New-York tribune., 1917-07-30

"What is the West doing?" "What is the
West thinking" "A-e they sound asleep out
there?" DO they know the country IS at
war;" 'Tt's all crops and no sentiments
or national feeling with the "esterners'
isn't it"
These questions ara typical OF many tnst
bsve been addressed 20 me by intelligent
men and women in and about New iork
si-.s ny rs.vrr from recent tour oI
Western toaT.s and cities Now, these ques-
tions and the statements with which an
sYered them, which l shall summarize mere,
are strikingly significant of the different
states of mind. the different characteristics
and personalities that exist in the two sec
tions of these United States known as the
East and the West And they are lndic-
ative. too, Of different evolutions and forms
Of progress.
For we see here just another instance
but this time a really remarkable and dra-
matte one-of the failure of the Fastener
10 understand the Westerner, and ut may
as we'll be admitted) the not intrequent
tendency of the Fastener to underestimate
the value of the Westerner as an intelligent
and worthwhile citizen and human being
We also see illustrated here the Jovlal and
wholesome attitude of the Westerner TO TINS
patronizing paternalism of the fastener,
with perhaps a shade though ever so slight
Of cynicism.
| had settled quite TO my own satlstac-
ton this discussion of the point OF differ
ence between these two peoples OF our coun-
try by stressing the idea (Which | really De-
ieve to be entirely sccurate) that these TWO
sets of individuals approach TINS business
of life from altogether different angles OF
thought They have different personalities,
because they have different mental attitudes,
different PHILOSOPHERS. The mental perspec-
tive of the average Easterner IS quite un-
like that Of the average Westerner De-
lieve the man -in-the-street in the west is
good deal more reflective, more analytlcal
than a man of like position and intelligence
in the East. And he is less self-consclous
and cocksure.
Eastern Insularity
Now, in this matter of the war we have
come to think here that the West is not IN
terested; that in its security the west IS
selfish and unpatriotic. We actually nave
been sending missionaries among the good
people out there to stir up national spirit!
| had decided after a stay OF two weeks IN
Western communities (snd the longer
stayed the stronger this conviction grew
that the main difference in the present in
stance is that we are talking lot OF what
we do, while the West is silently doing lts
work OF course, we are doing things; but
we are awfully proud Of the fact and very
fond of telling about it; and we are also
pleased in imagining that we are quite su-
perior in our way of doing things, and, with
an insularity that is getting to be equally
. tL,t n
English, we insist upon believing that
America is right here in New York And
all the time the people in the great stretches
of America laughingly refer to New York
as an island lying somewhere off the Eastern
coast.
Yes. the difference between the East and
the West on the subject of war is by no
means a difference in sentiment or loyalty,
but in the manner Of evidencing these feel
ings We look at the war here in rather
an emotional way; in the West they are
seeing it in perspective and doing some hard
thinking.
This conviction had been settled upon
and the above words written when ! CHANGED
upon a weekly journal containing an ar
ticle written by Henry j. Allen, a Kansas
editor. who writes with a characteristic
Western pungency and buoyancy; indeed,
Mr. Aliens article puts the Whit Of corn
stalks into ones nostrils. And this justi-
fiably proud Kansan, looking at this subject
Of war from the viewpoint of a native and
resident Westerner. echoes the sentiment
which |, a visitor from the East Though
once resident in the West), had evolved.
Consider these lines from Mr.. Aliens state
ment: "They (the Easterners) did not un-
derstand that people who live as we do in
the Middle West need very little artificial
stimulation. When real crisis appears we
have generally made up our mind what we
are going to do before the band arrives.
Those who live near to Nature have more
time for self-examination than those who
spend their lives lodging the things that
have to be caught, in a high-speed, extra