The San Francisco call., 1905-01-22
A MIR ROR
Held 60 Our Traits

A FTER all. what variety of curios-
"A ity is more imperious than that
- which impels us Ito see our
selves as others see u.s.? Self
pride. self-love, aye, the secret self
doubling, all clamor for the frankly
spoken opinion of another, even though
that opinion may ruff1e our compla-
cence crievously AS with an individu-
al. so with nation. Our own country
particularly has still the sensitiveness
of youth to prick 1t up to a very jeal-
Gus regard to the criticisms of older
brothers across the water; sometimes
we defy with peculiar youthful trucu-
lence any or all of the old world to md
aught to carp against in our glorious
institutions and then we take the in
evitable and not always good-natured
exposition of our shortcomings with
penitent meekness. Not long ago Pro-
fessor Hugo Munsterberg, German
savant, occupying a chair at Harvard,
wrote particularly sharp and search
ing review OF our national weaknesses
which he called American Traits" 1t
was not a book Of honeyed phrase or
studiously courteous comment: 1t was
not a popular book. Later Professor
Munsterberg either repented or climbed
to a higher and wider vantage ground
of observation and wrote a second
book, die Amerikander," which was
designed to present the German peo-
pie with very optimistic, very gen.
erous view OF the American people.
This latter work has now been trans
lated into English by one of the pro-
fessor's associates at Harvard and we
may now find our reflected image in
another mirror. made in Germany.
In explanation Of this roundabout
method OF presenting his book to the
& American public Professor Munster
berg says that since the work had
q originally been designed only as an
exposition OF American traits for Ger
man reading it's only claim to existence
in the English lay in it's reflected char
3 acter. in its having been written for
others and having come back from the
old world to the new. Furthermore, he
makes this comment Of extenuation for
past sins, mayhap: THE role Of critic,
have played, perhaps. more often and
more vehemently than is the foreign
er's right. My book on American
Traits has been its sharpest express
sion. Does that not give me, after all.
a moral right to supplement the warn
ing cry by joyful word on the high
aims Of true Americanism?"
Whatever load his first book may
have imposed upon Professor Munster
berg's conscience. it is certain that in
his second he outdoes himself in COM
plimentary reflections upon the worth
that lies under the superficial appear
ances of things American. From the
four broad, general considerations Of
the spirit of self-direction, of self-initi-
ative, Of elf-perfection and self-asser-
ton the author surveys the character
istics of American political institu-
tions, American economic problems,
the culture OF the. people and the
social life and conditions obtaining
here. Professor Munsterberg's review
Z is analytic rather than synthetical.
He believes that from the fundamental
spirltS of democracy pervading all of
our institutions. whether political,
economic or social. can be traced the
peculiar genius of American traits.
The Same strong principle of democ-
racy or individualism that sanctioned
q republican form. as the only right
form for our government has built UP
a the peculiarly distinctive economic
force that is ours; this spirit of free
self-guidance permeatcs the culture OF
the nation, regulates its social at
! mosphere. This intense individualism
of the American is sui generis. an In
! kerent and not reflected force. Illus
trating this fact from the inception
OF our political ideas. the writer says:
When In any people the desire OF
s self f-direction dominates all other mo-
stives. the form of government OF thai
people is necessarily republican. But
It does not conversely follow that every
republic is grounded in this spirit OF
! self direction. Hence it is that the
republic of the United States is so en-
tirely different from all other repub-