The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-21
BRITISH TRYING
TOUNDERSTAND
THE AMERICAN
Yankee Psychology Big
Problem for English, but
They're Working at 1t.
HAVE DISCOVERED U. s.
War Brought Home to Them
That There Really Is o
Vast Nation Here.
HAVE DISCOVERED U. s.
BY SHAW DESMOND.

mira To-day / am going, instead, to
write upon one of those tremendous
tribes Of which empires, like life, are
built. In this case the tremendous
t1ae Is America, which England is
trying, trying hard. to understand.
d,he war has made the Englishman dis
cover America
Before the war America to the aver
ara Englishman was Just a name. A
name that conjured up q certain
throwing over Of tea chests in Boston
harbor, the Statue Of Liberty, Presi-
dent Lincoln. George Washington.
Icoons," skyscrapers, Teddy Roose-
welt. trusts, big business, tonsillitis.
Columbus, boastfulness, dollar making,
Niagara Falls, painted Indians and a
tendency to 'the greatest show on
earth"
He knew nothing of its quantity or
quality. If you told him you could put
Germany into Texas he would have
called you-wen, an American. IF you
spoke about American art he would
have smiled quietly. Sportf Well. yes.
The American was rather hot stuff at
polo and shot putting and boxing and
that sort of thing-but his methodist
too scientific; made a pain out Of q
pleasure; and then of course he
boasted
Note that 'of course
Then came the war. With It the
American invasion Of Europe. CThe
tourist invasion was Just tourist" and
the tourist is a special international
breed.) Then came the quick time
knockout of the German colossus. Then
the trade thrust. Good Lordl America
was something. The American
All, That was the difficulty. THE
American" The Englishman studied
nm from every angle much as the
ancient Briton would have studied a
machine gun. The American? He
was an unknown animal. He had
come out of the illimitable. BUT he
was fact. The Englishman had been
accustomed to think Of him as a fic-
toA
Determined to Like Us.
And the Englishman has been try
ing to understand him, to absorb him
ever since. He means to get the
hang Of him and is determined L
like him II he dies in the attempt
And he Is trying with all the Eng
lishman's honest, painstaking way By
which before now he has absorbed
mountains-even If he hasn't always
understood them. Good luck to him
The future of the world hangs perhaps
on that study and that attempt to un'
derstand.
But the difficulty is not all on one
side, though I am prepared to sweal
an affidavit that the American under
stands the Englishman better thar
the Englishman understands him. The
American is more open, more recep'
tive, more plastic to impression-hs
happens to be younger by couple o.
thousand years I met a famous
American war correspondent. six foo
two Of hickory and health. with ont
eye shot out, rolling on his stomach
IN Fleet street newspaper office and
reeling under u dose Of Bud Fisher:
JEFF and Mutt. what time a stra,
Englishman views him with appre
hension from his chair edge. Gee
Amt it IT." he shouts. The English
man beats it while there is time. TIT
young giant looks after him quizzicall!
as he murmurs: 1.-THE Englishman Il
a fine fellow, but it takes a hell OF
time to know him!" The EnglishmaI
on the stairs is thinking the same
Last week 1 entered the local bar
Der shop to have my hair cut You car
see that shop as it has stood for thu
last century and half. segregated II
its little shady recess from the TWEEN
teth century outside that runs pas
on wheels sinking, snorting. les
tablished 1777" over the door. Prehis
toric materials with slumbering ap
prehensions of american methods
on the part of the dear old boy who's
great grandfather grandfather stood
where he is standing now. Small DO.
of 6 in shirt blouse with keen blacl
eyes and clean parted hair is pushes
in at door by invisible hand while In
visible female with razor edge voic
says: "Cut this boys hair back an
sides-nothing off top" and ciose'
door. The aged artist. astonished
hicks me twice In the neck. Small
boy sits quite still for two minutes ant
then calmly announces to the cir
eumambIent:
I'm an Amurrican!"
CONSERVATION of old gentleman
buried in Times at this dissertation o
cathedral atmosphere Of British bar
hers shop. He drops 1t. There is
great silence.
Small boy, after another minute: +"
Just come over. Came on 'Paralytic
biggest ship In the world-fastest -
Breaks off; "Heyl What's thatf
pointing TO venerable rotary brusl
worked by handle in corner. Proceed
70 explain minutely 'the way we do
IN the States"
Barber has apoplectic At on m.
pack, but is speechless. Proceeds L
snake out some sticky abomination OF
hand from bottle through hole in corl
oe1ore applying to head.
small boy loquttur: why DOR
you take the stopper out? Quicker
haves time; zoe use sprays" An
when the eighteenth century, comm
TO- says with portentous forefnge
over the young twentieth: do yol
0% what M call zOn IN England