Episode 13: The Lion and the Eagle

We're a

bit like.

Emerging from a memorable immovable path. Britain today

faces the formidable task of defining the future.

And this is our story a story of longer

stands can tell a lie and this is bottom

apparition. Yesterday his profile turns.

Mrs..

Temple transition. In London's comic strip in

company and. Rhythm.

Of a new revolution in Britain.

Programme 13 the lion and the eagle.

Indiana University Radio documented essay about contemporary

Britain. We present the shadow of the lion with William

Kinzer as your net writer.

I didn't stay in America in eight in a plane

bound up together. I mean that would be no possibility of

any but that knowing and Paul any breaking away from the

American Now over the

years the something dirty of Anglo-American relations has weathered a widening

world of differences.

Up close through mutual conflicts into common language. The two countries

have in this center you cemented ties that would seem to most Bond

unbreakable.

As Malcolm Muggeridge observes August day in America

in Aden a plane bound up together.

Yes in the homes and shops of Wolverhampton Mar Sheffield

Cardiff or coach Esther there are this very day reservations

and the talk over team may take America to task for its actions and

influence and psycho naturists or the Middle East.

I think there are very mixed feelings in Britain about the United States.

Norman Mackenzie is a sociologist at the University of Sussex.

He tells you there's a good deal of I think of an

easy Association of feeling we are

more or less the same part of the world and we do think more or less the same way a feeling that we

will rub along together as Churchill once said in some fashion.

But there is a good deal of feeling of not in the galaxy but

suspicion of America very often a suspicion of American motives suspicion of American

actions and well it has.

And this feeling you find is aggravated by the humiliating turn of

events that has seen Britain stripped of her mantle as a world power

for it's not too difficult to remember when Britain was the world

Malcolm Muggeridge recalls. It was 1924. He had taken

a boat to India. He was 21 at the time.

And everywhere the boats docked with British sea all the way

to India. Everywhere the Union Jack. Where the hood of that

car in my lifetime said that in times of

international power authority we had to climb and we've become a small

island off the coast of Europe. Haunted by

dreams of ganja. But actually they are just

one of the people.

And so it is a Britain smaller now on the map of the influential

nations feels the pressure of great political powers and faces

the quandary of assessing her own position in the contemporary struggle for

world survival I think that at the moment

the average British feel is that very much as though he is in the meat

sandwich that he is the meat between two pieces of bread that he has

between America and Russia.

The insight of British social worker urban Scots of Bradford. And in

Scotland at the University of Strathclyde the professor by the name of D.T. Patterson

analyzes the philosophical position in which Britain finds herself.

Professor Patterson observes that America is obsessed with goodness and

freedom but the front the recent one comes the more he finds the stress

on duty. Or to put it another way the decision of right or

wrong. The epitome of this of course is Russia and Russia.

Well there there isn't any good you're doing right or you're not who you think you know it right or you're right or

wrong.

This is why you see in the Russia we believe that Americans

are wrong. In America you see that actually in the bad

you see my point.

Even better we stand how we will be tween and this is that this is a

bloody difficult situation for Britain and the British. I just I'm

struck we're really I'm strong on the one hand english

speaking cousins so to speak don't you the same culture accentuating goodness and

freedom and everything else when we're here and I think there's that

accent on duty and rightness and wrongness but you know feet of

where are we going now we don't know yet.

Geographically a part of Europe. Britain has felt that pull of

America. Right from the beginning of this century.

So explains the director of the Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the

University of Birmingham Richard Hoggart Professor Hoggard will tell

you that many of Britain's working class had relatives in the United States during the

1900s and an opinion was formed of the new world across the

Atlantic.

The states often represented a sense of opportunity a place

where the class system wasn't so strong. Well you and I and of the squire or the

established show what you will and where a man could stand up more and

have more opportunity to get ahead by his own gifts. This was part of the

general folklore which made working class people. It

seems to me a problem to sympathize more with America.

Most Britons however were adamant in their feelings that nothing

equaled that the greatness of Great Britain and her empire and that he

had cause for conceit. Victorian England was the epitome of

manners and social grace. Europe the center of intellectual

activity America. Well at best life there

seemed raw and uncivilized.

After the first war with the appearance of the cinema

then American culture American popular culture. Hits British

life especially the working class level very hot and continuous

so that I grew up in a world after the first two I grew up in a world in which

the pace setter in styles new forms of language

dress man as a whole lot of things entertainment was America. This was the

lively and ejected exciting country.

The motion picture its true created an awareness of American life.

If but a Hollywood version of tinsel and toe tapping escapism

penthouse glamour and gangsterism and then with World War

Two came embassadors in O D. The American G.I. and

Britons were able to obtain their impression of first hand. Some were

favorable and fast friendships resulted but too often

cocky unthinking Yanks created a boisterous unfeeling image

of the ugly American whose Texas and paycheck seemed all out of

proportion. A favorite British complaint was their overpaid

overfed oversexed and over here.

Britons have had their idealistic picture of America and Americans

cheated by the Americans. They've met and so have the

Continentals Irvin Scott remembers a visit to Germany and to being

invited by a townsman to have a drink.

We sat down we had a drink together and we talked and I was the drinks flow and he

his tongue with loosened and he asked me about it and why I was here and so

forth and he finally made a statement. Dang Linda is that believed

the Englishman is very popular here. Naturally I was pleased about this and said Why.

And he made a statement I think which was printed with meaning when he said

the American. Comes here and he flashes it money

they do and does not try to buy friendship.

Americans abroad are a funny lot. Overwhelmed by Europe they try

desperately to please but too often present a backslapping overly

exuberant caricature of generosity and to pull us. And when

rejected as they often are. Americans are surprised

and more than a little hurt.

I would say the great divisions between English and American the is that the

English when they were on top of the world the one thing they really enjoyed was

being courted or disliked by everybody. They knew that everybody loathed them and they

thoroughly enjoyed it. You read the memoirs of English men in the 1900s

travelling about Europe. Nothing gave them great depression they had the knowledge

that everywhere they went they would and.

That was the Americans who inherited debates and opposition to the ALP they

combat the idea that they have no knob by all that the world

has come to distrust if not dislike the American image and yet

a way of life that is a part of this image the luxury of I see efficiency

and affluence and super imposed itself on society the world over.

Britain included what is called the American way of life is

rapidly encroaching. Upon England and Western Europe said that in a

relatively short time we should be indistinguishable from America our culture their

film the television.

Popular literature on is American.

And of course American power is such that this carries enormous prestige

even with people who have to be anti-American sentiment.

But if you dislike some aspects of American life.

Norman McKenzie of the University of Sussex.

They feel it's often too commercialized to jazz to Madison

Avenue and yet the very things that are the product of all that often the things the English people want

themselves they want the cars they want the washing machines they'll even prepared to accept the commercials on the television.

Alastair Cook once observed that America shocks the phone then

beguiles him then seduces him. And this magnetism

of modern living reaches into faraway lands for more than a decade now

Britons have been X or bleed drawn into an undertow of 20th century

change supermarket central heating drive ins dispensing

machines high rise buildings and installment buying have

become the hallmark of a new age which many do not applaud

and too often it's labeled American when in reality it has little to

do with the United States as a nation. Instead it represents

material wealth that has resulted from great technological strides

at the forefront of which has been the United States. Britain's

leading American ologist her dentist broken has said what is called

Americanization in the rest of the world is largely modern

industrialization. He and others would be quick to point to

a great wealth of natural resources in the United States to the upsurge of

mechanisation in America and to the immense domestic market.

These are the factors that have created a standard of living envied and

emulated all over the world.

And so you have side by side with this rather slavish

and edifying copying of America.

You have a great deal of

under ground or overt hostility

to America.

So in the homes and shops of Wolverhampton nor Sheffield

Cardiff or Colchester there are rumblings of discontent

as Malcolm Muggeridge would suggest when one of your space efforts

goes wrong.

More people than you would know in this country and in Western Europe generally who are delighted because

it's gone wrong it's a stupid reaction. But it's rather that they take

instinctively the. The feeling that

Americans are on top everywhere I know is that if you have a

disaster and you have a red vest in Viet Nam a lot of people

here who are rather pleased they might not even be conscious of that body

I might say were bad luck. But actually that a rather creative thought

feeling and the feeling isn't new.

