Evening star., 1912-10-10
Adjacent Territory Described.
AMERICAN HOSPITALITY.
Making the Englishman at Home.
Americas Open Arms.
From the London Chronicle.

fTOm tne LOnuou SuIoulcfes
Not long ago I was lunching on the
twentieth floor OF New York skyscrap-
er, overlooking the waterway OF the Hud-
son. My host was the editor OF a news
paper to whom had that morning intro
duced myself by mentioning letter
which 1 had omitted TO bring. Now ne
was regaling me with American cocktails.
clans and view OF the Hudson river. TO
say nothing of his stories OF New York
politics. golf. the Adirondack mountains
Mr. Rockefeller and England. In his
dry, Scottish-American accent he told me
that once. while staying At a country
house in Kent. he had astonished his host
by announcing his intention Of calling on
Mr.. Balfour. "Mr Balfour"' the English
man had exclaimed with mingled horror
and reverence; but II IL very dihcult to
see Mr.. Balfour!"
Mr. Balfour's exclusiveness was unin-
telligible to my friend. He was press
man interested in politics. He had some
thing of importance to discuss. 1t was
not to be contemplated that the then pre-
mier should refuse to see him. Was
there any day in the week when Taft.
Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson or the great
Rockefeller himself would refuse to see
him IL he called on business?
And 1t is perfectly true. You may GO
anywhere in America and see any one at
a moments notice IL you have some sort
Of credentials to show. Nothing aston
fshes the American more than the air or
mystery with which the great personages
Of England surround themselves. How
do YOU know that a man Is important it
you never see him?" said one American
TO me. HE is Judged important because
he cannot be seem l was obliged to re-
ply. "Oh, my!' came the retort: here
we want to know If he's a real man. If
he's magnetic; and he can't be magnetic
behind locked DOORS.
The difference is an essential one. In
England the practice OF oligarchy spreads
downward to the humblest strata of So
ciety. In America the practice of democ-
racy affects even the habits Of the pluto
crat The man who would succeed must
be genial: he must be accessible, he must
be open-hearted. and-out Of business
hours-open-handed. The oligarchic state
tends to produce reserve The English
man makes his face like a blank wall I'm
the presence OF strangers: he is inexpan-
sive to acquaintances: he protects him.
self with an armor OF formality against
the intrusion of the classes to which he
locratic, state like America, encourages
openness. eXpansiveness and genialty
which becomes q necessary part of good
manners.
tised on the republican banner: even
Robespierre i'm the days of the terror
owed much of his success as a tyrant TO
his pleasant smile and his habit of greet
ing cltlZenS Dy IHelr names. 1t Is so 10
this day In America. Mr.. Taft is unpop-
ular because he carries the defensive air
Of diplomat: Mr.. Roosevelt is loved by
the crowd because he remembers every
one by name. and all but his personal en-
emies are favored with his beaming and
beneficent smile. The same indiscrim-
mate geniality is to be found all over the
states. An Englishman does not look at
a waiter or a bus conductor as he pays
his bill or his fare; an American both
looks at him and talks to him In the same
way that he would talk to his COM
panion.