The times., 1898-04-25

In giving space to the following anon
ymous communication The Times
valves for once that rule of journalism
which forbids the publication of letters
from people too cowardly to sign their
names.
To the Editor of The Times:
As much unfayorable criticism has made itself
heard because certain fashionable clubs and hotels
IN the West End abstain from displaying the
stars and Stripes from their lagsta:fs. these
critics should bear in mind that these resorts are
much frcquent5d by foreign gentlemen and their
American friends who would be offended if thus
forced under flag with which they have nothing
Ia common. The neutrality OF these cosmopolI-
tan resorts must be maintained in order 10 re-
CLUB MAN
Great God: 1t is rather early in the
war TO begin TO argue with people who
want to pull down the American flag
Does this nameless one intend to have
it understood that the hotel keepers
consider the most desirable Glen
telle" (the spelling is his) to be COM
posed of people who have nothing in
common" with the Stars and Stripes?
Does this sneak really mean to say that
he considers Washington society to be
made up Of foreign gentlemen and their
friends who would be offended if forced
to remain under old Glory?"
AS the full meaning of these express
sions dawns upon the reader. it ceases
to become a matter Of surprise that the
writer did not dare sign his name Ii
he had signed il. and it had been pub
lished, he might have got himself into
serious trouble. An ind .vidual who AYERS
under cover Of an anonymous ccmmu-
nicatiCn-that he considers the most de-
sirable society in this town to be made
up of foreigners and their sycophants,
men who have so great a hatred for
the American flag that they will not. if
they can help it, even remain in hotel
or a club which displays the red, white
and blue-a creature like this needs at
tention.
AS to the assertion which he makes
concerning the action Of Washington
hotels and clubs, there is this to say:
Any decent man, of whatever nationali-
ty he may be, expects while travelling
in a foreign country to behave in a re-
spectful way toward the institutions
Of that country, one OF which most de-
cidedly is the flag. He does NOT demand
that in order to coddle his preference
for his own flag the hotels of America,
England, France or Germany refrain
from displaying theirs. In the present
state of matters an American who
should go TO Spain and insist that a
Spanish hotel should not display the
Spanish flag because it would hurt his
feelings would be mobbed by the entire
population. and ii would serve him
right. If these foreign gentlemen and
their friends do not like our flag, they
do not have to like it. The foreign
gentlemen can go home, the sooner the
better They can take with them any
part Of our population which is so un-
! American as to feel obliged to main
( tain neutrality" in its native land at a
time Ike this in order TO please foreign
/ ers They cannot stay here and run up
/ the Spanish or any other flag because
they do not respect that of the United
/ States.
The clubs and hostelries in Washing
I ton frequented by foreigners have their
regulations in their own hands. 1t will
not take much time TO ascertain their
| sentiments.