The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-31

If seeing ourselves as ithers see US"
were always as pleasant as 1t is in the
case of Dr. Munsterberg's interesting
study. 1.-The Americans" (McClure,
Phillips & Coz, the moral effect Burns
prayed for would hardly result. says
Tiffany Blake in the Chicago Post. on
the contrary. SO laudatory is the re-
port mis- observer makes OF US to his
countryrnen that an American review
er finds himself between the Scylla OF
vain-glory and the Charybdis of IN
gratitude.
of late years America has become
more familiar with praise than she was
sn the days of Dickens and Mrs. Troll
lope. Some Of this commentator has
come from observers whose good opin-
fon any intelligent people would be
glad to receive. But. as Uncle Toby
might say. Twas nothing to thisl"
Indeed, DR.. Munsterberg is himself
not unmindful of the possible evil eff
fects OF his generosity. This fear he
voices in a preface to the translated
edition of his work, calling attention to
the fact that it was intended for Ger
man eyes solely, and remarking upon
the existence among our virtues of
certain defect of modesty.
And he inquiries, Have a right TO
eater to this spirit?'
A TASTE OF WARNING.
The question is a serious one. but
the learned doctor may find a crumb of
comfort on the very cover of. his book.
Thereon the publisher, addressing the
casual eye of the public, shrewdly OBJ
serves that "Dr. Munsterberg cuts to
the quick, but quite as frequently to re-
veal an unsupported virtue as
TO expose vice. From this the reluct-
ant author may iearn-frst, that we
do not even suspect the existence of
some of our virtues; and second, that
the proportion of praise to blame is
carefully underestimate by one who
IS chiefly concerned with selling his
wares. In other words. his astute
IL ,,
lie believes that it is much more ready
10 read of its vices than its virtues.
However, the mischief. if it be mis-
chief is done. and, without further
whatever its social effect may be, 1.-The
Americans may be welcomed as an
uncOmmonly Intelligent and compre-
hensive study of the American people,
one of the best, If not quite the best
of its kind. 1t does perhaps. err on
the side Of generosity, or as it is more
accurate to say, It is incomplete as a
general study in emphasizing our ma
tional virtues and treating less fully
our weak points. DR.. Munsterberg is
aware of this and explains it on the
ground that his work was addressed to
the Germans, designed to awaken a
better understanding Of Americans in
the German nation"
AN ADVOCATE CONVINCED.
But there is a better justification of
the disproportion than this, which we
may rightly lay to our hearts. If THE
Americans is the brief of an advocate,
st is the brief Of an honestly convinced
champion, who is able to say that
'Americanism is noble and inspiring
and who finds this nobility and this
Inspiration in the deeper impulses in
American life
Let US see what this acute observer
believes to be the main impulses of
Americanism. They are the spirit of
Eelf-direction, the spirit of self-realiza-
ton or self-initiative. the spirit of self
perfection, and the spirit of self-asser-
ton. These are chiefly displayed
respectively-in our political life, our
economic life, our intellectual life and
our social life.
of our impulse of self-direction Dr.
Munsterberg says:
in his social life the American is
very ready, to conform to the will of
another But, on the other
hand. in the sphere of public life, the
individual, or a more or less restricted
group of individuals. feels that it must
guide its own activities to the last de-
tail II these are to have any value
or significance whatsoever. .
American patriotism is directed Meth
er to soil nor citizen, but to a system
of ideas respecting society which is
compacted by the desire for self-direc-
ton And to be an American means
10 be a partisan of this system. Neither
race nor tradition, nor yet the actual
past binds him to his countrymen, but
rather the future which together they
are building 1t is a community of
purpose, and it is more effective than
any tradition, because it pervades the
whole man. Participation in a com