The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-09
America Revisited.

The Anti-Everythings still live, and
continue undated their efforts to con-
vince Uncle Sam that he is blindly heav-
ing along the broad and slickery path
which ends in destruction. "You hber-
ated Cubal' they shrek; you're pre-
pairing Filipinos to share the freedom of
American institutions You're feeding
our youth on gore and lyddite! You're
actually building the Panama Canal
Who said you might? You haven't
asked us, yet. The whole miserable
country's going hellbent for extinction
And Uncle SAM, smiling benignly, keeps
on tho even tenor Of his way, undis-
turbed, unrufled, imperturbable.
At a time when so much is written,
preached and printed about the alleged
decadence Of our Government, our So
ciety our literature, 1t is a relief to turn
TO the views Of so distinguished an OBJ
server as the Right Hon. JAMES BRYCE,
who, in recent numbers of the Outlook,
compares present conditions in the
United States with those he found here
some thirty years ago. That which most
strikes the visitor TO America to-day, he
says, is its prodigious material develop
ment. Countrysides then are villages
now; villages have become towns and
cities; highways and railroads, stretch
! ing in every direction, bring our popu-
lation in close touch, making inevitable
an assimilation Of ideas, broadening Of
mental view, an understanding Of each
other, a larger tolerance than was pos
sible even generation ago. in America
every class seems rich compared with
the corresponding class in the Old
World Mr. BRYCE adds, and he finds
the absence Of pauperism still more re-
markable. One reason for our growth
in material wealth is in the fact that
everybody, from the workman TO the
millionaire, has larger head Of steam
on than his father had. In other words,
we are in earnest about that which we are
doing. Yet while this wealth and power
has so nightly increased among those
engaged in mining, manufacturing and
pure commerce, agriculture continues
TO be prosperous; for one reason because
the American farmer quickly seizes upon
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vention and scientific discovery, every
labor saving device which proves its
utility. II is true that no other country
has resources comparable to those Of
the United States; also that "the Re-
public is as wealthy as any two Of the
greatest European nations, and is capa-
bic, il she chooses Of calling into being
a vast feet and a vast army Her wealth
and power, Mr.. BRYCE thinks, have in them
something almost alarming Our open
minded and thrice welcome visitor from
abroad may, however, put aside such
nervous apprehension. Uncle SAM is a
genial gentleman, slow to anger, full Of
forbearance, who attends strictly TO
his own business unless some inter-
national bully attempts TO outrage a
helpless little noighbor. When that &C.
ours Uncle SAM bears strong resem-
blanoe to a roomful Of wildcats. A few
years ago certain Of those among US
used 70 exclaim, with something Of ex-
ultation: Our country and England
against the worldl' They don't say that
40 often nowadays; they don't think IL
necessary; and Mr. BRYCE is evidently
Of the opinion that nothing more than
JOHN BULLS moral approval would be
looked for should Uncle SAM at any time
decide that his dignity is assailod or that
human rights are being violated by any
possible group Of allies.
II must not be supposed from the
foregoing that IN his recent visit 10 this
country Mr.. BRYCE confined himself 10
observing its material prosperity. On
the contrary, he asserts that within the
last thirty-hve years there has been
a development Of the higher education
In the United States perhaps without
y parallel in the world; and he states
bis deliberate opinion that America has
how mot less than fifteen or perhaps even
twenty seats Of learning At 70 be ranked
beside the universities Of Germany,
France and England as respects the
completeness Of the instruction which