Downing street determined to dictate in Europe
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- Downing street determined to dictate in Europe
- Language
- English
- Source
- The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume 7 (Issue No. 10) October 1927
- Year
- 1927
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- 12 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL October, 1927 Downing Street Determined to Dictate in Europe <§> <§> <§> Is It Behind Japan’s New Demands on China? Three Guesses NOTE.—The Chicano Daily Xcus has made another round of the chancelleries of Europe. The following is what Constantine Brown, London correspondent, learned at No. 10 Downing Street. Do our readers also want Edgar Ansel Mower’s paper from Berlin, Paul Scott Mower’s on Paris, and Hiram Kelly Moderwell’s on Rome?—ED. When the conservative government leaves office its successors will have much to amend as far as the internal state of affairs is concerned, but they will find a very well-defined line to follow as regards the British foreign policy. The foreign policy of the Baldwin cabinet is so clear that it can be classified in three distinct categories: First, to secure for Great Britain the position of supreme arbitrator in Europe: second, a policy of better understanding and friendliness toward the United States, and third, a strong, ruthless policy in the east to re-estab lish British prestige and strengthen the ties of empire. Chamberlain’s last act of entanglement in European affairs was the signature of the Locarno treaty, for which he was severely criticized by his own party. Ever since, the policy of the foreign office has been no longer the foreign secre tary’s own, but that of all the members of the cabinet. They realized that Britain’s position would be stronger and more effective in keeping Europe quiet if this country were not entangled in alliances and compromises. No Pledges Given The various meetings of the British foreign secretary with Mussolini and Briand, which have caused so many comments, have not re sulted in the British pledging themselves to any special compromise. Mussolini obtained from the British a free hand in the Balkans provided that he promised not to endanger western Eu rope’s peace, and Briand has had the British government’s assurance that it will do its utmost to prevent an aggressive policy on the part of Italy. During the visit of Frisident Doumergue last May, the French foreign secretary tried to induce Sir Austen Chamberlain to enter into a Mediter ranean pact, but the only commitment he was able to draw from the British secretary was that the question of the Mediterranean littoral is a Latin one, and that Britain is interested only in preserving for itself a naval supremacy there in order to keep its communications with the empire against any combination of the riparian powers. This policy of conceding to Italy the right of bullying the Balkans, of promising France a friendly arbitration in case of trouble with Italy, a sincerely friendly attitude toward Germany and a powerful air and sea fleet has insured to Great Britain the role of arbitrator which it has been seeking since last year. Change Toward United States There was much ill-feeling against the United States both in the British government and among the public; Downing street hated the idea of frequently taking a lead from the white house in many internatiqnal questions, and the British public was jealous of America’s prosperity, Britain being driven to a secondary place as an economic power. The war debts, labeled frequently by British economists as “Britain’s war indemnity to the United States,” had also much to do with this unfriendly feeling. There are, however, in the British cabinet, men who see further than this, and realize that a close co operation, not a cut and dried alliance, between the two English-speaking countries will be more beneficial to the British empire than fruitless squabbles. The co-operation of the American destroyers at Nanking when British and Ameri can lives were threatened, and Lindbergh’s wonderful achievement, appealed to the sporting instincts of the British people and helped more than any speeches of ambassadors or American and English public men. In the last few months there has been a distinct change in the public feeling in this country in regard to the United States, and Chamberlain has taken advantage of this change to direct the policy of the foreign office toward a closer co-operation with America in all international affairs. There are and will be many questions on which both governments will be compelled to disagree. This is inevitable, but, on the whole, there is no doubt that the British foreign office is endeavoring to work with the white house in a friendly co-operation. When the Baldwin cabinet resigns and a new general election takes place, the conservatives want to go to the country as the only postwar administration which has strengthened British prestige and restored it to its prewar standard. The policy toward Russia, the heavy expenditure of the British expeditionary corps in China, the “strong” policy in Egypt and India, are all part of this policy. Since the end of the war the British have met with only reverses in the near and far east, reverses which have seriously endangered their position in India and their other far eastern possessions. The Russian government, which is following, as far as Great Britain