The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-07
THE oMNIscIENT BRETON.
Some Examples of the Sufficiently
 of Englishmen.

Some Examples of the self-suficienty
 of Englishmen.
 A superb example of British self-suf- fcieney has lately been given to the world by the editor of the London Athe- naeum. The parsonage, in speaking of the American sky-scrapers erected in our cities, casually remarked that in the United States these buildings are gene rally known as "fiat-irons," whereupon Mir. Joseph B. Glider wrote courteous letter to the Athenaeum, pointing out that the term "fiat-iron" is not the name of tall buildings in general, but it applied to one particular building in New York because of it's peculiar shape. As Mir Glider is an American and New Yorker. it might have been as- sumed that he spoke with adequate knowledge. But no. the British editor, loftily waved the explanation aside, and observed that while some of these build ings might be of a peculiar shape, this fact was unimportant and that all high buildings constructed with steel or iron framework are invariably spoken of by Americans as "fiatirons. How did he know this2 Simply because he was a Briton and had therefore inheri- ted olaniscience as a radical birthright'
 Several years ago we happened to be dining at a continental table d'hote and found ourselves seated next to an Eng lishman who turned out to be mem- Der of Parliament. and very genial, unaffected gentleman. Like many of his countrymen when they are outside of England. he put aside his national reserve and chatted pleasantly of many things. At last he spoke of the visit of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery to London, and happened to mention the state from which they came and which he pronounced Massachusetts" A mo- ment later he commented on the odd names of some of our states, and so we ventured to inform him of the proper pronunciation of Massachusetts. We shall never forget the look of bland in- credulity which fitted across his face. "Oh, but you know" said he, that oh is pronounced like k." Rather absurdly and replied that this was precisely what we didn't know: that we had lived in various parts of the state of Massachu- setts and had never once heard any hu- man being call it Massachusetts" But we might just as we'll have whistled up the chimney. The Englishman smiled in a depreeatory way as one who did not wish to engage in controversy; but his conviction that he was absolutely right was as impTegnabe as Gibraltar. Was he not Briton and unchangeably infallible? Tn like manner most of his countrymen when they speak of the Po- tomac, call 1t Potomac, with the accent on the first syllable; and they explain obligingly that the word is from the Greek noun potamos. It is not for us to tell them that it is really of Indian origin They know, for they are Bri- tons. There is a certain importance in this trait of theirs, for it explains just why it is that Great Britain is gradual Ky falling behind iil the rivalry of na- tions. The same lf-eomplacency which makes them inpervious to spec 4ial information about the pronunciation of foreign word makes them equally imperyious to the lessons which other countries could teach them in much greater things, They are absolutely satisfied with what they have and what they are; and the result is that the Uni- ted States and also Germany are out stripping Great Britain in every sort of enterprise and industry The attitude of the editor of the Athenaeum is there fore much more than an amusing piece of British morgue. It holds in itself the explanation of the gradual decline of great world-empire.- Bookman.