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14 differences of opinion take alarm and BACKGROUND FOR PARTNERSHIP fear for the future. How much more there would be to fear if there was no discussion, no frank, healthy argu- ment! It is only when relations are 2. Britain: An Economy distant and contacts infrequent that differences do not occur and discussion is not needed; no one ever worried Under Strain about the relations of Imperial Rome and the great Empire of China, for they had no points of contact. But BARBARA WARD Britain and the United States have PRESERVATION.COPV innumerable points of contact, inter- ests in every portion of the globe to W E NOW industrial economy in the world. Dur- harmonize and reconcile, and great TAKE: to ing 150 years of economic develop- questions of policy to resolve if the be a hall- ment the British have built up an action of each is to be aided and rein- mark of bad art economy which is between 80 and 90 forced by the action of the other. It is and bad psychol- per cent industrialized. Since, how- because the relationship is so close ogy to call a man ever, the basis of this economy is a and the habits of consultation so in- by a simple epithet small densely-populated island which grained that discussion and argument -Mr. Puff, a hypo- provides only coal (and fish) in abun- are always going on. crite, or Lovelace, dance and could hardly, under any a philanderer. We circumstances, feed its fifty millions, IT is not to be expected that the first recognize men for its whole industrial económy depends thoughts of Britain and the United complex creatures, upon the purchase of essential sup- States will always be the same. It -Dorothy Wilding. capable of change plies abroad. Cut off trade and the would be most unnatural if this were and growth. Yet with organisms as var- British economy is cut off at the roots. so. Each is a great nation with its own ious and complicated as national econo- The starting point for an under- history. The histories differ in all sorts mies, many of us still seem to think one standing of Britain's economic posi- of ways and so do the experiences. word enough; Britain is a "Socialist tion is the state of its trade and com- Contrast the great expansion of Brit- economy," America "a monopoly capi- merce. Indeed, anyone looking back ain over the sea lanes of the world in talism," and all is said. But economies over the last six) years can only be the last three or four centuries with are like men. They grow and they impressed by the extent to which the continental expansion of the change, and they are always under the the balance of payments has been the United States over the last near two pressure of powerful external forces. recurring theme of danger and near- hundred years. In the British tradi- To understand the British economy at disaster-the run on sterling in 1947, tion the oceans unite, the land divides. all, one would do better to look at for instance, the crisis of devaluation The United States was made, as the the forçes at work on it than to seek in 1949, and now the new fall in re- very name implies, by a great epic of its definition in a paragraph or a serves in 1951. pioneering achievement which bound word. At present the British economy This precariousness springs from a the two sides of the North American is sharply worked on by the problem double revolution in Britain's commer- continent together in unity. And as the of its external balance of payments, cial position. The war turned Britain histories differ, so do temperaments by its internal crisis of inflation, and from a creditor into the world's largest and habits of thought and feeling. All by the aggravation of both in the cold debtor. It also completed the process nations develop their specific quality war. Under the impact of these three of transferring economic supremacy and individual character. How poor Britain is what it is, and is also from Britain to the United States. Anglo-American relations would be if changing all the time. Since 1945 the free world_ has been these differences of history, tempera- The economy upon which these able to follow this drama in concrete ment, thought, and feeling did not pressures are working is the oldest form-in the shape of the relative exist, if there were not always the weakness of sterling and the immense possibility that the one partner would strength of the dollar-but under these contribute out of his history and life monetary symbols has lain a pro- something the other has not got. It is found reorientation in the economic natural and right that Anglo-American forces of the world. relations, to be close, firm, and healthy, Before the war Britain as a creditor should embrace discussion by which nation and the center of a great free- initial differences of approach are ex- trading system, the Sterling Area, amined and resolved. could afford a passive trade balance Occasionally a difference of opinion and cover the gap with income from threatens to go deeper. It is then that foreign investments. The war and the the occasion calls for care and hard postwar period háve seen not only a work, for when a difference occurs massive liquidation of British invest- GRIM over a large question of policy the ments, but an accumulation of some consequences threaten to spread out eleven billion dollars in war debts to into ever further divergencies. In re- cent months many have felt that the differences of view between the United Barbara Ward was for many years States and Britain about China were an editor 'on the influential British of this character. The origins of this -From the Louisville Times. weekly The Economist. Her latest difference go back some little way in books are "The West at Bay" (1948) (Continued on page 59) "Britain Always Wins the Last Battle." and "Policy for the West" (1951).