is concerned, the imperialistic policy of Catherine the Great has taken advantage of this situation, and contrived by clever pro paganda and lavish expenditure to increase Britain’s difficulties in the far east. The capi tulation of the British to the Chinese nationalists at Hankow has been cleverly exploited by the Russians in India. The British realize full well that in some distant future they will be compelled to give up their domination of India and Egypt, but they want to gain time, and, while preparing those countries for self-government, they want also to prepare the ground to give the English manu facturers the monopoly of those markets when they cease to be English crown colonies. For this they must postpone the inevitable as long as possible, and a rebellion in India or Egypt would be fatal just now. Success in China To foil Russia’s plans they had to adopt drastic measures. For this purpose they have sacri ficed the possibility of good business with the soviets; they have displayed the mailed fist to the Egyptians when the latter showed signs of taking their independence too seriously, and are spending about $30,000,000 a month in China just “to keep the flag flying.” Hundreds of millions of dollars are thus lost when the British treasury is in sore need of them; but the eastern ers “are learning that it is no good trying to twist the lion’s tail.” So far this policy has been successful. The Egyptians have accepted un conditionally a British general at the head of their army; there are signs that the Chinese nationalists will come to terms with the British; a beginning of revolt in India was ruthlessly suppressed a few weeks ago and reports indicate that the Indians will keep quiet for a while. The cavalier dismissal of the soviet embassy from London has undoubtedly weakened not only the prestige of the soviets throughout the world, but also, according to the foreign office, among their own people in Russia. E. L. Whitney has come to Manila as the representative of the Ford Motor Company to make headquarters with the company’s enter prising Philippine agents, the Manila Trading and Supply Company, to cooperate in the exten sion of Ford business. He will remain in the islands some time. J. F. Mann, Westinghouse representative, has come to Manila to make headquarters with the E. J. Nell Co., Ltd., Westinghouse agents in the Philippines, and H. H. Rogge, who has been in Manila for two years in the same capacity, is taking over the Federated Malay States and Dutch East Indies field and leaving the islands for Singapore. INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS Expert, confidential reports made on Philippine projects ENGINEERING, MINING, AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, LUMBER, ETC. Hydroelectric projects OTHER COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES BRYAN, LANDON CO. Cebu, P. I. Cable address: “YPIL,” Cebu. Mr. and Mrs. John Wagner had the misfortune to lose their son Frank, aged eight, in September. He and his brother were playing and he fell from the roof of the garage, severely fracturing his right arm. Blood poisoning developed after the arm was set. W. A. McKellar, manager of the machinery department of Macleod and Company, has been ill for several weeks and is now endeavoring to recuperate his health in Baguio. President H. B. Pond of the Pacific Com mercial Company has returned with Mrs. Pond to Manila after an extended business visit to the United States, where he reports general conditions such as to be an assurance of con tinued demand for Philippine surplus products sold principally in that market. In September a group of prominent Manilans formed a nonpartisan civic league with Judge Camus at the head for the purpose of advancing the interests of Manila as a community. It has been announced that the Philippine Carnival Association will not hold a carnival in 1928 and the director has gone to America, but a city carnival movement is underway and may ma terialize in the usual annual festival that has become the islands’ most widely known insti tution. Labor Commissioner Ligot has returned to Honolulu after spending a month in the Phil ippines where labor leaders made the usual attacks upon him. His recipe for reducing emigration is a better deal locally for labor and promotion of the homestead movement. Professor George Pope Shannon, head of the English department of the University college of liberal arts, is sanguine over the progress in grasping English displayed by a number of university students, especially as exemplified in a standard test to which the students were recently submitted. A young lady proved herself master of a graduate’s vocabulary, two others, freshmen, were on a par with juniors. Professor Shannon opposes the doctrine so widely exploited in the lower schools that tends to provincialize the scope of English in the Philippines. He recommends attention to the classics of the language,—the special heritage of no nation or people,—and the cultivation of discernment of speech. A litigant sixty years old in a land case from San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, appeared in the Supreme Court October 7 to argue in his own behalf in Tagalog, but the court ruled his brief should be presented either in Spanish or English and gave him three days to have a translation made. San Isidro is a conservative Tagalog community. IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL