Los Banos Rotary Club History
Speaker Tells Of British Empire

Ernest W. Owen, dynamic vice consul attached to the British Consulate General office in San Francisco, addressed members of the Rotary Club Tuesday noon on the subject "The British Empire—So What."

Owen was born in Wales, educated in England, was a farmer and lumberman in Canada and on coming to the United States was resident manager for a large Canadian Insurance Co. he served as a U.S. Army officer during World War I and volunteered to do public relations work for the British government during World War II. Since then he has retained his public relations work for the British government.

Opening his remarks with the comment that he was "a bit fed up" with the saying of radio commentators and newspaper columnists that the British Empire is now a fourth or fifth rate power, Owen pointed out that the Empire and its Commonwealth represents 580 million people and more than 50 countries—which have their own governments, make their own decisions and belong to the Commonwealth by their own choice.

Owen declared that Great Britain and the United States are today standing together to withstand the threat of power and Communism behind the Iron Curtain; and were determined to preserve for ourselves the democratic and American way of life.

As to England itself, Owen told of conditions there today, where the people are still eating "war bread," are limited to one egg a week, 16 cents worth of meat, an ounce of bacon, an ounce of butter, and little else. The reason for such strict rationing, Owen explained, was that the British are diverting everything they possibly can into export channels, "to obtain enough American dollars to get on their feet again and once more become America's best customer." By 1950, he said, Britain hopes to be out of the red and into the black, and only then will rationing restrictions be relaxed.

Owen paid high, tribute to the United States' assistance through the Marshall Plan, stating that only by such aid could Britain ever hope to regain its financial standing and stability in the world.

He also spoke briefly concerning Britain's war years, the first dark war years, Dunkirk, the destruction wrought by the German Luftwaffe, the buzz bombs, and the eventual victory.

June 10, 1949

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