Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-19
Are We ill.Mannered? ?

N IN, Editor Of the Evening Public Ledger:
sir-r has been my habit to be quite OBJ
ssYying In my travels In America, and since
ths EVENING PUBLIC LEpGEn, through its
express an opinion, tho most striking thing
10 me has been. since my arrival In this
country. your crooked telegraph poles and
the apparent crude manners OF your women
AZ home in England every telegraph pole Is
carefully hewn, and 10 erected as with
pumbllne. II makes a much more artistic
,nect and yoa will be surprised how such
care sets of the surroundings.
Now 7 speak about the telegraph poles
arst for I am sure that this will not be
looked upon as harsh criticism. but you will
turn about and sav, ''oh. yes. you English
mcn are not business men like US Ameri-
cans and have plenty Of time to give to such
small details as straight telegraph poles"
That may be true but don't you think re-
sardlng my other criticism. that It Is Just as
easy to be courteous as otherwise. to be
eonsldcrate. as to he lnconsiderate2 II takes
the same amount of time and effort.
In the first place let me say that yorr
women are adorable In appearance and be-
ieye ara far more attractive. as rule.
than our English women. have studied
them in the home and on the streets In
tho home they are not nearly as Interesting
a. good-!ooking. for have been amazed to
ind what poor conversationalists they are.
and how few OF them are really cultured In
art eiocution, etc. They sem to read con-
s.ders bly, but when you question them. their
reading is devoted. not to the classics which
tend TO culture, but the modern love stories
and short talas OF adventure. which they
slean from the American magazines, and
which find are made up more or less Of
trash that Is purchasabe at n reasonable
price have found very few women who
have read our English Dick ms Thackeray
scott or Bulwer-Lytton. or your American
..ltx thnr nfH
have studied the American women on the
streets. In the trolley cars and In your
places OF amusement. On the streets they
move about In q noisy way. their discus
sions to be heard distinctly by the persons
near them. They insist In moving all over
the sidewalks and blocking the traffic at
street corners, no matter how they incon-
Sen!ence other people. and. in fact. push and
edge themselves through crowds very much
like havo observ In the scrimmase at one
Of your football games.
In the shops they are Just as inconsider-
ate They push Up to the counters and push
one another acide No matter II their inten-
ton is to purchase or mere curiosity. They
lInger for hours ut their shopping tours and
purchase nothing. In the theatres they in
slst upon talking. In spite OF surrounding
frowns. and continually swayinB their bodies
that the person seated directly back OF them
has 10 spend an evening In contortion to see
anything.
The American woman. SO far as I can
see. believes that everything must be placed
aside for her convenience and comfort, and
she has no consideration whatever for the
rights Of men--not even for the rights OF her
own sex who may be modest enough to leave
her offensive manner pass by unnoticcd.
Naturally ! am speaking of the American
women rs the rule. but. OF course. have
found exceptions. so " any one may be OF.
Tended ut what I have said. they cannot
come back at me and say that I have only