The Washington herald., 1909-06-06
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

William T. Curtis, in the Chicago Record- Herald
Houghton, Aiifhin & Co., Of Boston, viii
soon announce the publication Of rather
remarkable book by A. Maurice Low. cor
respondent OF the Boston Globe and the
london &orning Post In Washington
1t viii treat Of the psychology Of the
American people The author has been
collecting his material for nine years
II is an original undertaking and an un-
usual subject National psychology Is
a new field and as a pioneer Mr.. Low
has had TO tear down as well as 20 build
up. From the advance sheets one can
obtain glimpse Of his purpose and the
methods he has used IN reaching H. Mr.
Lowe Is better known as a writer and
authority on American subjects in Eng
land than in the United States. because
he has been the Washington correspond
ent Of the London Post for a generation,
and for twelve or fifteen years has had a
monthly summary OK American affairs
anG events IN every issue OF the National
/ Review. IN addition 10 these regular pub
lications he has been a volumlnous con-
4 tributOr on international politics and eco
I
zines and IS the author OF several widely
| circulated books.
The title Of his next book is The Amer
lean People; a Study in National Psy-
choIogy." and. in his introduction. Mr.
Low says: After living for more than
twenty years in the United States and
studying its political and social institu-
tions. asked myself whether the Ameri-
can people were a new race with distinct
characteristics and a developed psychol-
Ogy OF their own, or were simply the mod.
I ihcation OF a parent stock. retaining N,
characteristics Of their begetting Il was
a question that has been widely discus
sed. but without an attempt, so far IS
am aware. 10 reach a conclusion baseC
on scientific deductions"
Mr.. Low then attempts to demonstrate
that America has given birth 70 a new
race. that the term America" to-day d
something more than a mere geograph
icaI expression: that there has come INT,
being an American nation. FOR a natioI
is the product Of not one but many things
aad there must be certain well-dehnet
elements 70 constitute nationality. Wit
this as his thesis he proceeds 70 demon
strste the scientific truth OF his asser
tiOns. The psychology Of the America
people" he says. presents no miracl
and is deducibls 20 exact terms. We hav
here no unfathOmable mystery. Their
, are no wide gaps 20 be filed by specula
tive soaring. II is a complex but az n
same time compelling study OF widenin
spiritual and mental powers; logical 8
! all ITS processes. but Inevitable IN It's rc
, suits"
AS the author frankly admits that th
history OF the American people IS a stud
OF a people always in fiux. j. IS the nor
interesting 20 note the traits which hav
already crystallized into national char
acter and their sources The self-reiiauc
comes as direct heritage from the PUr
tar, the utiiitarian bent Of mind is "a
, legacy OF pioneer conditions, which hav
produced our inventors and won Us hig
place IN the mechanical arts. but at th
expense OF devotion 10 the purely ae'
thetic side OF life-art and letters bein
the luxury OF the few and not the enjoy
/ ment Of the many when people ar
2 struggling Tor national existence.
The absence Of restraint in the Ame1
ican IS discerned 10 be not a matter Z
p temperament. as IN other races. but n
= effect q absence cf convention and fnt
o soc!al regulation, apparent in pioneer If
G This admits Of interesting speculate
o as 20 the return OF America 20 the orii
. inal English conservatism with u
growth OF a leisure class
% The mental bearing Of immigration upO
> our national type. aside from the usu,
: social and economic considerations.
y another field OF investigation
Where Mr.. Low touches the history
I, the country IL is IN swift uarrativ
: fact. the work Of The historical psychoI
: glst IS necessarily ambidextr0us. N th
= on one side he mist visualize history
e a pageant OF climaNes. while Al q
same time he must slowly unfold q
scroll on which IS written the rshecr
notice OF these events and the hidd,
principle OF conduct on which nation
mentality has been rearing itself n
Lows work Is replete vita evidence
carefsl research and close reasoning. a.
calls FOR serious consideration.
L is somewhat re- larkeble that the "
great classics on America have been VIZ.
ten by foreigners. II was de TOcqu
Vile who e,-pOu-Ied the philosophy
democracy. ay5 Bryce who introduc
Americans 70 rCeir own institutions.
has remain a 'or another foreigner. al
an English. ~ TO bring 10 the Americ
people a kuOwledge OF their nation
psychology.