Evening star., 1941-04-21
Replies to q Critic
Of Modern Britain
Reader Says Liberty
Has Been Achieved
In England
To the Editor of The Star:

In England
To the Editor of The STAR
Reading George E. Sullivan's letter in
your issue of April 6, one is almost
prompted to look again at the date to
make sure one is not in 1841 instead of
1941, so antiquated are his notions of
history.
Does Mr.. Sullivan suppose that Brit
ain has stood still since 1776, and really
think: "It is high time that the British
people did something toward obtaining
liberty for themselves?
The British people possess degree of
liberty second to none in the world.
Every adult man and woman has long
since possessed parliamentary, munich
pal and local suffrage without regard to
means, religion or color And, on the
subject of color, in the British domin-
ions there are colored high court judges,
colored bishops and colored cabinet
ministers.
AS to the possession of a parliament
tary vote there is one eXception-that
House of Lords to which Mr.. Sullivan so
scornfully refers. Lords have no votes.
And so a duStman has more say in the
government of his country than has a
duke. BY succession of measures the
House of Lords finally was Shorn of its
privileges some 80 years ago, and is
now picturesque but impotent survival.
An American Senator has far more
power both socially and politically than
an English peer.
During the past two or three decades
the English people have so exercised
their franchise that, in order to provide
themselves with free education, free
medical attendance, unemployment pay,
old-age pensions, free recreations. partly
free housing, and even partly free food,
they have taxed the rich up to rs per
cent Of their income before the present
war and over 95 per cent now.
AS to those in control of Britain who
continue to subjugate all peoples vher-
ever an opportunity presents ITSELF" Mr..
Sullivan presumably does not know that
the members of the British Common
wealth of Nations, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Fire and South Africa. are
free and independent partners, as in
dependent of Britain as they are of the
United States. India has been offered
an equal degree of independence so soon
as Hindu and Moslem compose their
differences; until they do so it would
not be in the interests of India to grant
such a concession. No part of the
British Commonwealth pays one penny
OF tax or tribute to Britain, all rev.
enue being spent on the inhabitants
themselves. Indeed in some cases, Brit
ain provides money of her own to assist
them. No part is obliged to buy from
Britain or sell to her; India, for in
stance, buys less than one-third of her
imports from Britain. Britain has twice
as much capital invested in the Argen-
tine as in all the British colonies put
together. Some British dominions have
tariffs against goods from England and
even restrict immigration from England.
Regarding his objections to union
now" with Britain, if the United
States and Great Britain (the United
States having three times the popula-
ton, perhaps five times the wealth, and
leaders at least as able as those of
Great Britain) could achieve a closer
association, where does Mr.. Sullivan
think the threat to American indie
pendence would lie? In England. I an,
told, there are numerous mfr. Sulli-
vans" at this moment writing to the
papers to point out the threat to the
independence of Britain through union
now" with the United States!
Mr.. Sullivan offers advice to the D. A,
r. There Is sense in which all Eng
hshmen today are sons of the American
Revolution, and in which it is time to
say that George Washington was the
father not only of the United States
but also Of the British Commonwealth
OF Nations. Sir Ronald Campbell, for
mer British Ambassador to Paris, in a
recent speech to an American audience
in Europe on the subject of that Revolu-
ton, said: I'VE learnt to thank America
for our defeat, for had victory fallen to
us, reactionary government In England
would have gained in credit. Instead,
we progressed toward the system of con-
stitutional monarchy and representative
government which we now enjoy. What
Is more: Upon that defeat, 1t is no para
dox to say, Is founded our present
British Commonwealth OF Nations"
ERIC UNDERWOOD.