The Washington herald., 1921-01-09
COMMENT
HdUe Americans
Loue of Figures?
World Almanac Called
Index To Culture
of Masses

The hrst of the year always brings re-
minders OF that curious customs Of shops
and manufactures, the taxing of inven-1
tory, and the coming of the new World
Almanac. A book review of the World
Almanac, offhsnd, might seem about as
lively as book review of the dictionary
or the Congressional Directory And vet
this volume, prepared by the New York
World each year, has been called an ex-
cellent guide into the thoughts. customs
and PHILOSOPHERS of the American masses.
Every person who has had his turn al
answering the telephone in a newspaper
office knows the old familiar voice which
asks what is the highest peak in the world
or the longest river, whether John L. Sui
livan was ever a professional ball PLAYER
or what is the tallest structure in the
world. He usually precedes it with this
statement: We've got little bet on and
we want you to decide it." And the per
son who has been thus asked, invariably
says in reply: Wait just a moment" and
reaches for the World Almanac.
1t may be true of all peoples that their
minds run to statistics arguments about
the relative size and importance Of cathe-
dral spires and pOtentates, steel mills and
FIRST families" English writers accuse
Americans OF having peculiar passion for
such facts, however, and dwell upon them
in their thoughts to the exclusion Of
others (to English writers) more import
ant
Sooner or later" the English man OF
letters will tell you, every American will
become disturbed in his mind about what
country may boast the greatest waterfall
or the longest railroad. He believes. of
course, that the United States Of America
may own both. But mere belief will not
satisfy him. He must know and he can
not sleep in peace until he has got the
figures
And then, if he finds that quite beyond
question, America has not the greatest OF
these, he will be quite put out for a time
But he always may be counted upon TO
show that America has something else
equally, if not more, important
That is the reason Americans find the
" orld Almanac a most priced book It
shows American supremacy in natural
wonders and in many important indus
trlcs and enterprises, imPressively, fat
terngly."
=
This observation is that of an hvpotbet-
ical Englishman, but It reflects the attitude
frequently taken. His kind think we are
rather absurd about it. But we suspect
that they, II they were in our place, might
do likewise.
The Englishmen will swap you Victoria
Ayanza; very prominently, for Niagara
Falls. Speak Of areas and he will quote
you figures on the combined square miles
OF the Dominion Of Canada, Australia and
India. And so on. There may be a sort
OF British World Almanac from which he
gets such information. ! don't know. But
ITS pity If he hasn't. 1t is such a handy
sort OF thing
1t is comfort, beyond doubt, TO be able
to read that the eyes Of children in Amcri-
can schools are given the greatest care:
that the Duluth-Superior interlake traffic
during 1918 was valued at S53z.5IAoo6
(Which IS some sum-; that the total rail
road mileage in the United States IS 257-
o2o (Which IS some miles,: that there are
lat least) only two peaks higher than our
Mt. Mckinley in Alaska, and one of those
is in South America; that the center Of our
population IS in the city of BLOOMINGTON.
| Ind Cor was, in 1oIo); that the chief cause
tor divorce in the United States is deser-
uon; and that there stands in our forests
not less than 500, 900, 900 900 feet Of mcr-
chantable timber, a greater quantity and
variety than upon any area Of similar SIZE
in the world"
We can tell just who, among the families
OF New York, Is most important. bv look
ing into the World Almanac, and Babe
Ruth,S batting record and how much higher
the NOolwOrth Building is than Other
structures by Just looking at Buildings.
High \. y. c. and Europe"
l suspect that the person who said that
the World Almanac is true indication Of
the things in which We are, as a people.
most interested, hit It quite right
There having been the decennial taking
of the census in the United States. the
publishers OF the World Almanac prob
ably have had to take a lengthy inventory
and cast out lot OF old and now useless
tables So, in the forthcoming issue VIC
Americans have a treat in Store-brand
new statistics in which we may fairly
revell