Evening star., 1902-01-24
A BEAU TlFUL CITY
Talk With a Man Who Has Encircled
the Globe.
APPRECIATES THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
An Englishman's View Of American
Progress.
EMPEROR WILLIAMS TACT

''The advent of Prince Henry and the
elaborate and proper preparations you
Americans are making to receive him
brings into contrast some Of your GUS
toms here" said Alfred Barings of London,
England, to a Star man at the Arlington
this morning Mr.. Barings is a retired
merchant, who has encircled the globe sew
eral times, and is one of the most enter
tanning takers from abroad who has visit
ed the capital this season.
Emperor Williams finesse may be con-
sidered a coup diplomatique upon which
England may look with complacence,' con-
tinued Mr.. Barings. 1.-The relations be-
tween the people of the United States and
Germany have undoubtedly been somewhat
strained since the Manila bay incident, and,
as it Is peace We all DESIRE the emperor
may be congratulated upon seiZing at the
right time a golden opportunity to heal the
breach.
1T emphasizes, however, the diametrical-
ly opposite conditions under which your
people and those of European monarchies
live. Here, the President, the head Of the
nation, Is on speaking terms, 1t were,
with his people. The humblest citizen may
approach him the street, or at the
White House, and be assured of respect
ful hearing. The ruler of a monarchy In
Europe is not on speaking terms with his
people, and prefers to place a Gordon of
tISopS dl Ouuu HlIn WH6u lie goes out. his
is often shown. and was indicated in a
manner which startled the world, when, at
the recent French army maneuvers at
tended by the Car Of Russia, the czar
was whiSked through impenetrable barriers
of troops. and he might have been in the
Winter Palace at st. Petersburg so far as
the people of France were concerned as to
seeing him. Truly, the respectful democra-
cy Of the people of the United States Is one
of the remarkable characteristics of re-
markable people.
Changes In Washington.
Il have been in Washington before but
l am struck this time by the many great
improvements. especially as to buildings,
which greet the eye. OF the celebrated
urban vistas Of continental Europe there
are few which excel Pennsylvania avenue
looking toward the Capitol from the ap-
preach to the steps to the Treasury build
ing. In my strolls along that wide and
fine thoroughfare 1 noted some handsome
new buildings 1 had never seen before.
asked the name of the Post Office building,
and l supposed the white marble structure
opposite was a municipal building. 1 was
surprised to learn that it was a newspaper
building occupied by The Star. 1t is very
fine and illustrates the get-up and energy
of the American press. and this question,
by the way, brings up one of international
interest.
1.-The reason why your people have such
an extensive knowledge of Europe and it's
affairs is because of the practically un-
limited space it's newspapers give to affairs
across the water, while Europeans are
hcpelessly at sea in failing to understand
correctly things in America unless they
have personally visited here.
Before the Spanish war the European
press gave practically no space, as COM
pared with American papers. to affairs in
America except diplomatic matters. The
ease with which the United States whipped
Spain and annihiated her navy was like
an electric shock to all Europe, the thrills
pc enetrating the musty conservative ne VS.
paper offices, and they woke UP to a proper
realization of your greatness, hence the
marked tone of respect with which they
have treated American matters since.
'Dewey's threat to blow the German fleet
out of the water at Manila did more for
American prestige abroad in five seconds
than fifty years of diplomatic parley would
have accomplished. They realized that it
was not a splendid bluff, but would have
been a splendid actuality unless his terms
were compiled with. In England we knew
that 1t was an outcropping Of that fighting
strain of Anglo-SaXon blood that strikes
first and asks questions afterward.
American Prestige Sustained.
'It is noted in every chancelory in Eu-
rope and elsewhere in high circles with
what extreme caution both Germany and
France approach the settlement of the
Venezuelan question at present up, yet
France sent a fleet to Turkey, seized one
Of her ports, exacted payment and settle
ment of her claim, yet Turkey is a country
which can throw into the field inside of a
month over a half million Of trained SOL
'diers, among the best in Europe. Twenty
years ago Germany and France, were they
then combined on this question, would have
afterward asked the United States what
they intended to do about it. Today the
matter will no doubt be automatically and
pleasantly adjusted, while the American
fnflx nh1rin
ing distance.
But the American people like to slide
around some questions which they appear
as afraid to meet as they readily meet
other questions, and the social evil is one
which has been taken up abroad and con-
trolled within municipal limits. To GER
tain extent American life is new and crude
but in these and other instances the cor
ners will soon be rounded off with time
Again, l noticed in a paper the other
day that a president Of a western bank
who had been convicted Of embezzing over
half million, had been pardoned, taken
home in a carriage somewhat In the ma
ture of hero. In an adjoining column
observed that purse-snatcher had been
sentenced for as dong a term as the bank
official, and there is little question that he
will not be pardoned.
Take Our Fun Good Naturedly,
$50 much for the equality of American
citizenship. What you call a pull is more
1t sets aside their sentences and judgments
In municipal governments you appear to
take it for granted that corruption must
be accepted as part and parcel of the ad-
ministration, and Mr.. Croker's recorded
boast as to where or how he got his great
wealth was none of the public's business,
occasioned only good-natured and humor-
Gus press comments, indicating that the
American people submitted to the iron heel
Of boss rule with complacency and fun
knowledge of the facts with an inability
to check it. In Europe municipal misrule
Is the exception
"Englishmen take good naturedly the fun
Americans throw at us about our titled
aristocracy, well aware that you have a
moneyed aristocracy which considers itself
as remote from the common people as your
people imagine our titled arlstocracy feel
However. good-natured criticism is the
spice of life. and the world admires the
courage Of the American people in meeting
issues of all kinds from the assassination
of a President. the installation Of his sue
cessor. and a possible war, or an actual
conflict, without a Quiver. But the crfti-
cism Of some of your people Of Great Brit
ain because Of the Boer war loses strength
when 1t is remembered that the United
States have had an army Of 90, 900 men In
the Philippines for over two years with
the insurrection not only not yet ouelled