Where ever powerful nations have held sway. Rome and Napoleonic

France Britain herself. They soon became despised

distrusted and defiled and with a by disillusionment

animosity or envy people of the world were prone to think hard

thoughts. In the case of Britain it has been particularly difficult for her to

walk in the shadow of the United States to support a unilateral

policy that is too often controversy and in the wake of

serious problems at home many Britons complain about their country

and their leadership. Some have even emigrated to Australia or to

Canada bitterly disappointed are they at Britain's diminished

role in world affairs. One described the country as the

patient dog running mutant uncomplaining beneath the carriage

wheels of America.

In the course of time and Human Events such fears and

faithlessness will be reckoned with. But the residue remaining the

ill will the anger the gloom corrodes the values of truth

and encourages generalities misunderstanding Britain's

smarting under the twist of national fate have been quick to misjudge

others and to themselves chastised by fears they have

become overly introverted and this one Englishman acknowledged.

We're tearing at our own wombs without really finding

answers. We seem morbidly fascinated by our own collapse.

Equally wrong us the way others have misjudged Britain. Richard Hoggart

strong labor right.

Feels Americans are not being told the true story of Britain today

whilst admitting that much of our industry and commerce needs

overhauling. Americans don't understand how much has been done and against what odds

in major sectors of the economy. That's what I said. Secondly

Americans are told by their press and their radio and television so much that the only

form of country is that in which you have totally free competition virtually which

looks to me very often like piracy. The Americans as a result of being told this

again and again and again do not know the extent to which national provision

nationalization or provision of education. Welfare

medical care and all that real estate they don't have no idea of the extent to which that has

succeeded.

And Britain still lead the world in many quarters. They've received

42 Nobel Prizes in science their most inventive having

introduced to the world the many wonderful and far reaching achievements including the

jet radar the vertical takeoff aircraft the hovercraft. The

first nuclear power station in the arts. They have also

excelled especially the theatre and lately the cinema they have

blazed their own particular trail at the popular level. And

American influence.

Professor Hawking will tell you as the cinema declined an influence

and as a whole lot of other forces took over so we at the popular level as I say and

especially among teenagers we less and less take notice of American coaches

because less and less a pacesetter there are exceptions to this a recent one is Bonnie and

Clyde which has had a profound impact in Britain and is one of the

first. Sharply effective pieces of American popular culture

to help to set styles in Britain.

Yes it's true. England has developed a new image a modern

age individuality our youthful swinging self styled zest

for living. So unlike the British stereotype and a key

contribution to American knowledge of Great Britain in the 60s is the recognition

of a stirring struggle for more than survival a feeling of

future. And whether inspired by economic urgency or national

foresight a searching analysis into a number of treasured institutions and

traditions have given promise to the Britain of tomorrow. And

this alone this long the hard look at even the hallowed sectors of

British society is to Britain's credit and this has been a function

of this series to mark the dimensions of a country in transition.

To describe Britain's concern over such social entities as the

automobile. All right.

We think and our expert estimates that we may have doubled this number in

about 10 years time situation going to 20 million. Now when you look

at the map of this country and you look at the State of the towns and cities you can see for yourself

that just ain't going to be enough road space to allow

completely unrestrained use of the personal

vehicle Town and Country Planning.

We think that by building fairly modest size new towns what you can do is to

create decent conditions for family life and efficient conditions for business enterprise.

The new towns are very very successful in industrial and commercial terms.

Education.

Most of the selection of British schoolchildren for types of secondary

education which type they go into it is decided the age of 11 and this was a

fairly arbitrary age it was taken for administrative reasons and pre-war

years.

It may be that we want to select them if we do select the mentor at different ages because of this

area maturing. I don't know but this is the type of social problem and an educational problem that's coming up

as a result of these changes.

Even the church. In certain

parts of the world it isn't difficult to rearrange so it's not so difficult to

rearrange the life of the church so that it relates to the community as it now is but in

our country we live within a legal straitjacket because of the establishment.

And I would say that perhaps the most serious problem

for the Church of England is its inheritance from the past symptoms

of change.

The rumble of the revolution the urgency to keep pace to

compose a solvent future to emerge from the entanglements of tradition and

to stand secure in a changing world and change

is absolutely essential. It's happening in the pub in the palace in

the outlook of the people. Gone are the follies of the Empire and the

glories of the war left exposed are cold realities of a

dame but different world. The Perilous economy a shrinking

Commonwealth the constriction of intense world competition. And

where does Britain turn to America. Many would think

not many would hope for a united Europe a bloc of trading nations of

economic strength to compete with the powers of the east and the West.

