m
No. 1208.
BRITISH £HBAS3T»
WASHINGTON, PfCi
October 27th, 1939
My Lord:
X enclose herewith copies of two speeches
I made to the Pilgrims of the United States and
at the "Herald Tribune" Forum in Mew York this
week.   The Pilgrims1 speech was printed complete
in the "low York Times", and the shorter Forum
speech in full in the New York "Herald Tribune".
So far as I could Judge iihey were both well
received by the audiences to which they were
addressed and the first comments in the Eastern
press have been friendly.   No doubt there will
be seme hostile reaction from the Hearst press,
the "Chicago Tribune", and Father Coughlin,
but provided the sound American press approve
I think this opposition can bo discounted. The
British Library of Information will send you
in due course a full account of the reactions
throughout the United States.
2.    It was not an easy speech to make
as it had to be delivered in the final fortnight
of the debate in Congress on the President's
proposal to repeal the arms embargo.   It was
impossible for me to make the ordinary kind of
anodyne/
The Right Honourable
The Viscount Halifax, K.G.,
etc. ¦     etc., etc*
-
anodyne diplomatic utterance for the first speech
of a British Ambassador la always carefully
awaited and read. I thought it best, therefore,
to restate the Allied point of view with a
certain historical background in temperate
language and then to invite American opinion
to consider the problem of the kind of world
they would like to see created at the end of
the war if there would be guarantees against
its repetition*   X did not suggest that the
United States should once more attempt to play
a part in determining the frontiers of Europe.
X specifically excluded that idea in my speech
but it is obvious that if we are to avoid 4"
world war in future the United States must play
its part on the world stage.   Indeed It Is
already doing so in the Pacifio for if it were
not for the American Navy the position of the
British Commonwealth in the Paclfie would today
be extremely dangerous.   She more the American
people can be made to consider the problem of
preventing world war the more likely are they
to realise that their own security and the
possibility of preventing fresh world wars in
the future depends entirely upon the success
of the Allies in destroying Hitlerlsm in Europe
or at least in preventing its power extending
over /
1
-3-
over Scandinavia, or West of the Rhine, or to
the Mediterranean, and upon erecting permanent
guarantees, based upon a preponderance of
power In the hands of the democracies, of whleh
they ought to he one, against the possibility
of a repetition of the present challenge.
X have the honour to be,
with the highest respect,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient,
humble servant,
(Sgd.) Lothian.
L:R:
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