New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-27
A BRITISH VIEW OF AMERICA
Bv WILLIAM ARCHER
(Fron The Westminster Gasette.)

hut IN stand on the big bluff over against
the citv and look down upon the confluence
of the Allegheny and the Monongahela (most
beautiful of words!) is TO experience
strange and complex emotion. For the TWO
rivers leach as great as the Rhine OF tne
Rhone) unite to form the magnificent ohlo'
And the Ohio rolls on into the still mlghtier
Mississippi; and down these gigantic water
WAYS the first French adventures paoaleu
thousands of leagues through the oouhGiess,
sinister Wilderness; and Martin Chuzzie"'
and Mark Tapley sought the city OF Eden
and Huckeberry Finn and Jim went driit'hg
through an Odyssey which |, for one, peiieve
% he as surely immortal as any story IN
this world. A few miles up the Mononga-
bela is the spot where General BraddocS,
with George Washington and George War
rington in his train, fell into the fatal am
busb And there, at the very tip of the
tongue of land between the two rivers
Nesting in the shadow of the skyscrapers
like beehive under st. Peters, is the
little octagonal bSckhouse, pierced for
musketry. which was once Fort Duquesne,
and after that Fort Pitt, and from which the
city takes it's name. Of the titanic, lurld
picturesuueness of the scene | shall not at
tempt to speak. ! have merely tried to sug-
gest few of the historic and literary asso-
Citations which cluster around the spot u
self. and the vast river system to when IL
is. as it were, the northeastern gateway. how
any one can find America prosaic or uninter-
esting passes my comprehension.
As for its present, summed up anG
tvpifed in New York, what is there in the
world to compare with it? The view OF the
mountainous city, towering between its noble
estuaries is by far the most impressive tes-
timony that can anywhere be found to the
genius and daring of man. Beautiful!
don't know. There is an immense amount
of beautiful architecture to be seen IN New
York and all through the Eastern states, put
the whole impression OF New York is more
than beautiful--it is exciting thrilling, IN
spiring To land in New York on cloud
less day land they are many OF spring
or autumn IL to realize why America is
bound to lead the world. 1t is because there
is some as yet unidentified element In tne
pure, keen air, which, passing into the olood'
tingles through the whole system IN the
form of energy and capacity.
NV point, then, is this: Let US realize
what an enormous advantage we possess IN
our community of language, of historical
and intellectual traditions. and of political
and moral ideals, with this nation of mar
velous achievements and still more marvel
lous potentialities If these ideals are to
survive and flourish, it is of the utmost I'M
portance that America and Great Britain
should grow together, instead of growing
apart. The community of speech, while 1t IS
a priceless bond, is also a source of danger.
Careless, carping, supercilious talk, narrow
minded comment, uncivl jesting whether
with pen or pencil, rankles doubly when II
is brought home to us in our own language.
This is an admonition TO both sides, but
mainly to England We are the older people
and ought to show the finer consideration.
In this respect our sins are many-slns,
mainly, of ignorance and thoughtlessness.
But in spite of everything we are. and have
been any time this century, drawing together
in remarkable way. Note now half the
most successful pieces on the London stage
are of American origin, and are often most
acceptable when played by American actors.
Note how the bookstalls are piled with the
writings of an author so redolent of the soil
as 90 Henry" Think how the cinema is
familiarzing even the street arab and the rae
tory girl with the surface aspects of Amer'-
can life. We have now unique opportunity
to draw closer all the countless ties wnich
unite US with our gigantic daughter OF the
West" Let US have done with carelessness,
ignorance. superciious patronage, fippant
criticism and make the best of this great
boon which the Germans have so kindly
forced upon US.