The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-21
TELLS WHY WE FAIL
TO UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH
n, SIR JOHN FOSTER FRASER,
r. r. @. 8.

ihey do, that is all right; II they don't
well, what does 1t matter? We know
rs are the salt of the earth, and II
the American occasionally gets mad
because we lack enthusiasm over
american virtues we smile In our duh
insuisr way as having achieved some
thing Of a triumph. That Is about
the situation. is It not7
As matter of fact. America rs very
much appreciated in England. Ameri-
cans are popular. and scarcely a day
masses when you do not pick up .
rsvspaper or a magazine In London
vitbout reading how much better the
Americans do certain things than the
British.
II there is any i'll feeling lingering
from far of Revolutionary days, It IN
MT TO be found in England. You cam
nj walk at any time through the busy
thoroughfares Of London without see-i
ing the Stars and Stripes fiuttering
overhead. Some of US go to the
rour,h of July dinners and cheer the
speeches. We sometimes make feeble
,okes about the violet not being the
national flower of the United States;
INT the British people have a gener-
GUS regard for all people from "the'
osher side Of the pond"
Attitude of Americans.
Now I know, to my hearts delight,
that there are many Americans who
have lust as warm q feeling for the
English people as the English have for
them. But there is nothing like the
same proportion OF warmth. Outside
New York 1t is the rarest thing to see
The British national nag. and, more
often than not, 1t is flying upside down.
There is a prevalent idea that Eng
land is a decadent, played out old
country where the dudes wear mon
ocles and the women have big feet
have heard dozens of stories in Amer
,ca about Englishmen, and they have
ali accumulated the stupidity OF my
countrymen. And then have found
an undercurrent OF resentment against
things English difficult to define put
ouite apparent. which I admit has
panied me.
pecently I have addressed about
hundred meetings In the middle West
arriving a. stranger in strange towns.
and could count on the fingers OF
one hand the times Americans have
said: will you come along TO my
bouse?" Never anywhere in the world
have 7 spoken to better or more
courteous audiences, but several times
people have gone out. not because OF
what I've said, but gone out as STOOD
up to mark, as was reported TO me-
"their resentment toward England"
And I've known there was q fault
somewhere. perhaps my own, perhaps
something irritating in the manner OF
the British people. perhaps prejudice.
perhaps lust ignorance. But while
am happily conscious Of the splendid
Americana who do understand the
English am equally conscious-and
l know America well-that the great
majority of the Americans do not
To be perfectly frank, 1t would ne
surprising IL they did There are
many millions Of Americans who know
nothing about the English because
they do not come from British stock:
those who do are constantly reminded
their forefathers fought against the
English for freedom. Besides Eng
lishmen are fond of kings and LORDS
and are snobs; we have no sense OF
humor, and we all drop our his. We
have funny little railroad coaches AND
we pronounce our words so strangely
indeed, I quite see that II lived for
long in the United States and got my
knowledge of the modern Englishman
as depicted on the stage, in the
movies" and described in some
articles. my only reason for goine
home would be to kick my own people
into more sense.
schooIboolxs Are Blamed.
More than once when I have COM
mented to good American friends
about the regrettable antagonistic
feeling against the English which runs
through great masses OF the American
people, the same explanation has
always been offered-the schoolbooks
haven't read these schoolbooks, but
cultured Americans have made almost
an apology for the sort Of historical
instruction on the characteristics OF
the English people at the time thu
United States was struggling int
existence. The suggestion has beer
made that these schoolbooks were
always prepared with an anti-Britisf
flavor. regrettable incidents exag
gerated. creditable things completely
ignored, as deliberate propaganda Il
bias young and impressionable minds
knowing that once the idea was fixet
the English were a brutal, hypocritica
people 1t would never be eradicated.
Undoubtedly the Americans
with their real and imaginary griev
ances against the Saxon, arc response
Die for some of the i'll will in thu
United States. And truly have seeI
articles and letters in some American
journals about the British people o.
outrageous in their allegations that
have found myself asking the ques
don: Are We really as bad as al
mat? II We are, has a kindly Provi
dence dulled my senses 80 I an
oluntly unconscious of belonging I
such race OF roughs? It is a gen
uine uncomfortable case OF bein
brought to see ourselves as other
see us?" Then I have fallen to laugh
Ing. as a wicked imp has tickled m
brain into a quizzical wonder, HOY
the American people, so naive in ex