The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-23
Has America Sense ofHumor?
If Anybody Says We Haven't-Well, Maybe
They Don't Know Us.

doubtedly tends to make one smile.
Would it make Englishman smile?
do not know. Probably not. Which leads
me to give story told by John Gales
worthy, illustrating very we'll the differ
ence between the British and American
point of view. Just after this country
had declared war against Germany, a
young American officer, in a London
club was introduced to British officer
There was a brief moment of embarrass-
ment. Finally the American, wishing to
say something pleasant, remarked in a
hating voice.
1--WE have come over to help you win
the war"
The Euglishman did not reply for mo-
ment. Then he fixed--or as we might say,
'1amped" the American with his eye.
1 Really" he replied. After that the
| talk languished.
Recently two Englishmen have declared
that America has no sense of humor or
at least none that is worthy of the name:
| One of them was an anonymous writer in
Blackwood's Magazine The other was
Mr.. Vincent O. Sullivan, who, writing in
the New Witness, declares that the re-
| marks made in an English crowd are
more witty than those of an American
crowd, and quotes Mr. Fl. l.. Mencken
with approval, when that caustic critic
: presents two placards to show the abyss
that lies between the British and Ameri-
can point of view. One of them is the
| placard in the washroom of the British
Museum:
These basins are for casual ablution
only"
| And the other is the common sign at
our railroad crossings, stop, Look and
J Listen"
| The difference appears to be racial, and
! to concern itself with the meaning of GER
| tain words, as they are interpreted by
the inhabitants of each country The
| American language, declares Mr.. OSulu-
van, is not understood in Great Britain
BY common consent, one of the wittiest,
| il not the wittiest, man in this country is
| oliver Herford. who is himself the son of
an English clergyman, but who has lived
so long here as to have taken on it's at
mosphere. For many years Mr.. HEREFORD S
| remarks have been quoted broadcast, and
| in President Wilson'S Manchester speech
Herford was the one American quoted hu-
morously to illustrate the Presidents
point. 1t would be almost impossible to
quote Mr.: HEREFORD without repeating
something that is too we'll known. Some
| 30 years ago he originated the epigram,
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder,"
repeated so often as to have become a
classic. HEREFORD has wit humor, fancy
and imagination-a rare, almost impessi-
BILE Sombination He has an almost fa-
natical regard for the subtle meaning of
words The other night I was dining with
| him. He spoke of one man for whom he
had conceived a kind of delicate aversion,
because that Individual had got him to
| join club, the purpose Of which was to
advertise its members. And HEREFORD,
above all things, detests any sort of os-
| tentation. The man had induced him to
attend meeting of the club. where two
, distinguished gentlemen were to appear
/ on the platform with him. HEREFORD di-
lated upon the scene with quiet ANNA
| ton.
: There the fellow sat in the center"
said Herford, and added: Just like a
| cootie between two mastodons'
! This recalls Mr.. Dooey's description Of
a certain insurance president whose ca :
paclty for conducting his business was
rot pronounced, that II he knew any more
ne would be half-witted. Or that of Mark
| Twain, who had particular aversion for
pedantry, when he said that Cod made
idiots for practice, and then made boards
of education.
There seems to be no doubt that there
are both wit and humor in America. And
| both George AIDE and Peter Dunno. two
of our most effective American humor
ists, have had wide and appreciative read
ing in England.
/ About 10 years ago I wrote a dialogue
| that appeared in Life 1t was quoted in
Lord Northcliffe's Tit-Bits without credit
TO the source. this being one of the am
liable weaknesses of that weekly IT was
| translated and copied from Tit-Bits into
| Fliegendie Batter Retranslated from the
German into English it came back to
America and by an inadvertence was re-
! printed in Life. Whereupon a friend dis
! playing it to me, remarked: at might
| way You to publish original things like
| that occasionallv."
! of humor. and the distinction between
! them is perfectly easy to understand One
4 is dramatic, and the other is literary.
Dramatic humor appears to the eve and
/ literary humor appeals to the mind. 1t
! Is great help to the average person
| to deal with objects. rather than with
distractions. When Disraeli remarked Of
certain orator that che is intoxicated
with his own verbosity." that has humor
but it does not bring up any picture.
! But when--I think it was Horace Greely--
/ remarked of another man that he was a
steam engine in trousers" that is some
thing we can. readily see. even If 1,
does require some n.cT,,rr, agility to pic
| ture an engine in trousers.
| Marshall Wilder has a wide reputation
as a platform humorist but his literary
fame was not conspicuous At one time
he was engaged to apear before church