II
public opinion IL Of weight, it must
weigh heavily IN the cause OF
peace.