The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-30
tNfrs. Newell Dwight Hills in Tho

The observations made in my pre-
vtous articles upon American women
have been the expression of the views
Of one Sof their compatriots. and on
sequently more or less partial or
prejudiced. 1t may be both amusing
and interesting. possibly also. m
what wholesome. to look for a time
through the eyes Of foreigners and
note the impressions produced by a
type which n and all, whether
moved by disa ppointment. envy, or
alarm, seem never to regard with in
difference.
Sometimes these criticisms are
most surprising. but It lie necessary to
y with a people In their W. en-
than one generation. to understand
them thoroughly. Circumstances and
customs strangely modify the view.
point. Familiarity breeds indulgence
as well as contempt. and long-contin-
ued condoning makes a fault very
nearly approach a virtue.
Perhaps the most remote from our
whom our customs and habits as
appear as strange as their do to US.
Huang Hsiang-fu. an eminent Chinese
lawyer. some years since published q
book In which he jotted down his
observations Of our western life. The
book Is unique. 1t is needless to say.
One Of the strangest of our customs.
and as described by him it would
certainly appear so to us. He re-
marks that "the most respectful form
OF this courtesy consists in applying
the lips to the lower part Of the chin
and making a smacking sound" He
notes that Ii commonly do this.
(which is exceedingly strange Illus
Ia ~ RI mr. yIv1fn rn nrVp IN IN ns,a n 1oSa~
the street, Vet no smiles" THE
husband will perform any mental
service for his wife and nobody Will
jeer at him." "No man may smoke
while women are at the table. but oc-
casionally. when they have finished
eating the women leave purposely.
letting it be known that this is done
also much astonished at the fact that
women must go out walking In the
streets every day."
This establishment at the fact that
men are willing to perform a mental
service for a woman is not confined
to the o%rientals. Quite recently n
young American ona in Berlin en-
tered into a. discussion with Il German
gentleman upon the relative position
OF woman In America and Germany,
and. upon his defense OF his position
that the women Of Germany were as
highly honored by the men Of their
country as are American women; by
American men. she put to him as n
test the inquiry whether he. would he
willing to put his wife's overshoes on
her feet. to which a scornful but en-
barrassed "nein'' was the reply.
Not only have the men of the ORR
n commented upon our country
women. Some of the women of the
east have not refrained from criti-
cism. The Maharani Of Baroda has
twice visited the United States. On
her last visit. quite recently. she talk
ed with the newspaper representa-
tives freely. She is reported to have
made the following remarks: 1.-The
wome of your big. vast. young coun-
try, I confess, disappointed me. I
had heard so much of them: that
they equaled the Frenchwomen in
their two most striking qualities of
chic and vivacity; that they dressed
far better than the Englishwomen;
that they were as ~coquettish as the
Spanish. though in a ,franker' way;
that they were. in short. as fascinat-
the world-the Russian. :
well. they are not. They. are less
chic than the F~repchwomen because
etAir clothes are more exaggerated.
less becoming. and not always APP
propriate to the occasion. They
dress better than the Englishwomen
more conspicuously.. Perhaps: but
their clothing is not so durable, sug-
gests nothing of the solid qualities of
modesty and station as do the tweeds
and broadcloths worn by the Eng
fish. Their coquetry is not attractive,
o 1t possesses no subtlcty. I under