The Washington herald., 1910-07-10
BY Ex-ATTAcHE.

Throughout the length and breadt1 Of
Europe the name Of America Is regarded
as synonymous with the word extrava-
ganee. Every citizen Of the United States
is considered IN the light of a million
aire. An American OF moderate means,
or one who, possessed Of great wealth,
lives quietly. unostentatiously, and sim
ply Is something absolutely ineonceiv-
able TO the foreign mind
American extravaganza forms, indeed.
favorite theme of the newspaper and
magazine writer's. of the playwrights,
and. Of the novelists abroad. and many
of whom insist that It is communicating
European life, much in the same way
that Oriental sybaritism corrupted the
simplicity Of life in ancient Rome, and
that II is as much responsible for the
living OF people beyond their means in
London and In Paris in this first decade
OF the twentieth century as We're the
South Sea and Mississippi bubbles about
300 years ago.
This inpgtation of the vice of extrava-
gance TO the American people. which
even they themselves are inclined to
accept without a protest, is denied by
the eminent italian historian Ferrero,
who recently spent a number OF months
in visiting and studying this country.
Frem the point OF view of the historian,
of the expert of political economy. Of the
seeiologIst. and Of the erudite and OBJ
servant traveller, the celebrated profess
sor. in an article published in the At
lantic Monthly for July, entitled "Puri-
tanism.' asserts that instead OF being
extravagant the people Of the United
States are, as nation, educated TO
thrift. and his utterances upon the sub
ject carry all the more weight since he
is one of the most distinguished citizens
Of nation that is renowned above al
others for the thrift Of its people.
De declares in his article, which fur
nished much food for thought, that the
undesevved reputation abroad Of Ameri-
cans for extravaganza IS largely due TO
their own daily and periodical press,
which makes point Of giving the utmost
publicity. as freaks Of extravaganza or as
features OF unparalleled splendor, 20
forms OF luxury that would excite no at
tention whatsoever In the Old World.
He claims that the American people
are still TO such a degree Influenced by
the traditions OF Puritan simplicity of
their forbears that any notable departure
therefrom strikes them as being extraor-
binary and out of the common. It is ex-
plotted in the American newspapers, with
statistics as 10 the amount OF expendi-
ture involved. just as If It were some
great Lucuilian entertainment IN the days
OF the Caesars worthy Of being commem-
GRATED in history
The professor admits that the men who
live on salary. professional men. people
classes live with a greater degree OF COM
fort and spend their money more liber-
ally than those Of similar station In the
Old World.
But Signor Marco is most emphatic in
his statement that the American people
as whole are thrifty rather than ex-
travagant, and that the extravagance OF
the wealthy and OF the very rich here Is
Infinitely less than In Europe, where,
amount Of attention.
II it escapes comment there L is be-
cause the people have been used to these
displays OF wealth from time immemorial.
whereas here they are comparatively
new. And Ferraro in this is perfectly
right. The manifestations OF great wealth
here are altogether new They were cen-
parstively unknown thirty and forty
years ago.
My first visit to the United States was
in the early part of 1875. that is TO say,
thirty-fve years back. and a sojourn then
OF nearly twenty months IN this country.
during which was the recipient Of the
most kind and boundless hospitality. fur
nished me with means of making some
comparison between the American life OF
that epoch and the manner OF living SIS
find It to-day.
People here, even the most wealthy,
lived simply. The Astors were then, as
now, among the richest in the land But
the homes Of the late Mrs. John Jacob
Aston and Fl Mrs William Astor were Of
the most unobtrusive character, the aap-
pointments OF the houses being as plain
and transformations as their entertain
ments, and assuredly their town houses
bore no relation whatsoever, either in
ternally or externally, to the huge Aston
mansion which now occupies the greater