Such a bloc was set up by the treaties of Rome in March 1957 it was

called the East Sea or the European economic community or

more commonly the Common Market. Britain distrustful of political

unification which might conflict with both British sovereignty and Commonwealth

has proposed a looser Free Trade Association which was called EFTA.

Two rifle trading blocks in Western Europe seemed unwise and indeed

unnecessary in Britain. Both parties like public opinion

itself were split on the issue. In 1961 the

British government moved toward an application to the Common Market and

throughout 1962 negotiations went forward with considerable

success. But in January 1963

General Charles de Gaulle abruptly demanded that negotiations end

and I think with a fair and reasonable cleavage of you.

To go to our part of the interest was to comply to the Treaty of Rome and we thought that our

interests would get through that were changes in the Treaty of Rome. I'm going to yank him between

close to recognize from the third or fourth for the Treaty of Rome. I

likewise have bet that way but we've got a method of you and I would predict that in the next two or three

years. There will be an agreement between the whole of Africa and the common market and these two

groups will come together.

This note of optimism was summed up by a prominent leader in the Conservative Party

Peter Walker in 1065. But in March of

1066 de Gaulle pulled his troops out of neato a victory to

American forces and devise widened further the breach with Britain.

Yet Britons had little choice. The majority feeling their fate was irrevocably

tied to the unity of Europe. So in a summer of optimism a

new application to enter the European economic community was prepared

and presented. And England awaited a winter of decision.

And the winter of 1967 was cold and bitter and

the worst on record. And in Brussels there met the members of the

Common Market to discuss the matter. The atmosphere was hopeful.

And uncertain. Again. The shadow of De Gaulle crossed the

proceedings as his French representative delayed the start of negotiations

and won small. The outcome appeared to do. But it was

not an outright no. And the foreign minister of France even

signed an agreement indicating that the six member countries would not object to

Britain's eventually entering the flame of hope.

Snuffed once and rekindled and. Still. Flickered.

Back home in London in Leicester in Carlisle The reaction of the

people was steeled to disappointment. Some had opposed entering the

European pact others were now losing interest. The first veto had

come as a shock had charted a dismal future had

indeed defined a foreign policy that placed Britain at the mercy of other

nations. It produced a curious nationalistic mood among the

populace and Britain became even more an island unto

herself.

Remember that a lot of British people rap's majority if not chauvinist at

least in shit like that 20 odd miles of water it makes an awful lot of

wind.

As Professor Hoggart suggests Britain as a part of Europe is only a

geographical phenomenon in every other way. She stands

alone. But can she stand alone.

Should she identify with Europe or might she wish to turn to America.

The last choice is doubtful indeed. Despite talk of a lengthy free

trade area which might link the States Canada and the United

Kingdom Britain will resist as long as she is able and

for good reason. For although it will mean a wider export market at world

prices it will also mean she will become more and more a

part of the United States.

Most Britons therefore prefer to feel that because of its proximity its

economic and cultural influence. Europe is the inevitable

choice.

Peter Walker For instance I think we will have much closer ties with the whole of

Western Europe and I hope palliating route in that Europe.

And as Walker explains Britain can serve a vital role as a

mediator between Europe and the United States.

And I have one of the things we will succeed in doing in that role of bringing about both

economic and political unity between the United States and Europe. And one rather

Britain complied to a greater extent than any other notion.

I think we have the job and indeed responsibility.

My nature and tradition Britain has been.

And no doubt will continue to be the type to Delilah and propounding and

identity all her own.

But nationalism is difficult and unfashionable.

And the 20th century and television have undercut British complacency

influences of change are everywhere and Britain's future as watery

light seen through a foggy evening project some glimmering hope a

possible Corson Daoud with the conviction of a people at war whose

individual banner reads backing.

Mike.

From Indiana University Radio we who presented the lion and the

eagle the final program of this special series The shadow of the

lion. These documented essays about contemporary Britain were

written and produced by Le Roy Bennett and narrated by William Kinzer.

Production assistants were John Hopkins and Tom Gray the engineer Jack

Tracy. This is John to make reminding you that your comments are cordially

invited.

The shadow of the lion has been a series made possible by an Indiana University

faculty research grant and is a presentation of Indiana University

Radio.

This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.