The Washington herald., 1917-08-05

| commodate oneself to the usage of the
country in which one is a guest, max
ing due allowance for the inhabitants
being foreigners" This applies even
TO language. says Sir Herbert Tree
in the London Chronicle. LET US
take the lift." said I to a prominent
citizen. Elevator, we call it," cor
rected my companion. A motor wa,
waiting outside. Can give you ar
elevator in my carr" 1 asked. And
we parted friends. I found no difi-
Guilty in "acclimating'' myself to the
more democratic habit Of the people
whether in the theater, in the hotels
or in general company. The EN-
ployes Of the theater soon brought
home to me that the "star" system is
tolerated only in the Spangled Ban
ner. have myself an inrooted con-
viction as to the equality of men, but
think a kind of official respect is
calculated to expedite business on the
stage as well as in other walks of
life. At first 1t seemed strange to
get answering "sir" when / gave
an ort er. So 1 took to addressing the
emplo es as "sir" A modus vivendi
was thus gradually established, and
found myself addressed as ''boss." "
Life Is compromised
There is a greater freedom between
man and man. One finds this in
travelling. well. boss" asked the
ticket collector in the train, ARE you
feeling pretty good today?" 1 re-
piled that 1 felt rather like that. He
held a green Identification" ticket in
his hand, and. without another word,
deftly but relentlessly placed it in the
brim of my hat. Feeling rather like
a bookmaker. 1 asked him II 1t was
compulsory to wear, 1t like that.
We'll" said the Official, this is a
free country, but I guess our Presi-
dent is liable to wear It like that"
A pleasant little incident occurred at
Buffalo Station. A colored porter.
formerly an actor, now a "red-cap."
took my luggage, and. after putting
1t in my compartment, refused the
proffered tip. saying, ALLOW me to
shake hands with you, comrade. 1
saw you as Wolsey the other night.
and when in your speech you spoke
about free Russia, I called out, God
bless you" I said, 'I heard you." ="
He continued: "T have done a bit OF
shouting in my time. I played Othello
without paint" Then, turning to the
company and the populace assembled
outside, he made q little speech,
referring to me as noble and god
like" Modesty impelled me to assure
him that 1 was but a demigod-my
champion warmly deprecated the sug-
gestion, saying he did not believe IL.
Colpred People at Close View.
The negroes seemed to me for the
most part kindly people, and their
formalities and social amenities are
a perpetual source of interest and de-
light They are somewhat resentful II
spoken of as blacks" perferring to
be described as "darkies' or "col-
ored gentlemen"
1 had an interesting experience at
the negro playhouse in New York. I
was told that II 1 would consent to
make a speech to the audience one
Sunday night, the management would
give a gala performance of "Othello."
Such an Invitation I could not resist,
and accordingly 1 went to the thea
ter with a party of friends. I was
somewhat taken aback on entering
my box to find that God Save the
King" was played; but I bowed as
though I were accustomed to this
tribute. The Othello was very power
ful, the Desdemona blond, and fair
beyond the reaches of powder. The
theater was crammed Ito suffoca-
ton. made a patriotic speech
which was received with much en-
thusiasm. Standing among the dark
committee was a trifle disconnected
on hearing a distinguished English
actress in a box remark in an audi
Bile whisper, How fair our Herbert
looks tonightr'
In the Far West the Mexican and
the Yellow questions undoubtedly filed
mems minds. so that they scarce
needed the great unheaval that shook
and shocked the rest of the world.
In the West there has appeared a
cloud with yellow lining. At a
hotel not far from Los Angeles a re-
markably polite Japanese attendant
took my hat and coat
II shall not forget you, SIR" said
he, dispensing with the formality of
q check. I pointed him out to my
host as a singularly intelligent me-
uldAs NHcu lceiluc l1ldL ne was q
highly educated man, and that when
the japanese fleet came to the West
II was my friend in buttons who was
the host of the dinner given In honor
oft he officers-he It was who pro-
posed the toast of the Japanese navy
1t was he who helped me on with
my coatI
In California the feeling towards
the allies cause was undoubtedly
somewhat tepid. where It was not pro-
German; although, understand. a
great change has now come over the
spirit Of the people.
To my surprise, found the cities of
the Middle West. which contain an
enormous German population, in the
main warmly pro-Ally; IT is certainly
extraordinary that UP to. the present
time the prophecies in regard to
frghtfulness' In these centres have
been entirely falsifed. I found that
many Germans were in absolute dis
accord with the Germany Of the
Hohenzollerns, being able to estimate