The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-04-23
ASTORIAN PUBLISHING COMPANY.
THE INTELLIGENT FOREIGNER.

THE INTELLIGENT FORElGNER.
The United States has long become accustomed t
having the measure of its lands people and institu
tions taken by foreigner in the course of tgh
across the continent in one limited train and back il
another. Sometimes the results of the traveller OBJ
servatons sure to appear in print consciously
and sometimes .unconsciously, amusing Sometimes
too, they contain not few shrewd hits
But when herr German doctor who claims tivt
unbroken years of residence in this country con
tributes his observations one looks for more OF
solemn, if ponderous, truth than humor 50 fantastic
as to almost seem premedtated Dr. Emil Reich calls
himself continental student of American affairs
and offers some Of his conclusions in the National
Review
He prefaces his remarks by saying that Americans
cannot endure word of disparagement of them
selves He is mistaken Such criticisms as his would
be received not only eomplaisantly but with hilarious
joy anywhere from Eastport to San Diego.
His first paragraph is certainly enough to make
anyone sit up and take notice:
'sThe mountains and rivers cannot compare either
in number Of size with their respective counterparts
in Europe"
Now where do you suppose he spent those five
yearsf Has he really gone home thinking of the tidy
little foothills Of the Apis or the Pyrenees noun
tains without having seen the Rockies, or convinced
that those pleasant creeks the Rhine and the Danube
are Mississippis and HudsonsG That would be fun,
indeed
Again: N
"a number of the most valuable cereals, as well
as other edible plants the vine, ETC., will either not
grow there at all, or grow in very restricted quant
ties =
Shades of grocerl What does the man mean by
thatY What cereal does this country not grow in
quantities that would simply daze the European hus
bandman and as for vines, he certainly never heard
of California
Passing to the population, he is even more amusing
Whence he asks comes the undeniable energy SO
characteristics of the people of the United States"
The foreigner, he answers The native American
stock would not surpass the world in energy if the
immigrant from the world surpassed didn't come
here and energze u.s. This theory is not only original
but coruscates with genius
Our women are running US by leaps and bounds.
They rule by force, not tenderness.
''There is probably little exaggeration in saying
that the burthen of latent contempt heaped by the
gentry in England upon the middle class, is in Amer
lea heaped by women upon man. In both cases wei
meet with the same passive acceptance the same
absence of all spirit of revolt"
Our men are sensation-ridden and unstable; with
out well-baanced emotional life; lacking in COM
pleteness and, with the exception Of high-strung
New Englanders of poorly developed individuality
But in spite Of all we may be saved The Monroe
doctrine may embroil us in a war with all Europe
from which we may emerge Sobered, chastened, en-
Ightened by contact-eyen at 1000 years with
genuine civilization, and become a real nation.
Hoch der herr Doctor Reich Seattle P-I