The Irish standard., 1909-01-23

London is the wickedest city on
EARTH" is the emphatic assertion of the
Rev. w. Kingscote Greenland. one Of
England's foremost social reformers
and ex7chapain of her largest penal
settlement, Dartmoor prison. He has
arrived at this conclusion only after
years of patient consideration, during
which he has compared the English
metropolis with New York, Chicago
and various European capitals. Fur
thermore, he is prepared to back up his
statement with an array of facts.
The Rev. w. Kingscote Greenland
has had a wide experience. He has
devoted his life to sociology. and is
familiar with all the countries of Eu-
rope, having been an extensive travel
er In France, Germany, Italy. Aus
tria, Spain and elsewhere, knowing
their languages and their people and,
more than this, their vices. Compar-
ing them all, and 1.laking allowance
Ara its.s clinate, condi itions
J and other circumstances, he still
that "dear old London" deserves the
maintains that "dear old London" de-
serves the fate meted out to the wick
ed cities of the Bible. The author Of
this charge against London also has
had the opportunity of studying other
wicked people at first hand in the
larges prison in England, where he
was chaplain for many years.
In the course of q recent interview
he explained in detail why he con-
sidered London "the worst ever"
I'm the first place." he said, take
the question of the immortality of Lon
don. notice that many English peo-
pie speak Of London as though it were
the pink of purity, but they support
what they say merely by pointing out
that London is not :s bad as it was.
But II say today is a wet day, it is
disproof of my statement to say that
without a doubt he continued,
London has become the worlds capi-
tai Of vice. Its immortality is of the
stolid sort, unredeemed by the French
mans grace and artistry, or the East
erner's glamour. Whatever its streets
were like in the past, they are at this
- -,
tion."
do you maintain that London is
worse than PARISH"
''You may stroll about Paris all day
and night and never he troubled" was
the reply. when comparing London
with Paris" he continued, cor indeed
any two cities, a national standard Of
morals must be takaa into account
If a man in Cairo or Constantinople
has three wives, we are not justified
in calling him immoral, because it is
allowed under the Monammedan faith,
but three-wived man in London or
Paris or New York is indictable. Lon
don's immortality, therefore, is inn
measurably the worst because Of Lon
don's avowed standards Of morals.
II suppose you know that the notori-
GUS naughty show houses of Paris,
that figure so luridly in the after ex-
perience Of the Saturday to Monday
English gentleman, ara kept by Am
ericans and English, and the famous
Moulin Rouge with It's can-can dance,
is run by the brother of one Of our
foremost English comedians. All Par
isians laugh at it AMI disown it. and
say that it is kept entirely for the
! English"
And the American cities? Do you
consider them better or worse than
London?''
Personally, I do not know the cities
of America. And though from infor-
nation which pours into ones ears
every day about them one feels suf-
ficiently competent, 1T least, to insti-,
tute comparisons. will not do so be-