Evening star., 1909-08-29
PLEASURES OF LONDON LIFE
RICH MAN LIVES oVIETER
THAN IN NEW YORK.
Writer, Who Calls Himself "Ameri-
can Millionaire" Tells Why
He Prefers England.

He Prefers England.
From the London Mall.
There is a good deal OF agitation among
my countrymen because great many
Americans who can afford to live outside
the United States are purchasing homes
in England, or occupying one OF the
many OF your delightful and most com.
Portable hotels.
1 am OF the opinion that this movement
is only in its infancy. England. with
its delightful town and country houses.
is likely to become the headquarters or
the more wealthy of the English-speaking
peoples. and there is sort OF rous1
Justice in the movement, inasmuch an
the United States and Canada have been
almost entirely populated. 80 far as their
better elements are concerned, from Eng
land. Scotland and Ireland. One Of tho
real reasons so many OF us are escaping
from America is the desire to be let
alone. In London, and. for the matter
of that, in Paris, though not SO much
there as in London. people are accuc-
toned to mind their own business. Pri-
vate gossip and scandal are at mini.
mum here. not only in houses. but IN
clubs. and your newspapers do not print
it.
My day. as q wealthy man in Eng
land. Is so entirely different from my day
in the United States that I will describe
both for the benefit Of American friends
who may be desirous Of joining us In
life In this delightful country.
It Is the London season. / rise af
half-past or . to a quiet meal, at which
we help ourselves, without the aid OK
servants-who are not present at English
breakfasts-to the accompaniment OF
newspapers that prefer world politics te
what We call ''neighborhood news"
walk. or ride, as / choose. and there -
no crowd Of curious spectators to watch
me as make my exit There is. In fact.
no curiosity with regard to rich peo-
pie in England. Only the other day
there died In England your Mr.. Morrt-
son, one Of the richest men In the world.
and I had never heard his name. nor
had any OF those at the clubs In which
the matter was being discussed. Mr.
Astor and Mr.. Morgan, whose smallest
doings would be chronicled In the United
States, may move as freely as they please
here. and their private comings and go
ings are not recorded. for the simple
reason that no one wants to hear about
them.
England's Lack Of Glass Feeling.
The absence Of class feeling In England
is another reason why many OF US pre-
fer to live here. The rich and the poor
are not divided into two hostile factions.
Every man has his place. There II not
the rush. envy and malice Of New York
society. with its continual struggle OF
western and Pittsburg people to get into
that curious circle THE Four Hundred.
New York society is not what II was In
my early days. When old Mrs. Astor
reigned supreme society In New York
was not at all unlike society In London
There was no ostentation, and any per-
sons of birth, brains or breeding were
freely admitted. Today 1t Is merely
question of money, and such charming
salons as exist In London, where rank
money and brains occupy about the Same
position, are now impossible In most
American cities. and certainly In New
York.
From a mans point OF view. the CON-
slant dressing up OF the American man
Is extremely trying. Here. contrary to
the average American notion. there 10
very little formality Of any kind; too
little, many people think, In these days
of what is known as the "rat-catcher''
style of dress adopted by the English
man. Such things as card leaving ana
calling are rapidly going out Of fashion.
and one is free to do as one chooses.
can ask whom / choose. provided. how
ever. that there is something beyond
food to offer. Authors actors. poets.
play ywrights, statesmen. men OF business.
distinguished foreigners, the delightful
members Of your royal family. all mix
and meet here on terms that at first
amaze the American.
Now. at home have to deal with peo-
pie who are all shaped In the same mold:
for able, virile and splendid as the Amer
lean man Is en- masse. you will realize
that there are very few outstanding In
dividualities in that population OF ninety
millions.
Your political world. too. possesses q
charm which. alas! Is not yet possible
In America. The idea OF q younger son
of an American aristocratic family taking
part In the management Of national af-
fairs is almost impossible on that side
of the water. Mr. Roosevelt was a nota-
BILE, a fine. exception. OF late years We
have got to regard politics as a trade.
and a pretty bad one at that.
In London I am not perpetually stared
at, telephoned at, written at, paragraphed
at, and libeled.
The afternoon Is spent here in any Of
hundred pleasant ways. and an intel
lectual dinner Is enjoyed without mention
Of stocks and shares
I have only one objection to your Eng
lish life. and that Is your super tax on
the wealthy man. which we are still.
am glad to say, able to avoid In the
United States.
"My Day in New Yor K"
Now compare my day in the particular
American city which was my headquar-
ters. I lived latterly In a palatial hotel.
beautiful in design, in mechanical comfort
far superior to anything in England. but
over-decorated, over-heated. over-noised.
and with very little Of the milk of human
kindness about 1t. Just as 1t takes half
an hour to get shaved In America, 50
does 1t take twice as long to be waited
on at table. The waste OF time In these
matters is intolerable to one accustomed
to the quickness OF London I am barely
awake when / am, once q week at least.
beset by reporters asking for Information
in regard to the affairs Of my friendaI
AS like as not. were I to say a word
which 1 do not dot would be twisted
and distorted. Fortunately. established
such a reputation for never speaking TO
the newspapers that even when inter-
views are aScribed to me my friends
know they have not taken place.
Fastening downtown to attend to the
affairs Of the corporations with which
am connected. / am snapshotted by pho.
tographers. worried by impecunious &C.
quaintances. hustled by time-wasters all
day long, so that concentration Of busi-
ness Is almost impossible. I am glad T.
return at night to my noisy hotel to seek
little relaxation in a quiet dinner and
a game Of bridge with a few friends
which gets into the newspapers a. q
huge gambling gathering.
Realism and the Actors Art.