Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-16
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Delegates to Washington Conference
Exemplify Types Of Manners and
Point a Moral In the Matter
Of Tcmperaments
BY SARAH ID. LOWRIE

A MER1CA is having n new experience
n cntailcd by what is happening just now
down in Washington. The foreigners upon
whom the public attention is being focused
arc different from the ordinary run of for
cignCrs to whom the country has grown ac-
customcd. They are not here to become
Americans. They are not even here rs
guests to conform politely TO American Ways
and customs rs an acknowledgment Of lavish
hospitality. They are here to represent their
various countries about council table
which is theoretically on neutral ground.
Il is to be expected that the fifty seven
varieties assembled there WILL ms matter
of proprcty If for no other reason, keep
their nationnlitcS we'll to the fore and omit
no racial characteristic that marks them as
units. not only of power but of purpose.
II Is to be expected, therefore. that
neither in dress nor in manner of intercourse
will they conform to any one type of civil.
2atOn.
TTNTlL very recently among persons of
" experience in this country there were
three types of manners or mann"risms oh"
scrvablC: tho foreign. the English aud the
AmorcHn Under foreign manners or man
nCrisms were Classed a certain dCmOnstra-
tivcncSs. certain emphasis Of gesture,
certain huOyancy in taking pleasure aud n
depression in bearing pain and an ingcnu-
BUSINESS in displaying ones success and
proud rrticCncc in hiding ones failure; in
in mannCS VIC generally meant he showed
Il great dcal of feeling ono way or another.
by "Engl>h manners VIC generally de-
scribcd u typo that was Just tho opposite of
foreign in our sense. We thought Of the
English aS having manner, but no man
nprs. ms being hearty or surly. but never
buolnnt nor depressed, never dcmOnstrative
in the matter Of pleasure or appreciation,
very cautions about displaying any personal
prowcss and surprisingly Ingenious in dis
playing amy deficiency.
BY American manners we like 10 think
We mean a genial approachablcnCss,
kindly hclpfulncss, careless good humor.
and under an outward, cheerful flow Of
casual talk, a shrcwd observation and cool
sizing up "f the situation.
We liked our own manner, we were irri-
tatcd by tho English manner and We dis
trusted and half dCspsed the foreign man
nCr.
T7lIE people we called foreigners, on the
L other band. were npt TO find us too in
formal to the verge of unCouthncss, md too
careless and at the same tim" too Interested
to the NrrG" "f seeming gullbc
The English found our cheerful fow or
tnlk oyer confident and over personal 10 the
verge Of being boastful, and when they rx-
pcricnCed our ShrCwdnHSs underneath our
casualnrSS they took it for cunning.
But in thu last twenty years. owing
chiefly. | think. 10 our great interest in
amateur sport, murh Of which We have rot
directly from the English or Scotch Nc
hay" taken on veneer of the English
manner which is very noticeable in its effect
upon the point Of view Of the younger gem
Grafton of this country, especially in tho
East.
1t is goo'i form now to he uncommunicn
tive and very indifferent in the matter of
any personal success or Of personal ambi-
| ton or. indeed. of personal feeling Boast
fulnCSS in any form or what is called "sidc''