New-York tribune., 1900-07-07
AN AMERICAN IN ENGLAND.
FRANK COMMENTS FROM A NEW POINT OF
VIEW
From The Pail Mall Gazette.

Puritan Revolutionary and Huguenot ancestry.
l have also mentioned my inherited and fostered
hatred Of Great Britain. my lCve of France and
the events that cost France my regard and
brought Great Britain into my good books
had not seen the British at home, and had no
idea | would find them 70 my liking. On aC-
count of their services to US in the late Spanish
war l had decided to forgive. though ! might not
forget the harsh treatment Of my ancestors
And really Dlumad myself on my gTaciousneSS
1 had a few twinges OF conscience, and was
forced to self-cross- examination TO see if my
Americanism was 1S-carat fine and equal 70
any sudden call. l wanted to be true. wanted
to be fair. and did not want TO be foolish The
day 1 crossed the Channel and landed In Eng
land Admiral Dewey paid fresh tribute 10
British friendship. He said. ard was in a posi-
ton to know whereof he spoke. that Admiral
Seymour, r. N. aided him in preventing foreign
interference during a ticklish time in Manila
Bay. l decided l could afford 10 be as liberal
the Admiral.
So 1 came among the enemies of my early
ancestors in a judicial frame OF mind. l was
ready to like dislike the British according 10
personal experience and nattered myself my
prejudice was a thing of the past My first i'm
pressions were moderately Disappointing The
ways of the people confused me. Business ana
social methods were different from what l mad
known in the States. American friends in re-
sponsible positions invariably wore frock coats
and tall hats and their cordiality had new
and jarring dignity. One near and dear friend
hustled out of his office and into nearby
hat shop, and in a twinkling had me IN a SILK
hat. He said my American hat was not correct
for London And then he told me story or DIS
tinctions in dress that grated harshy on my
democratic sensibllites. He said my tai! hat
and frock coat would pass me anywhere. soon
proved him wrong | called on an English busl-
ness with letter Of Introduction and was
invited to call again on "Wednesday OF the fol-
lowing week. The in his office, uuL
having, had notice OF my intended call ana
having no engagement with me, was not pouiid
by commercial etiquette to save me the trouble
Of another trip, He presumably thought that IN
naming day and hour when he would see me
he was doing ali that courtesy demanded. l
soon learned that in this country you notify a
person you have a letter to present. The person
" IQ.
notify the person you will arrive at the proper
time This apparent indirectiOn offended me,
and l mentally resented it, in America Cne
calls with his letter, is received at the earliest
possible moment, and what should lc done IS
have disturbed me. There was no reason Why
the British should not have their individual ay
of meeting strangers, even though nv ancestors
had suffered from British tyranny In liIb- You
will remember that thu British Wer. on suffer
ance with me. What is born in the flesh is bred
in the bone. I still suspected Her Majes1y' sub
tects. Smile if you like, for you smile With me-
Inside of two weeks I saw that in :ity Of sew
eral millions, TIE plan "f Meeting !cople &C
cOrdng to previous written engagement was
desirable, if not absolutely necess lry. So L
sought another flaw
There came a drawing room The Queen was
to receive The function was i'll par public
People on the street could see the presented be
fore and after the ceremony. The popular prac-
tiCe was TO go to the Mall look on the Favored
ladies' and hear others talk them over. It re-
volted me, but I fell in line. The scene was
brilliant and beautiful and seemed appropriate
for England. It a revelation 10 me-rOt
the gay eQuipages. the men in livery, aut last,
though not least, the ladies in decOueta gowns,
but the respectful admiration Of the spectators
ard the absence Of envious comment. The thou
sands. mainly women and children, Who pressed
to the road and scanned the line made no :nvidi-
Gus remarks but actually showed pride in the
display. I went to the Mall 20 frown on this
ostentatious show OF wealth and station I found
cause for frOwntng and came back king.
/ aimed to treat the British with equal and
exact Justice AS a good American from a land
of majority rule l naturally sought majority
NiaII- h9t yyaS in RI OF
What did the bread winners think? That was
what wanted to know, in justice TO my revClu-
tionary ancestors and TO my countrymen OF to
day. Were the millions forming the great bulk
of the British nation fairly we'll satisfied with
their social and political lot? Did they favor
their present form Of government from choice,
force of habit, necessity? All my questions
were easily and promptly answered. saw the
Queen happily welcomed by the people all OF
one mind l the British victories celebrated
by the people. all of one mind; and saw, lad
almost said as never before, the cohesive I
to form Of government the British people wece
one and as to policy the difference of opinion
was more apparent than real
Let me describe as l saw it the genesis and
evolution OF a patriotic demonstration. II was
Pretoria Day; shortly after l p m. l CHANGED
TO be passing the Bank Of England, when
noticed men tying white banners with red letter
ing 10 the pillars OF the Mansion House one
banner read, The British Flag Floats at Pre-
toria''; the other God Save the Queen There
were only few hundred people at this focal
point as the banners came in view but quicker
than I write it crowds of people poured in from
the converging streets, volley after voiley OF |
cheers rent the air hats came of. God Save
the Queen was given with a mighty roar, the
flag that had gone up the staff as a ball burst
forth in proud glory and there was hurrah and
joy enough 10 quicken even my American blood |
was interested in the excitement among men
and lads who waved flags, Cheered, sang
shouted, and threw their hats on high; but what
most impressed the wide range of this |
pa triOtiC display. l saw feeble and totterng old
folks. as we'll as people in middle life, wave
and canes TO God Save the Queen"
and heard toddling children contribute their
lisping mite to this fervent wish; While from |
around corners came companies of little boys
playing soldiers, who sang so earnestly, marched
so sturdily and took themselves so seriously as
TO stir me to sympathetic pride,
Americans and British have much in common /
and the inevitable logic OF events must bring
the two peoples into closer business and social
relations. Even as they dislike Great Britain |
for its strength and progress so do most of the |
Continental countries dislike the United States
This is no f1gment Of fancy. l speak from OBJ /
servation study and personal contact. The /
American isolation of former years finally made J
impossible by the growth OF steam and cleo
tricity, is no longer factor in our diplomatic !
problem To-day America is not only In the !
through fault OF It's own. carries responsibii-
ties never realized, and therefore never con /
sidered by the patriots who originally marked !
out course When that course was marked |
we fresh from war with Great Britain and
angry and distrustful On occasions since then I
the mother country has raised ire But /
the growing Importance of America and our |
invasion of commercial fields hitherto exclusive |
ly worked by Europe have aroused a Continental ;
hostility fully equal to that shown Great Britain [
ON the other hand. the British have gone out of |
their way 10 favor us and on many lines the |
two countries have worked together. That |
Great Britain and America Will grow more and !
more friendly and get closer together is as GER
tain as the sun to rise although, FOR political
reasons an official alliance is out of the QueS-
tion. The fair and Intelligent American who
visits Great Britain and the Continent invari- /
ably draws conclusions favorable 10 the former. /