Evening star., 1939-06-08
Among Friends

to be first to welcome King George
and his gracious consort to the
United States. Here at the Nations
Capital there is full appreciation
of the historic significance of the
only visit ever paid to these shores
by reigning British sovereigns. Be-
cause of the brevity of their maj
estes sojourn in the country, WASH
ington today and tomorrow is the
voice of the whole American people
in extending greeting to them and
in bespeaking for them a crescendo
of unalloyed happiness while on our
soil.
If King George and Queen Eliza
beth find those experiences a bit
strenuous, as they are likely to do,
let it be hoped that they will interpret
the nervousness of our welcome for
just what it is-a spontaneous ex-
preston of JOY over the opportunity
to proffer the hand of friendship to
sterling young couple who so ideally
symbolic the British Commonwealth
of Nations and its undisguised desire
for fraternity with the other branch
of the English-speaking race
From the moment the royal visit
was projected there have been con-
tentions that it was stealthily "propa-
gandist" in purpose-a subtle attempt
to beguile gullible Uncle Sam into
pulling John Bulls chestnuts out of
the fire" That is a very far fetched
fantasy.
The fact that George vi is not
travelling on diplomatic business-he
happens to be accompanied by no
representative of the British Foreign
Offlce-does not denote that his visit
Is politically meaningless, however.
1t is, on the contrary, an event of
undoubted magnitude, even though
there is neither desire nor proposal
on either side to arrive at concrete
understandings Of political nature
The significance of the Kings pres
ence in the United States is neverthe-
less immense. 1t would be notable at
any time and under any circum-
stances. Today, because of the inter-
national situation, it is portentous in
high degree. 1t is notice to all con-
cerned that on the fundamental
question now dividing the world
democracy versus dictatorship-the
peoples which share in common the
principles that gave birth TO Magma
Charta and the Bill of Rights see eye
to eye on the issues that are causing
men to search their souls and choose
the theology" to which they would
give allegiance.
That on this overshadowing prop
osition confronting civilized man
kind Britain and America are in
spired by parallel purpose" as
Secretary Hull defines it, there is no
room for doubt. Equally assured is it
that each nation, in pursuance of
that common goal, will continue to
exercise its sovereign independence
of judgment on specific occasions.
The United States does not accord it's
approval blindly to each and every
doctrine or program espoused by the
British Empire any more than we ex-
pect Downing Street to underWrite
any and all positions this Nation
assumes on international occasions.
But the maintenance of rugged in
dividualism in the foreign policy of
the two countries need not and does
not prevent their looking at certain
developments on both sides of the
| globe through spectacles of the same
color and modelling their conduct
accordingly
No Anglo-American alliance" is
necessary, or remotely contemplated,
to that end. Our isolationists can
sleep just as soundly at night this
week as they are accustomed to do
when British crowned heads are not
in our midst spinning imaginary
webs of ENHANCEMENT The King and
Queen are come to us purely and
simply bearing the olive branch of
comradeship that has endured un-
broken for nearly century and a
half. They have just crossed an un-
fortified frontier of three thousand
miles length, which betokens, more
eloquently than parchment pacts,
the harmony that prevails between
King Georges empire and this giant
republic.
1t is in that spirit of cordial hos
pitality and mutual understanding,
untainted by an unworthy thought,
that Washington, the Capital of the
Nation, takes King George and his
Queen to its bosom and to it's heart,
and invites them, in one of the oldest
idioms in the American language, to
make themselves at home. They are
among friends.