Evening star., 1902-03-01
THE POL|TANS
A Travellers First impress
sions Of Naples.
ITALIANS VARY MUCH
WITH SOME EVEN THE YANKEE
SHOWS CAUTION.
Characteristics Of One Section Not
Shared by All in Free
Italy.
ITALIANS VARY MUCH
Copyright, 1902, by Francis E. Clark)

ROME, February 4, 19U2.
OF perennial interest to Americans is their
relation to people of other nationalities-
what they think Of US, what we think Of
them. How often have 1 been interviewed
on my arrival in some small town. east or
west, by the ubiquitous reporter. whose
first question is very likely to be: We'll,
what do you think of our town? Pretty
smart sort Of a place, isn't it?''
Within reasonable limits this curiosity to
know how we are regarded by others is
laudable and healthy. If the answers are
honest our conceit and provincialism is
quite as likely to be dampened as inflamed,
and it at least shows that we are not in
different to public opinion. which indiffer-
ence is the worst sign of degeneracy.
On larger scale our opinion of other
nations, and their opinion of us, Is a matter
OF more than national curiosity When en-
1Srants by the hundred thousand are pour
ing every year through our wide-open por-
tails, when our national life is becoming
mcdlhed for good or i'll by these home
seekers in the new world. and especially in
these days, when our national policies make
| us world power, with relations to every
| other nation and tribe and kindred and
people on the face of the earth, what we
tnlnk OF these nations and tribes and kim
Greds and peoples. and what they think Of
| us, is of growing Importance
| Our good ship landed us In Naples No
| country should be of more genuine interest
| to the American than this sunny land Of
vineyards and olives, for no land furnishes
| a larger quota OF our increasing millions.
| Every steamer to America carries an i'm
| mense cargo of human freight from this
land Our customs, our manners, our NOR
! ais, our religious life as a nation, will
| undoubtedly in the course Of the years be
| appreciably modified by this vast immigra-
| ton.
| The tables are turned in these latter CEN
| turies the Goths and the Vandals are not
! now coming down upon the Romans, but
| the Romans are pouring in upon the de-
scendants of the Goths. When any general
question is asked about the people of Italy
| it is a good deal like asking about the
climate of the United States There is
Louisiana an. Maine, San Diego and Min
! neapolls What climate do you refer to, my
| Trend? No generaliZations can be INDUCED
in SO there is Italy and Italy, Piedmont
| ana Sicily, Tuscany and Naples and one
| would go very wide of the mark in Jumping
| the Italians all together, either for blame
| or praise.
Room for Improvement.
1t must be confessed that the traveller
who lands in Naples is not likely to be-
| come enraptured over the people, however.
enthusiastic he may grow over the bay or
the blue grotto, lovely Sorrento, or the state
| ly Vesuyius In the background continually
| belching out fire and smoke. Perhaps the
people have improved since the DAYS when
| POmpei was overwhelmed because of the
| utter corruption and rottenness of the city,
| as some historians contend, but there is
sull much room for Improvement in re-
| gard to the simplest matters of everyday
| morality Even Yankee will do well to
| keen his eye teeth cut wherever he goes in
| Naples. Foreigners are looked upon by the
| common people as their rightful and legiti-
| mate prey. as people to be swindled and
| cheated and imposed upon to the very larg-
| est possible extent. They will pass bad
| money upon you wherever it Is possible to
palm off worthless franc. The supply of
pewter and the baser metals in southern
| Italy seems to be unlimited. however scarce
! silver and gold may be. Even at the post
| offices and railway stations you are likely
to be cheated, for the American is not on
| his guard as rule, against officials in
| such places. He looks for honesty there if
| anywhere, but on more than one or two
| occasions in the course of two or three
| days L have found wrong change or bad
| money given to me over such official count
| erS.
| On the whole, many Of the people i'm
| press the traveller as just emerging out of
| or into a state Of semi -ba rbarism which is
| very much akin to that of China, Egypt
and Turkey. In fact the resemblances be-
| tween southern Italy and China were i'm
| pressed upon me at every turn. The same
| narrow, noisy, filthy streets; the same in
| tOlerable noises. which would drive a ner-
| vous man distracted long drawn-out walls;
| cracking OF WHIPS ike pistol SnOtS, un1n-
| telligible screams: incessant chatter; and
| the resOunding alteration and reVilings
| which in a Chinese city impress a new
| conner so hideously, are heard in every
| back alley and narrow street of Naples.
The Stony Stare.
| The intolerable stony stare of the China
| man on his native heath you also see re-
fected in the eyes of the low-class Neapoli-
| tan. He will look you out of countenance
| II his curiosity is aroused in any degree,
| however brazen you try to be in returning
his stare. He will look over your shoulder
while you are reading private letter.
| without the slightest consciousness of the
| rudeness of his curiosity. In a score of
| ways l was reminded Of China in every
| stroll through the purlieus of Naples.
| In the matter of honesty the Chinese are
| greatly to be preferred however. In all
| transactions with Chinese merchants, rail-
way officials. etc, have never known Of
| an overcharge.
! Indeed. the Italians as a whole. are as
| much ashamed of the Neapolitan character
| as any foreign resident can be. What to
| do with Naples has been a standing prob
| lem for years with the central government
| Some two or three years ago things became
| so utterly corrupt the peculatiOns of the
| official class became frequent and
| brazen, that the national government took
| the control of things Neapolitan into it's
| own hands, abolished for time the meas
| ure of home rule which Naples had en-
jOyed. and still administers her affairs, If
| l am not mistaken, through officials sent
| from the capital.
T Have Their Old Laws.
The Piedmontese have a saying of which
| they are very fond 'All Italy is divided
| into two parts. the north and the SOUTH"
| as a slight variation of the word for south
| means dirty they invariably gave it that
| infection: to show their contempt for their
| southern neighbors.
OF course, there are exceptions to the
| rule and all the Neapolitans do not belong
| to the class which have described. There
| Is another kind of society in Naples that
| rolls in luxuriant carriages under the beau
| tiful palm trees of the park, or along the
! splendid boulevard that skirts the loveliest
i bay in all the earth. There are fine pal
| aces and elegant hotels. and the most i'm
posing arcade. filled with shops and shop
| pers, that / have seen in any city In the
world; but it must be admitted that the
| people Of Naples and all southern Italy (and
| the further south you go the worse it be-
| comes to the very end of Sicily have an
| unsavory reputation at home, as we'll as
| abroad. They do not represent the spirit
| of free Italy, the spirit that is coming to
| dominate this fair land In all it's northern
| and central sections and will yet make it,
| l believe, one Of the great nations Of the
I