Evening star., 1898-06-04
People Of Washington Compared With
Those of New York.
COMMENTS OF AN ENGLISH WRITER
With Us the War Means Only
Conscientious Work.
NO SIGNS OF HYSTERIA

Washington Correspondence OF the London Mall
When 1 climbed aboard the sleeping car
at New York the wild yells of the news
boys were filing the air. and people were
talking poster-type headlines When L
woke up in the morning a couple of hum
dred miles south l looked out OF the win
dow and an English rural winter
scene. There was snow six inches deep up
on the ground, and the trees oy the side OF
the line were covered with the thick soft
shroud of snow are accustomed TO see
on Christmas cards.
In washington ii was not showing, but
IL was raining with a steady, persistent.
patient. thoroughly Anglo-Saxon style. l
unfuried my umbrella to the breeze and felt
at home. L walked along the weli-paved,
broad Pennsylvania avenue. and the feel
Ing intensified. There were English names
over the doorways Of the quiet little shops
and through the open doorways the Joneses
ana Jameses and Wilkinsons were to be
seen penind their counters quietly attend
ing to their business. The polyglot hordes
or New York. the rushing and yelling the
poster-type jingoism, had all been left be
hlnd. But for the slowly wly-moving placid
faced negro men and women, the yellow
ish-black children, the swiftly gliding elec-
trict tram cars the wooden sun shutters
TO the windows, and the glorious gray
dome of the Capitol floating above the
ward, why, it might have been Worcester
or Exeter instead OF Washington.
Washington Newspapers.
There are newspapers here and they had
their bulletin boards. But instead of Iurid
pictures and nightmare announcements
there were posted on the boards sheets of
paper bearing in manuscript brief sum
maries of actual news which little quiet
groups OF people were regarding with sober
L 49,.
from New York. but In the night 1 had
Travelled from one country to another /
mad gone to sleep in New York and awak-
ened up in America. The change like
passing from the betting ring OF a suburban
race meeting into the reading room OF a
conservative club on a Sunday afternoon.
My business was at the government Of
l1ces- 1 wanted to see in what form OF
frenzied energy the seeihing war fever of
Inc New York crowd would express itself al
the seat and center of government. / found
the oTfices great handsome blocks. in the
1amlllar governmental stYle of architecture,
standing near TO the White House in the
MIDST OF pleasant green parks and gardens
In the outskirts of the city. But where
was the frenzied excitement? Outside, a
few gentlemen of official look were to be
seen; but they We're not rushing. not even
hurrying; heir faces were not drawn by
anxiety or overwork: their temperatures
seemed normal; they looked like men who,
having important business to attend TO.
were going about ii IN business-like way.
with level minds. calmly and good
humoredly. conscious of their ability to at
tend properly to it. A light brougham,
drawn by pair of fine horses, with a sni-
ing driver half asleep on the box was watt
ing at the entrance TO the army Office. one
or two hardy little busgies were in waiting.
No Sigma of Hystcria.
The War Department was so calm ex-
ternally that 1 thought surely some scene
of excitement must have drawn every one
oil 81
ment no noise, no rush nor hurry. Down
the long, cool corridor of the Navy Depart
ment men in broad -brimmed slouch hats
and loose clothes were chatting in groups
outside the light swinging bamboo screens
that serve as doors TO the various Offices.
messengers were passing along briskly, but
without Scurry. Now and then one Of the
swinging screens would open and elderly,
grave high official would pass out with
nod and "howdy. colonel?' or a 'howdy,
senatOry' to one OF the broad -brimmed ones.
This did rot look very frenzied. IL did not
look like the crystallizLtion of the vapors
of the New York crowd. 1t did not look
like the high pressure Of war times.
/ thought 1 would like to look in one of
the offices. and 1 asked a messenger who
was sitting at little table in the corridor.
why. of course" he said, when / diff
Gently explained, step right in; which one
would you like to see?'
Unexpected Courtesy.
Emboldened by his complaisance l said
should like to the Office of the Secre-
tary. Even then he did not drop dead or
show any of the distressing symptoms
which would have been manifested by an
admiralty official to whom a travelling
American had coolly expressed desire to
see the under clerk of the second assistant
private secretary of dr. Goschen. On the
contrary, he pointed to another bamboo
door, and said, Right there; step right
in" l stepped in.
A big room. solidly and handsomely fur
nished. with pictures OF Presidents and
val commanders on the walls. At desk
cne of the chief departmental officials
steadily working away at pile of papers;
by his side a typewriter rapidly clicking;
on the ottomans running along the wall
half a dozen or more of middle-aged re-
sponsibie-looking men were sitting discuss
ing together details of the naval opera
items; at the end of the room was an
other swinging door. 1t opened, and
pleasant-faced elderly gentleman came out,
accompanied by several others. with one OF
wi ON he walked along arm in arm, chat
ting at ease. Who was the easy-mannered
gentleman? / asked Ii was Mr.. Long, the
Secretary of the Navy Department. He
was on his way to attend a conference of
high naval authorities. Not much OF the
Icster-type headline about this. 1 thought.
[ asked to see the private secretary to
Mr.. Long. from whom L desired to obtain
an official permit to see the naval opera
tions.
shock to an Englishman.
1t was quite shock to find that there
was no printed form to be filled up explain
ing who 1 was and whom 1 wanted to SEQ
and what / wanted. The gentleman / want
ed was pointed out and 1 was at liberty TO
go and talk to him. i did so. A keen-faced,
bright-eyed young gentleman stepped smil-
ingiy forward. In two seconds ne under
stood what L wanted; in two minutes the
thing was as good as settled. There was
only one difficulty; the nation at the pres
ent time was at war, and certain necessary
precautions must be taken. So il would
be, unfortunately, necessary for me to make
written application, and furnish proof of
my identity. That having been done would
/ call arol nd a couple of hours later. and
he would have the Secretary in the mean
time sign the order?-not much sign of
fever here. L looked inside other swinging
bamboo door screens Everywhere calm
faced men were steadily at work, unexcit-
edly carrying out the orders which had
been issued by their chief. l walked along
another corridor and came to the army de-
partment. Here everything was going on
Just the same. Every one, from Gen. Algcr
downward, was busily and thoughtfuliy
and comDosedly at work
Among AnglO-Saxons.
In the midst of the mob at New York