New-York tribune., 1903-04-14
MORE ABOUT OURSELVES.
Anaerica Seen Through Partisan
SpectacIes.


Impressions jotted down by NJ. UTbain Conner
during his recent five months ramble through
the United States BY his incisiVe WORKS
-I'Arraee Contre La Nation" Les Pretorlens
Contre La Congregation and "A Bas Id
Caserne" in which he has smitten mp anu
thigh rnilitarism and clericalsm, as reVealed
by the Dreyfus affair. this writer has earned
reputation for fearless independence his pres
ent volume in which he turns his searchlghts
on the people of the United States, lie Peupie
du Xxx Steele" Just published by Fasquene, at
tracts considerable attention NJ Urbain Conner
is a sincere and drastic observer. He states A'
the outset his absolute independence OF opinion
is assured by having undertaken his voyage OF
investigation unhsmpered by letters OF intro
duction or requests for favors and hospltaIty.
which unconsciousIy act a sort OF muzzle
whenever there is occasion for barking ana OIL
ing He remarks that it may have been rash for
him 10 appear TO try TO discover the New World
after Americus vespucius and NJ Paul Bourget,
Of the French Academy, and points out that the
first explorer is no longer up to date and that
the second confined his observations TO the Four
Hundred" of New-York or Newport and 10 their
furniture horses and carriages, and to the STOCK
yards OF Chicago. M. Gohier complains thaI
most Of the Frenchmen who have recently Wis
sted the United States to record their opinions
have been the guests OF great millionaires or
have been conducted about by society Barntlms,
who have put them through conventional
courses of sightseeing He handles his Gallo
predecessors in the United States without gloves
and accuses most Of them of being "acaoer1llc
epcnges" or ''mercenary moralists who have
paid In the coin of admiration for the hospi-
tality that they received, and have regis
tered complaisant views Of what they were told
to see by means Of perfunctory glances through
Pullman car windows from the great inter
rio s- Or Chicago.
NJ. Gohier boasts OF being almost the only
French observer who has travelled independent
W without receiving any disguised salary. and
declares that he has journeyed eleven thousand
miles between the Atlantic and the Pacific all
the while scrutinizing the inhabitants and the
true life of the people in their farms universi-
ties. factories and theatres; passing from draw
.ng rooms to saloons. from mining camps to the
law courts visiting hospitals. settlements. pris-
ous slunls, churches and meetings Of strikers,
and rningling with the crowd and breathing the
breath of the great unwashed masses He says
that he was greatly astonished to find how
quickly he himself became Americanized. He
found that in q few weeks he began not only to
talk English but to think in English, and the
true American expression came to him more
promptly than the corresponding phrase In
French. He says he soon found himself lunch
ing or dining in ten minutes. perched on a tall
his meals with fruits and finishing them with
melon: eating oats and corn like horses in
Paris" and reading warning notices: Numerous
Pickpockets Look out for your hats and coatst'
n Gohier has made special study of American
women, Of love. marriage, divorce and fem
fninisrn in the United States. The American
woman" he says lis the greatest wonder Of
America and she knows it, The Gibson girl"
he thinks is the true physical type Of the
American woman He is loud spoken in her
praise and comes TO the conclusion that but
little is wanting before she attains perfection
merely "a suspicion of method in her luxury, Of
more artistic taste in her elegance. and an addi
tionaI pinch Of charm in her bearing. Time VIII
put the finishing touch to the masterpiece The
slight imperfections of the American woman are
Of the same origin as the faults of the Arneri-
can people-they come from superabundant Vi
tality from superb confidence in themselves.
Like the nation. the American woman is sure OF
herself, and lets it be known TO all NJ Gohier
was astonished TO find many girls and young
women who wore eyeglasses. and who had gold
frings in their teeth He says that American
girls are too gourTnande, and consume far too
much candy and soda water.
He has some scathing observations about the
matrimonial and personal advertisements IN
some Of the American newspapers, and notes
with what an aggTavating manner the New
waists Of the attractive women whom he escorts
across the streets. He finds il impossible to
form a iust notion of the woman of the TWEEN
,ieth century without describing the career and
personality Of Mary MacLane Of Butte Mont,
and her original impressions Of Newport OF
Wall Street Of the obelisk OF the elevated rail-
road and Of Coney Island
The writer has a great deal to say about
Christian Science and Mary Baker Eddy; about
the Young Mems Christian Association and
about the Salvation Army He says that the
Salvation Army works in America on far
srander scale than has ever been attempted in
France. He draws graphic pictures Of their
street prayers, drums and tambourines. and Of
the showers Of nickels thrown TO them, and
eslzs: why do Americans evince such sympa-
thy toward the Salvation Army, while in France
the people are showing aversion TO the Roman
Catholic congregational" A portion at least Of
the Sisters Of Mercy and in France per-
form. I'D to a certain point, the humani-
tartan functions that are accomplished in the
United States by women Of the Salvation Army.
The costumes Of the French nuns not more
ridiculous than are the military uniforms Of the
Salvationists The chief Of the Capuchins. or OF
the Jesuits or of the Dominicans has the mill
sary title Of general just William Booth
has It After drawing attention to other sinli-
Iarities between the American and French or
ganizations. NJ Gohier finds that the essential
difference is that the Salvation Army goes about
fits work in sensible way. not dispensing aims.
which is degrading, but putting men and women
in the way Of earning something. even If it be
merely q nickel. The officers live like other
citizens; they eat in restaurants; they wash;
they marry, they rningle with the masses; they
do not hoard up money; they spend they go.
.bex, ,,,bIisb their accounts and carry on their