Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06
ENGLISH INTERVIEWS

About ten years ago a considerable num-
Der of English publications, weeklies espe-
cially. adopted the American newspaper In
terview. That is to say, they thought they
did. The English interviewers idea of the
interview thing is to interview himself. The
American interviewer asks brief succinct,
to-the-point question and then permits the
interviewer. the main noise of the story,
to go ahead and tell all about 1t. Here's
the way the English weekly periodical in
terviewer plugs for himself in writing an
account of an interview he has had with,
say. the Shah Of Persia:
II found the shah in the f1amingo room
Of his suite at Marlborough House. He
was seated cross-legged on a divan of the
sort l learned to love while in Teheran in
93-eheu! those brave days in Teheran!
There are some places one can scarcely
even think of without heaving a sigh for
his vanishing youth.
The shah was in a most affable mood. I
was amused to observe that he seemed to
be somewhat surprised at the length of my
mustachfos, and he remarked, after the
first exchange of greetings. that I could
not have shaved my upper lip for great
when 1 informed him that I had never
touched a razor at all to my upper lip but
that my lengthy moustachios were the first
growth, as it were. The shah offered me
d CISaTelt0 Ills uOlIOWeO-Oul TuUy
case. and, after the exchange Of few
commonplace. we got down to the solid
purposes Of the interview.
Your majesty. ] said to him. 1t has
not now know. that you have become in
fatuated with England and the English.
desire to ascertain at first hand II this
rumor is true. We are visited by many
monarchs in this country, and their opin-
ions of our land and people are most va
rious. I well remember, for instance, that
when King Cetawayo was in England
back in the early eighties that was-he told
me-ya-as, l was with him a great deal
that he was so delighted with all that he
had seen OF England that he meditated re-
naming here for the remainder OF his
life-said he couldn't tolerate the idea of
returning to Africa at all after having
enjoyed our hospitality and our wonder
fully invigorating climate. Before you ex-
press yourself, l may say that. II you have
become SO passionately addicted to Eng
land. myself am greatly devoted to your
own country, Persia. I was there for sew
eral months early in the nineties. and the
softness OF the climate and the delightful
frankness and guilelessness OF the Persian
people more than charmed me, assure
you. I spent quite bit Of time IN
~ like England and the English pretty
WE'LL said the shah. I haven't been here
long enough to see much Of the country
and people, but
"'Ah.' said I. 1t is pleasure to have
the story confirmed as to your feeling for
us. Enough Of that, then. Now, your
benignity, I desire to approach you upon
another matter. Lately the Zoroastrian
cult has been established in London-the
ancient Persian religion OF fre-worship
being practiced here amid our fogs-just
fancy! Several Englishmen who investi-
gated Zeroastrdanism while serving In the
English consular service in Persia brought
the cult to this country. and now the fire.
worshiping faith has many followers IN
England. numbering some members Of the
nobility. Many years ago gave consider
able-ah-attention to this faith. and some
Of the other eastern beliefs, and found 1t
singularly interesting. You may not know
that at remote time there was, accord
ing to the best belief Of our scientists. a
flre-worshiping religion in the British
isles. The ruins at Stonehenge, in the
the time of the English fire-worshipers
is placed some 2,OCO years before the be-
ginning of the Christian era. 1 have been
curious to ask you whether, in your opln-
ion there was at that remote time, any
connection between the Persian and the
British worshipers-Whether. in brief,
the ancient British really practiced the
religion Of Zoroaster? 1t is pretty PROB,
lem, and one well worthy OF being Weisheo
carefully, and -"
az wouldn't venture an opinion as to
that said the shah. I'm not very strong
on zoroastrianism or any other r, reilg Ita,,
you'd tell me something about which horse
is going to win the Derby. and
"'Excellent. said I. I shall make note
of that. You would not mind nay quoting
YOU with reference to the fire-worshipers,
then? All very we'll. You are most OBJ
liging. Very kind, I'm sure. Now. your
piacidness 1 should like to havey gu give
an expression of your opinion Of English
womer1-both as to their looks and their
mental attachments. 1 mean. We ask all
visiting monarchs what they think OF our
women, as a matter Of course-not that
we're not very proud OF them. yknow out
fn opinions OF them
clinched as 1t were. You have, l under
stand, met quite number OF American
girls since your arrival in England, and
I should be greatly pleased to have you
tell me what you think Of the Yankee dam
osels too. Over here we rather think the
Yankee girls are a bit too baliy loud oont
you know. and too Independent and rip
ping and swingy. by Jove, and all that
but Of course you may have derived diff
ferent impression of them. l was out In
the states several years ago and met sew
erai thousand OF the Yankee girls on t ieif
bad, really, but in this country, you know.
there Is a certain prejudice against them.
and-well really, we rather like our own
women better. you see; n The American heae
sort of pert, groomy, fresh. bloomy look
about them, while our women are distin-
guished by more sedateness, but OF the
two types, why. one would naturally sup
Both the English and American girls
are all right replied the shah amiably.
Like both kinds. Like all kinds Of girls,
for that matter. Now, II you'll allow me
a word or So I'll tell you
Gripping. your moonship-perfectly rip
pingr I exclaimed enthusiastically at his
reply You couldn't possibly have hit 1t
off better. By the way. I desire to COM
pliment you upon your English pronun-
ciation-it Is quite understandable. pom
honor! can grasp the meaning of almost
every word you say. That is more than l
can say for the pronunciation Of great
many monarchs visiting here that 1 have
met and some potentates whom I have
met in their own courts, yknow. l re-
member once when I was visiting the
Nizam Of Hyderabad at Lahore he at
tempted to tell me in English that there
was a centipede crawling up my trousers
leg, y'know, but he made such a bally poor
fist Of it that by Jove, I came parlous
near, as the Americans say. getting stung
by the beast! He could do much better
In French and Italian and Spanish. and
when I addressed him in those languages
his countenance lit up with the greatest
animation. and we spent many pleasant
hour together after that. Did you find it
exceedingly difficult to attain your COM
mand of English? Our language is said
to be exceedingly hard
ssOh aasy enough' renlied the