The New York herald., 1921-03-27
CHESTERTON SAYS
! IRISH LOST ON GIBBS
Novelist Surprised at Sim
E;nn Attack, as Sir Philip
Opposes British Policy.
LIKES AMERICAN CITIES
Travelled All Over as Racer
Would in Box Car, but Sees
Considerable to Admire.

Perhaps the liveliest picture In the
American part Of G. X. Chesterton's
memory is that of the astronomer he
met in Oklahoma City. from which
!, farthest point in his rambles the British
observer returned to New York yester-
day.
"A man with stars and moons on his
coat quite unusually plastered with
medals, came up to me-" said Mr.. Ches-
terton, "and told me was an astronomer.
thought ii quite splendid for scientist
to be walking about thus decorated with
the symbols of his office. He also told
rne that he and the Mayor looked atter
the city, and flashed before my eyes
cleaning shield which L took to be the
badge OF q detective. He was ad-
mirable. l said to him, If / commit
murder I'll let you know oh, no. ne
replied, we never expect those things
from members of the Upper Ten what
fascinating moination--detective
and astronomer.
Mr.. Chesterton has revolved SO swiftly
and in such a generous orbit on MS
lecture tour that he Is not quite certain
where he has BEEN He is sure that he
visited Chicago. Detroit. Madison. WIS.,
and Oklahoma City and that Americans
everywhere received him most kindly
and indeed. as q rule followed his
talks with better comprehension than
some OF his English audiences nave
done.
"Oklahoma," he said. "is unlike any
thing l had seen before. There was
so much excitement about everything
being recent. 1t was interesting ana
agreeable to find people who were
proud of having lived in a community
only three minutes. l was told of
great number OF things that can be con-
a Il. Lou trnfr
don't like to have anybody whistling
outside your gate you just pass u law
that people who whistle outside your
gate shall be hanged. The simplicity
OF this l found really delightful"
OF his trip and American impressions
generally he had this to say:
"a map of my wanderings would be
like a complicated labyrinth. Before /
set forth the distances sounded like
those between fixed stars, but became
accustomed to things which short time
ago | should have regarded as impos-
sible. In England Chicago seems to be
regarded as rather unattractive, but to
me il was most interesting, especially
the boulevard along the lake. and natu-
rally | was pleased to fall in with a
club in Chicago called the Medlevalists." :"
He was asked IL he noted anything
wrong with America.
is wrong OF industrial society generally.
If were to tell just what / think of
Pittsburgh, which perhaps would not be
an unsulled flood of praise, 1t would be
only what l also think about our own
Birmingham. But perhaps Oklahoma
will not become too Pittsburghian."
Mrs. Chesterton travelled with her
husband. He regards as singular. al
though interesting. the custom, noted in
4sanrn ond ~ al - tIn al,
women of the city taking his wife off
some place while the men took him to
another. On the train-whose Pullman
cars he found not Mt all uncomfortable
he read many American magazines. He
deems them and American short stories
TO be on a relatively higher level than
American novels. compared with the
levels Of English magazines and novels.
He has read one-half of Main Street
and laments It's "regrettable lack OF
murders" He has. he said. reviewed
III G. Wellss history several times. and
have even read IT,"
''But I'm ashamed to say" Mr. Ches-
terton added, that know far too little
about books. I'm afraid my reading is
passed between controversy and crime"
''what is the chief paradox In the
American character" an interviewer
popped at him.
"
hrief consultation with his cigar, there
are a great many but. OF course, | think
the greatest is that demo cracy has got
tied to industrialism, which is the most
undemocratlc thing the world ever saw.
How curious that Il country that started
with the Declaration OF Independence
hould be saddled with industrialism.
The writer's of the Declaration were es-
sentally agricultural.
"Jcffpr2On i tninL of aar, ath o
like an English squire 1t is horrible
irony that at time when we arc try
Ing in the ideal sense to believe that
all men are equal citizens we are also
entangled In this complicated industrial-
ism, which seems to me to strangle de-
mocracy. ] should say that the peasant
part of American democracy Is success
full The small landholders are the
great makewcights that carry this coun-
try along. If left to the large industrial
cities this country would be as badly
off as England. whore the same system
exists. and we haven't even a crude and
half developed peasantry.
II was struck not only by the fact"
no went on. that there Is a great deal
OF sympathy in America for the Irish,
but the fact that there Is also a great
deal of feeling against the Irish. The
English people seem to think that the
Irish who have gone to America are
pathetic exlcs in rags wandering along
the seashore. whereas they are really
running Tammany Hail. The Amer
leans know that the Irish can really
get something done. for they see great
gangs OF them operating in politics and
a goood many OF them getting rich. 1t
was surprising. by the way. that the
Irish got after Sir Philip Gibbs when
he lectured IN New York. ! thought IL
was we'll known TINT pnllip Gibbs had
no sympathy with the British policy
toward Ireland. Perhaps it was his
title that offended"
Did You have any onportnnity To OBJ