The Wilmington morning star., 1946-10-10
MORE ABOUT
LIPPMANN
FROM PAGE ONE

ton, no one should attempt to
deny. Though it is the fashion
for the moment to ignore it, largely
out Of fear that to examine the
British-American problem is to
give aid and comfort to the Rus
slams, we may take it for certain
that unless those who believe in
the British-American partnership
grasp the nettle, those who wish
to disrupt the partnership will ex-
plot the differences which we have
failed to resolve.
Lord Lothian, who was not only
a most effective Ambassador but
also a British-American statesman
of the first rank, understood the
problem, and never-even in the
darkest days of the war-lost sight
of it. "Anglo-American relations
he once remarked in a speech al
St. Louis, ARE always difficult tc
talk about. There are, how.
ever. two sayings which each con-
tain the proverbial h~alf-trutE
which l cannot forbear to juote
tonight because they tend to put
the question in a humorous per.
spective. One is the well known
American gag \sbout the attitude
of Great Britain, England expects
every American to do his duty
that is, come to the assistance
of the British Empire when it is in
trouble. The other is the British
gag about the attitude Of the
United States, America expects
the British Navy to defend her
right to be NEUTRAL"
Lord Lothian was speaking in
April, 1910, before the U d
States had entered the war, before
lend-lease, before the destroyer
bases transaction. British-Ameri-
can relations are now different than
they were then in that American
neutrality, when Britain is involved
in a world conflict, is no longer
conceivable: But the residual prob
lem, al yet unsolved, remains -
namely that while in the difficulties
of the Empire the initiative and
the authority are in London, the
consequences must be met also in
Washington.
There is no reason why response
bic British opinion should ignore
and deplore, and profess not
to understand, this fundamental
problem. Mr.. Henry Wallace, for
example, has not solved the prob
lem OF even, in my view, reached
the point of stating it correctly.
But if the British are wise, they
will not be satisfied to answer Mr..
Wallace's words. They will look
deeper and see that the words are
those of a man who cries "Ouch!"
though he does not know for sure
where and why his shoe pinches
him.
Because of their experience in
the evolution of the EMPIRE into
the Commonwealth, British states
men should be prepared to unde--
stand, far better than they appear
to at the moment, the inner prob
lem of British-American relations.
They have lived long enough not
to talk as if they could not under
stand the difficulty which Ameri-
cans are trying to express when
they say, as SO many Americans
do, that they are partners with
the British Commonwealth Of
Nations, but that they do not know
what they are in relation to the
British Empire.
On Jan. "a, 1914, Lord Halifax
delivered an address at Toronto ir
which he told his Canadian audi.
ence:
II speak frankly as I know
you would have me speak. Or
Sept. 8, 1889, the Dominion'
were faced with a dilemma o
which the whole world wa
aware. Either they must cor
firm a policy which they ha
had only partial share in fran
ing, or they must stand aside ant
see the unity of the Common
wealth broken, perhaps fatal.
and forever. 1t did not take then
long to c h e, and with on
exception they chose war. Blu
the dilemma was t e, an<
having occurred twice in twenty
five years, it may occur again
That is the point at which
equality of function lags behine
equality of status. The Domin
ions are free-absolutely free
to choose their path; but every
time there is a crisis in %interna
tional affairs, they are faced with
the S a e memorable dilemma;
from which there is no escape"
If Canada is faced with this
"inexo-able dilemma, from which
there is no escape" certainly there
is no use pretending that the
United States has not been facec
with it most poignantly of all, ane
that the United States is not now
faced with it. The dilemma is q
real one, and until British-Ameri
can craftsmanship recognizes it,
and takes it seriously, and explores
it frankly, the partnership of the
English-speaking people will be
at the mercy Of incidents and icri.
tations and plumbers, of isolation
ism in both countries and disrup'
Tive maneuvers from without. NJ