Evening star., 1898-12-03
ENGLISH SENTIMENT
Opinion Of Americans Has Undergone
a Decided Change.
RECRUITING FOR THE BRITISH ARMY
Some Side Lights on the Recent
Trip Of the Kaiser.
REVERENCE FOR TRADITION
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON November %, 1898.
The British people have been showing
wonderfully increased interest in the United
States of late and much has been writ
ten and spoken of a union of hearts,
friendship "kinship'' and the like; but
after all Americans should not run away
with the idea that the British love US any
more than they did. To be sure, their re-
spect has increased for America and there
is a notable difference in the way in which
references made to the United States
| in the public prints and by public speakers.
Engishmen have usually been polite and
| friendly to individual Americans II slightly
indifferent, but now this is changed and In
what they say about us collectively as well
as to us individually one finds better feel
| ing. There has been an increasing desire
| for American news on the part of the pa
pers here. Not long ago the market reports
| and a few lines, chronicEng some extraor-
dnary event or a lynching, which was
''typicaly American" about all a
transatlantic visitor could find about his
own country when he opened his morning
paper. Now they all go in for American
reWs and the British public is learning
| that there are other places on the western
continent besides New York, Washington
and few towns on the Atlantic coast. and
the qualities of refinement and education
provide in their processes something of in
terest to the people of this country besides
market reports and lynchngs. The sud
denness with which this change has come
is marvellous. 1t started in enmity and has
developed in friendlineSs. 1t needed some
thing sharp and sudden to bring about
change The thousands Of Americans who
came here every year and told every Brit
isher they met of the greatness of the new
world" il is still called here. accom-
pished nothing. They were regarded as
merely excellent supporters of hotels and
shops. railways and other institutions. The
influx of American women as wives of Eng
lshmen did nothing to effect the change,
because they rapidly became AngliciZed
and in every case found it to their social
advantage not to talk America.
Change of Sentiment.
The first cause of the awakening was
President Clevelands Venezuela message
when some of the London papers even sent
men over to discover America. The hostile
feeling which excited the Britisher's inter-
est has gone on increasing in volume, but
has changed from dislike to interest and
from interest to respect Every public
speaker nowadays in England has some
thing complimentary to say about the
United States. In the recent speeches of
Lord Salisbury at the Mansion House, Mr.
Chamberlain at Manchester Mr.. Asquith
at PadIham a small manufacturing town
in Lancashire: Sir Edward Grey at
Ashington and Sir Henry Fowler VOL
verhampton, to mention only the best
known, reference has been made in fatter-
ing terms of America and her aims. 1t is
an English trait, however as well
American. to want value for value. and
If any one fancies that this country has
supported and will support America on the
strength of the somewhat overdrawn kin
ship idea he is making a great mistake.
If the speeches | have referred to should
be examined they will be found to point
h. ,s,,l
open doors in the east and implied a.
liance against d supposed common foe
However, Britain's commercial friendship
is worth having, for it means other things
even more valuable but SHOULD not
| deceive ourselves to it's quality. Those
who are ioudeSt in procaiming the kin
ship notion would hardly like TO have this
relationship insisted upon by Americans
to get out of Lord Salisbury his real opIn-
ions of us and our diplomatic mt hod5 He
can be extremely cynical when he likes.
The Real Feeling.
l would not like to be under5i ODD as i'm
plying that there is no real friendship for
us here. This would not be true. Fer our
educational advance. for our cnlightcn-
| ment in religious opinion, our missions,
| charities our woman's movements and the
| lead we take in many liberal movements
which owe their origin to America are
| the hard-workng. thinking people-those
who have relatives and friends in the re-
| public-but you will not find 1t in Mayfair
| nor among the majority of the men who
| represent England and make the fine
| speeches that have attracted our country
| men. No American whose daily life is
| passed in England will ever make any
| mistake about the sentiments of this coun-
| try for his own. However, every one VIII
| rejoice at the changed feeling that has
| really come about-that of increased re-
| spect-Which opens the way to better un-
| derstand1ng, and which might, after a lapse
| of time, develop into cordial friendship.
Recruiting for the Army
The recruiting sergeant is making hay
while the sun shines. Or rather sun or no
| sun in these dear November days he is
making more than his usual haul of raw
| material for the army. The return Cf Lord
Kitchener and the splendid record of the
| troops In Egypt have been godsends to him
and worth dozens of the ordinary induce
| ments to a military career. Recruiting for
! the British army is largely carri ID en- In
| the busy open thoroughfare. One of the
| most prominent OF such stations is at he
| top of Trafalgar square opposite St. Mar
| tins Church. Here any day you may see
| hung along the fence of the National Cal
| lery pictures of the different grades in the
service, all set forth in glowing colors to
| attract the attention of passing young men,
| all of whom are possibilities In the eye of
| the sergeants, who sharply run over likely
| candidates with scrutinizing gaze. Usually
| there are at most two recruiting officers
| at this point. but since the victories ii the
| Soudan have been made so much of five
| sergeantS in their most splendid uniforms
| whose breasts are brilliant with medals
| patrol this vicinity and seek to entrap the
| unwary with stirring stories of martial
| glory, into taking the queens shilling They
| have been successful and l am told that
| many regiments which lacked their quota
| of troops have been filled and could be fill
| ed thrice over.
Inducements Are Small
| Many of the candidates are easily per
| suaded to enlist in regiments not so well
| known as those most wish to join, and
hundreds leave themselves entirely IN the
| sergeant's hands. Enlistment has received
| a great impetus, as it always does after vic
torious battles. The inducements ere not
| great, however, nor the pay large and
| Kipiing has graphically told of he lain
and grief a raw recruit has to undergo to
| make a soldier. The recruit enlists for
| three, seven or twelve years in the regular
| army, with corresponding nine five years