The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-12
BAD N N IN PUBLIC.
A Travelled American Lady objects
10 Wholesale Indictments.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str. /
have spent many years In European
cities at different times and a v not
hustled through like the average Ameri-
can tourist. I have lived in many Ger
man towns, In the Bavarian Highlands,
In the Black Forest and with the sim
| pie fisher folk on the Baltic Sea. In
few OF these places can l recall one In
stance of such ~rroganc or insolence
or rudeness on the part Of the pubic,
including the military men, as a been
related by some OF your correspondents.
save In Prussia. For every story told
about the insolence of civilians and
military men In Berlin I can tell one
as bad. There 1 ave watched and
boiled with Indignation as groups of
officers strolled along the streets push
ing aside all other pedestrians and only
turning impertlnently to admire a pretty
oma who passed. 1t was only the
deadly knowledge Of our fate at the
hands Of the authorities that ever re-
strained my usually peaceful mother from
deliberately kicking their trailing, clank-
Ing swords rs they swept the pave
ment clear OF others who also had a
right Of way.
! We spent weeks in the home Of n
Frau Major" Her two sons were
oficers, and ruder. more supercllious
youths | have seldom met. But this
was In Berlin. the home of mihtarism.
There has been a distinct change In
the atmosphere OF the whole population
OF this city since my life In It some
years ago: II has become pushing,
bustling and concentrated so that
public manner can only be compared
TO foreigners .scathing comments OH
our own nations manners.
In Munich on my last visit, when
I spoke to a citizen OF the increased
charm and beauty OF my fayor,te Ger
mhn city. he replied dlsmaliy
but It will all be spoiled because
so many Berllners are coming here"
The Bavarlans dislike the Prussians
was one Of a sroup OF c~osmopolltans
who were frankly discussing nationals
ties. An Austrian friend Of mine boldly
told n prussian that the Niennese cor
daily disliked them as a people and
distinctly were attracted to the French
people. But let US be neutral! In Paris.
IN the rush for place in the trolley.
where no one is allowed TO stand. ! have
seen a Frenchman deliberately lift n
woman from the step where she had Sc.
cured a foothold and plant her in tho
street while he too her place. In the
crowded tubes 1t was the n OF on"
of cur party to insinuate herself ahead
In order 10 secure a place for the slower
elderly member OF the trio. Several
times II has happened that as she rose
from the seat To give II to my mother
"A Frenchman has slipped into the place
and laughed In our faces at the success
of his efforts. | have seen a sturdy
Frenchman. a. he stepped on the troll
ley, sweep aside with his arm all other
~strugglers. and there has not been a
protest for fair play on the part OF tho
public. as would be sure To happen in
England.
To ofse; these tales I could relate
hundreds Of Instances OF C~iviity. kind
ness and unselfshncss. and Berlin. per
haps Prussia. should no more be taken
as typical OF the whole nation than
Paris OF Franco, | have known the
peasant OF both Germany and France
and found them on the average simple,
kindly and polite. In Tours, where |
recently spent a winter. the whole town
seemed to be made up of well bred. we'll
hammered folk. But I can say the same
Of Freiburg, In the Black Forest, and
other German cities.
am an American born, OF English
ancestry. and distinctly pro-Ally. hu,
il seems SO small an AFFAIR at this time
to lodge a complaint against the Ger
man nation for It's public manners when
all over Europe. whether rightly or
wrongly. 80 are held In contempt 70;
our Leaving aside the individual
American or Englishman who has wo,
n place IN the hearts and homes OF for.
eigners, Il Is a fact that generally the
English are dlsliked and the American:
sreered al. KATE L. RoRERTs.
NEWARK. y, J.. September II.