The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-30
Northclifre on the United States.

s.I have observed that the difference
between the Americans and the English
is that the former are all optimists and
the latter are all pessimists,' said
Lord Northcliffe. who controls the Lon
don Times and 60 or more other foreign
publications, on his visit recently.
Evrything Lord Northcliffe saw was
a target for his comment. For America
he sees great future.
your whole nation, the members of
which have been described to be as
frenzied money grabbers," he said, Il
find to be dreamers-a whole nation of
dreamerS.
DO you know, 1t is 1udicrous to me
to look at some Of your papers and see
how old-fashioned they are. Look at
the American papers today-an dis
cussing whether there should be an
income tax or not, what wages women
should receive, and all these old labor
problems that we buried years ago.
You are whole decade behind Europe.
Do you people realize it?
why, I look on America as would
look On some young boy just off for
college, or as I would on young
couple newly married. The country de-
lights me. I am enthusiastic over it.
You have great future; but your
troubles are all ahead.
you have one tremendous figure here
4 mean your late and future presi-
dent, Theodore Roosevelt He is a
splendid man. One nation does not
produce more than two or three men
like that"
do you believe that he will again be
president of the United States?''
"Why can 1 doubt it? Everywhere L
have been the people have talked
There is nothing like it in Europe, such
hero worship. And he deserves 1t, too.
He is tremendous figure
do you believe he will be ranked
among the great statesmen of the
world?"
"Assuredly I do. We are still close to
him, however, and it is hard to tell
Certainly we have no one like him in
Europe today"
Speaking of the difference between
the English and the American tempera-
ment, he said:
He is never content with surface indi-
cations; he is always looking beneath
to find something rotten, something
warping, something wrong. He is
never sure that he is prosperous. no
matter how rich he is.
You Americans, on the other hand
are radical optimists. A glance at the
surface satisfies you. Every one Of you
believes that America is the greatest
country in the world and that Ameri :.
cans are the greatest people. You are
taken up with dreams of great future.
"And I believe that the future of
America is great. You should produce
the next great musical composer here.
I do not know that you will, but you
should, for you have all the elements,
Teutonic strain, a Slavonic strain, and
a fine enthusiasm everywhere The two
greatest artists of recent years were
Americans Whistler and Sargent. And
your standards in the higher fields Of
culture are growing yearly
After visiting the University of Chi
cago, Lord Northcliffe said: John D.
Rockefeller could make no better use of
his vast wealth than the founding of
your wonderful university. You should
appreciate your rich mentor the wise
use of their Millions
He was asked his opinion of J. Pier
pont Morgan.
81. Pierpont Morgan - he replied
why. if he had lived in the middle
ages he would have been another
Lorenzo de Medici-another Lorenzo
the Magnificent. Chicago dispatch to
the New York World.