The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-05-22
PROvINCIALIsM.
The Spfteful Feeling Against Ameri
cans Now Manifested in France

The spitefuI Feeling Against Ameri
cans Now Manifested in France
and Germany.
We hear that all OF the steamers com
ing hither from Europe are crowded
with returning Americans and that tn,
rooms in those about to sail are all en-
gagged.
If the Americans on the Continent can
not get passage on the regular steamer.
they are glad to take advantage of the
chance Of escape furnished by the freight
ers.
People of wealth and cultivation, and
among them many ladies, who were
more or less permanently established at
Paris, have joined this returning throng,
or will join it as soon as they can get
away. The same is true of Dresden.
Last winter many American families
were sOjourning there, with the inten.
ton OF remaining much longer, but they
have made all possible haste to fly from
Germany and back to their own coun.
try.
A like exodus has taken place from
other French and German towns, and SC
general is it that only those Americans
will remain who are obliged to stay and
endure the annoyances and even the in.
suits of the unfriendly population.
The consequence of this rapid with
drawal of Americans from France and
Germany is the loss of much exceedingly
profitable trade to shopkeepers, dress
makers, landlords, hotels and lodging
houses. 1t has been especially unfor.
tunate in Paris where the mantliamak-
ers and milliners are suffering greatly
from the absence of American orders,
and the loss is sure to become more seri-
GUS, for many American ladies hitherto
patrons of Partisan costumers have now
determined to refrain from all dealings
with them, so that orders sent from this
country will be much decreased.
Inasmuch as this American patronage
by travellers abroad and by orders from
home has constituted hitherto much of
the most valuable trade of European
dealers and manufacturers, and the
amount of American money left in
Europe during the spring and summer
season has been enormous, some con-
ception can be formed OF the practical in
jury the French and Germans are doing
to themselves by driving away Ameri-
cans with their impertinent offensiveness
simply because we have gone to war with
another country about matter which
does not at all concern them, but is of
prime Importance to us.
1t is a peculiarly American affair, re-
lating to this hemisphere solely, and in
volving American interests peculiarly. 1t
is matter of our own business, and we
are dealing with it without undertaking
any interference with either France or
Germany or any intent to do them harm.
We have not asked and do not want aid
or sympathy from them.
Here, too, there is counterpart to very
nasty feeling they are manifesting, not
merely toward America as a nation, but,
with utter childishness, provinciality,
and narrowness of spirit, toward Ameri-
cans individually, even though they be
women travelling or sojourning in those
countries
1t is not conceivable that such feel
ing of spiteful prejudice against any
people foreign to US, and especially
against whom we were not actually at
war, should exist and be displayed in
this country. When the war between
France and Germany was occurring
many Frenchmen and Germans were
travelling or resident in America
They may have encountered differ
ences of opinion as to the merits of the
contest, but neither in the newspapers
nor in private conversation with Ameri.
cans were they subjected to any in
tentionally offensive language or rude
ness of behavior, which made intolor-
able their stay here
If Germany, for instance, were now at
war with Spain, the people OF neither
nation would suffer from discourtesy
here. OF course it is always unpleasant
to be in a country with which your own
is at war, but even low SpaniarCls not
engaged Extensively in furthering the
Spanish arms are compelled to suffer in
America from no other discomfort than
that offered to their patriotism by the
discussions they read and overhear.
They are not treated with rudeness and
insulled individually simply because of
their nationality. Decently bred people
here are always considerate even of the
people of an enemy's country, and are
disposed to treat them with the more
delicate forbearance on that account.
We do not carry our hostility to the
extreme If directing it against every
individual OF the nation with which we
are fighting, including even women and
children.
The animosity against Americans dis.
played SO spitefully by Continental
Europeans is not aroused, moreover, and
is not excusable, so tar as it could be ex-
cusable at all in enlightened people be-
cause we are at war with themselves.
We are fighting another nation, and a
nation against which European hostility
itself has been directed often in the
past.
So far as the Germans are concerned,
it is a nation wholly removed from them
by race and in tone, and the natural or
interested sympathy it arouses in France
would seem to afford a more reasonable
basis for feelings other than those of
friendship and spiteiul Partially in Ger
many.
Moreover, 10 Germans and no French
men are driven from America by inhos.
pitable treatment. Our great commercial
towns are full Of them, of the Germans
more especially, and none of them are
fain to escape, driven hence by anything
corresponding to the bad manners and |
ill-wll which are driving Americans
from their own countries.
They come hither and find free field
in which to expend their industry and