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    "ocrText": "14\ndifferences of opinion take alarm and\nBACKGROUND FOR PARTNERSHIP\nfear for the future. How much more\nthere would be to fear if there was no\ndiscussion, no frank, healthy argu-\nment! It is only when relations are\n2. Britain: An Economy\ndistant and contacts infrequent that\ndifferences do not occur and discussion\nis not needed; no one ever worried\nUnder Strain\nabout the relations of Imperial Rome\nand the great Empire of China, for\nthey had no points of contact. But\nBARBARA WARD\nBritain and the United States have\nPRESERVATION.COPV\ninnumerable points of contact, inter-\nests in every portion of the globe to\nW\nE NOW\nindustrial economy in the world. Dur-\nharmonize and reconcile, and great\nTAKE: to\ning 150 years of economic develop-\nquestions of policy to resolve if the\nbe a hall-\nment the British have built up an\naction of each is to be aided and rein-\nmark of bad art\neconomy which is between 80 and 90\nforced by the action of the other. It is\nand bad psychol-\nper cent industrialized. Since, how-\nbecause the relationship is so close\nogy to call a man\never, the basis of this economy is a\nand the habits of consultation so in-\nby a simple epithet\nsmall densely-populated island which\ngrained that discussion and argument\n-Mr. Puff, a hypo-\nprovides only coal (and fish) in abun-\nare always going on.\ncrite, or Lovelace,\ndance and could hardly, under any\na philanderer. We\ncircumstances, feed its fifty millions,\nIT\nis not to be expected that the first\nrecognize men for\nits whole industrial económy depends\nthoughts of Britain and the United\ncomplex creatures,\nupon the purchase of essential sup-\nStates will always be the same. It\n-Dorothy Wilding.\ncapable of change\nplies abroad. Cut off trade and the\nwould be most unnatural if this were\nand growth. Yet with organisms as var-\nBritish economy is cut off at the roots.\nso. Each is a great nation with its own\nious and complicated as national econo-\nThe starting point for an under-\nhistory. The histories differ in all sorts\nmies, many of us still seem to think one\nstanding of Britain's economic posi-\nof ways and so do the experiences.\nword enough; Britain is a \"Socialist\ntion is the state of its trade and com-\nContrast the great expansion of Brit-\neconomy,\" America \"a monopoly capi-\nmerce. Indeed, anyone looking back\nain over the sea lanes of the world in\ntalism,\" and all is said. But economies\nover the last six) years can only be\nthe last three or four centuries with\nare like men. They grow and they\nimpressed by the extent to which\nthe continental expansion of the\nchange, and they are always under the\nthe balance of payments has been the\nUnited States over the last near two\npressure of powerful external forces.\nrecurring theme of danger and near-\nhundred years. In the British tradi-\nTo understand the British economy at\ndisaster-the run on sterling in 1947,\ntion the oceans unite, the land divides.\nall, one would do better to look at\nfor instance, the crisis of devaluation\nThe United States was made, as the\nthe forçes at work on it than to seek\nin 1949, and now the new fall in re-\nvery name implies, by a great epic of\nits definition in a paragraph or a\nserves in 1951.\npioneering achievement which bound\nword. At present the British economy\nThis precariousness springs from a\nthe two sides of the North American\nis sharply worked on by the problem\ndouble revolution in Britain's commer-\ncontinent together in unity. And as the\nof its external balance of payments,\ncial position. The war turned Britain\nhistories differ, so do temperaments\nby its internal crisis of inflation, and\nfrom a creditor into the world's largest\nand habits of thought and feeling. All\nby the aggravation of both in the cold\ndebtor. It also completed the process\nnations develop their specific quality\nwar. Under the impact of these three\nof transferring economic supremacy\nand individual character. How poor\nBritain is what it is, and is also\nfrom Britain to the United States.\nAnglo-American relations would be if\nchanging all the time.\nSince 1945 the free world_ has been\nthese differences of history, tempera-\nThe economy upon which these\nable to follow this drama in concrete\nment, thought, and feeling did not\npressures are working is the oldest\nform-in the shape of the relative\nexist, if there were not always the\nweakness of sterling and the immense\npossibility that the one partner would\nstrength of the dollar-but under these\ncontribute out of his history and life\nmonetary symbols has lain a pro-\nsomething the other has not got. It is\nfound reorientation in the economic\nnatural and right that Anglo-American\nforces of the world.\nrelations, to be close, firm, and healthy,\nBefore the war Britain as a creditor\nshould embrace discussion by which\nnation and the center of a great free-\ninitial differences of approach are ex-\ntrading system, the Sterling Area,\namined and resolved.\ncould afford a passive trade balance\nOccasionally a difference of opinion\nand cover the gap with income from\nthreatens to go deeper. It is then that\nforeign investments. The war and the\nthe occasion calls for care and hard\npostwar period háve seen not only a\nwork, for when a difference occurs\nmassive liquidation of British invest-\nGRIM\nover a large question of policy the\nments, but an accumulation of some\nconsequences threaten to spread out\neleven billion dollars in war debts to\ninto ever further divergencies. In re-\ncent months many have felt that the\ndifferences of view between the United\nBarbara Ward was for many years\nStates and Britain about China were\nan editor 'on the influential British\nof this character. The origins of this\n-From the Louisville Times.\nweekly The Economist. Her latest\ndifference go back some little way in\nbooks are \"The West at Bay\" (1948)\n(Continued on page 59)\n\"Britain Always Wins the Last Battle.\"\nand \"Policy for the West\" (1951)."
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