The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-03
By the Ex-ATTACHE.

No tourist from the United States Wis
iting the Holy Land is entirely safe from
murderous attacks. such as that made
couple of weeks ago by an Afghan pill
grim in the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem
upon a couple Of American women, one
of them sustaining mere flesh wound.
while the other. more seriously injured.
is reported to have lost an eye.
For no matter how careful foreigners
may be to refrain from exciting the sus-
capabilities of the natives and to avoid
giving offense, they can never be sure
that some fanatic may not deem It his
duty to avenge upon them ahfronts to his
faith, OF which others, who have been
less considerate, may have rendered
themselves guilty.
The matter is one calling for a larger
amount of attention than it has received
In this country. For, with the increased
facilities and cheapness of foreign travel,
every city of the Union, and even the
smallest town, furnishes its quota to the
legions of tourists that cross the Atlantic
each year to visit the Old World. Indeed,
all Of them-and not only they but also
the relatives and friends whom they have
left at home-are alike interested in
diminishing as much as possible the risk
that may be thus said 10 dog the foot
steps of the '1nhocents Abroad" a risk
which is far more real than most people
seem to imagine
1t can only be guarded against by the
incubation of the lesson that every
American on yOnder side of the water is
popularity regarded as a representative
of his nation, and should bear himself
with full sense Of his responsibility as
such, with the courtesy and consideration
for others that one expects to find in a
well-bred citizen OF the United States.
-
To anyone who has lived in the Orient
it is a subject of surprise that outrages
such as that which took place the other
day in the Mosque of Omar are not
far more frequent For Orientals are
usually very sensitive about their re-
ligion. Keen to resent anything that can
be construed as disrespect, filled with
the more or less latent, but always exis-
tent animosity toward the white races.
holding human life cheap. especially
where an unbeliever is concerned. and
far more independent than ourselves 10
pain and DEATH it is amazing that they
should not give free rein more often
than they do to the impulse to murder
ously attack on the spot those who in
their eyes are profaning things that they
hold sacred in reverence.
That the natives have very serious
grounds for irritation cannot be denied
And. far from diminishing, the causes
are increasing proportionately with the
growth of the facilities and cheapness
OF travel which brings to the Orient
tourists of class stin more devoid OF
good breeding. and above ali of good
manners, than those who have gone be-
fore.
Americans are by no means the only Of
tenders. nor yet the worst, although they
are possibly among the most conspicuous
by reason OF their superiority of num-
bers and OF means; means, which more
often in the United States than anywhre
else. are to be found in the possession OF
self-made people who have not enjoyed
all the advantages of early refinement.
Moreover. they are extraordinarily unim-