The Washington herald., 1916-05-15
By JOHN l.. BALDEHsToN.

Copyright, 1851
London, April 23-England has learned
more about the United States in the last
few months than in the preceding hun.
dred years. That statement was made
in my hearing recently by one of Britain
leading politicians, who meant that Eng.
lishmen during the war have for the
first time been carefully studying Ameri.
can interests and American opinions. both
as affecting themselves and Germany
John Bull is not rapid thinker, and fol
year or so he didn't make much prog.
ress, but lately he has found out a num-
Der of things. The most surprising OF
these, to him, is his discovery Of the ex.
tstence of the Western States.
The West, to John Bull, means that
part Of the United States not on the At.
lantic seaboard. Pittsburgh, to him, is
in the West, quite as emphatically as 1,
Los Angeles. 1t Is literally true that un.
I'll very recently British opinion. in try.
ing to decide the American attitude on
International issues, entirely ignored the
West, and believed the attitude of New
York, and to a much lesser extent that
OF Boston and Washington, was the at
titude of America. Now the mistake has
been discovered here, and the result has
standard of values.
Fay Attention to West.
Today. In discussing American opinions
beliefs or possible lines Of action. one
hears only Of the West. In Diplomatic
quarters. among members of Parliament
or business men, to mention New York Is
10 brand oneself as hopelessly old-fash.
Toned. The West Is America and ma rficu.
larly the Middle West.
All this may appear a Joke to rnost
Americans at home, and it has IT'S
humorous aspect to Americans here
when they are asked by respectfully
curious Englishmen of high position
as l nave been, to outline the geo.
graphical limits of the Middle west
and TO explain why eastern newspa-
Pers so persistently misrepreseut
American opinion. 1t is amusing. to
anyone who knows that those same
men six or eight months ago would
have snorted at the statement that
three or four New York newspapers
which consistently speak out violently
and confidently in the name of the
people of the United States. have no
more weight in the counsels of the
nation than the combined press OF
the State of Ohio.
But 1t has its serious side It means
that a myth generations old has
been shattered forever. Hereafter
NhSi all iultlllSent EngllShman, oil
F'renchman, for the enlightenment or
this point has taken place in France
as well as England, speaks of the
United States he will mean the Unit.
ed States and not New York and its
urban suburbs
Satire shows Public Trend.
At present. in the violent reaction
which has followed the discovery thai
the East is not America, the tend.
ency is to unduly minimize the East
and l cannot better show the pre-
vailing state of mind here than b,
| quoting The Rediscovery of tn,
| East" an anonymous satire in "Th,
Spectator" by one of England's lead
ing writer's, which would be pointlesi
| II the cult of the West had no
taken strong root
| This writer says: II fully recognize
of course, that all Englishmen of TO-DAY
who visit the American continent, ant
also all American visitors to thest
shores, though they are here not quit,
so confident as the Englishmen. will tel
you that the Eastern States Of Americs
simply do not exist. and that people over