Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-05-01
FRENCH EDITOR MAKES
FUN OF new YORK 400
NJ. Tardieu Calls Gotham So
ciety Folk . Sacred
Battalion.

Paris, April S.-New forkS '4W higuG
ly amused II. L. Tardieu. the famous for
eign editor OF the Temps. with It's naughty
s~ervations in society during hs recent
visit to the United States. he has thus to
chronicle about Gotham's smart set:
The recruiting of his sacred battalion Is
a curious study. Those who belong to 1t
a quarter of a century ago still speak
p~atronizingly OF the newcomers
ut Is said that strategy to secure a po-
sition In Ii often lasts for years. The en-
bassies are the first point OF attack. Then
from that base of operations the salons
are conquered. Then even when WASH
fngton is vanQuished. New York ma still
cold out.
Fashionable life Is the hardest OF all
businesses. Five o'clock teas are greatly
esteemed In Washington. One OF the most
interesting Is that Of Mrs. Cowles, Presi-
dent RoOsevelt's sister, who Is most
charming in manner.
Il was astonished to find on the invita-
ton to meet Miss Mary Garden or to
meet Miss Cavalieri.' After such a dinner,
one actress had herself painted In the
nghtest of costumes and her picture was
exhibited in a store on Fifth avenue. This,
however. was considered bad taste on the
part of the actress.
~"Snobbery," He Says.
American society is exclusive. This fs
because of their system of political equal
ity. AS citizens the Americans are equal,
but hey make social distinctions. even to
the extent of snobbery. Members OF one
club speak with condescension of the
members OF another. II, you should dine
for three weeks with one set, you would
always meet the same people.
The fashionable world In America, al
elsewhere, is artificial and conventional.
Americans are the most hospitable peo-
pie In the world, American hospitality il
not content with external politeness; it
seeks to make the guest feel at home.
THE Americans give one the impression
of being a very young people. who. though
sure Of their own superiority, are a good
deal concerned about the opinion OF
Europe.
1.-THE longer one lives In the United
States the more evident II is that there
is no such a thing as the American type,
especially In regard to the women. The
American woman is a European product
that Is. In their novels and plays,
I'm Puritan, intellectual Boston more
than anywhere else, the women have that
cohesion OF family which characterizes the
French. They have a certain independ-
ence, but not entire liberty of movement.
They talk less. They are not so devoted
TO fashion as are the women OF New
York and Washington. Their chief origi-
nality is Intellectual They can talk to
you about politics, the relation of church
10 state or Paul Bouget's latest novel.
They speak French admirably, which Is a
kind OF certificate of Distinction. Yet
withall they are not blue-stockings.
Spinster Surprised Mother.
CT was pazadM m Aud In america On
many eligible women who preferred noe
to marry. Among the many reasons they
gave for this, l think the strongest one
is that the life of a young woman Is very
agreeable. She can do everything a young
French woman can do and a great deal
more. Another reason Is that the equality
of the sexes is more marked In America
than IL Is elsewhere.
I'm Washington, l was astonished to oh.
serve that young women can live detached
from their parents and / was particularly
surprised TO see SO many automobiles for
girls.
The difference between French nirta
and American fiirts Is the difference be-
tween a dollhouse plant and a tree In the
open air. Flirting in Washington is a reg
ularly established and respected institu-
ton. Life there Is a life of leisure. In
Washington In winter and In Newport In
summer. what can one do but firt? FHrt-
ing sometimes leads TO an engagement,
though an engagement does not always
lead 10 marriage.
III is an astonishing custom for parents
TO leave balls early, allowing their daugh-
tiers TO be conducted home by their part
ners. Foreign diplomats. misunderstand-
ing this. have made blunders which
brought their flirting to a sudden end.
American husbands are not always to
be envied. A rich banker said to me:
I'VE Americans are the greatest OF i'm
beetles. We kill ourselves with work In
order that our wives may amuse them
selves
Divorce Is SO common that one must be-
iieve that all Americans have less patience
than Europeans. But divorce Is
est in what Is called the upper circles
The vast majority OF American house.
holds are happy; but they nave no history.
while the unhappy fill the newspapers"