New-York tribune., 1921-12-25

reader may I'll in according to bis 80.
fancy. The desire was to indicats !.
eral way just where the designs
courtesy crusaders would lead. Tbe..
want to reyolutionize our whole r..s -
dealing with one another phe r;ftt
bus line plan was bad enough. That i
wanted TO streak the city with evils
Fort Washington to Greenwich vTlas.
this new scheme goes much further. u
Blanket the entire town with politenes
Are the people going to stand fo, Il,
will they rise in their wrath and bv !.
tling this movement in its infancy retail,
characteristics which distinguish New '
among oil tho cities Of the world?
Some people don't care what thew -.
now they ruin it. After generation ,ro
GRAFTON Of New Workers. by almost superbs~
endoavor have succeeded in creating ~.
atmosphere for the city few visionarv :
sons come along and want to undo wba. !.
required SO much effort TO accomplish.
From one end Of the country 70 thu o,.
New York is famous for being the finest Il.
in the world, to lose ones politeness >
years upon years persons who were o,..
afflicted with courtesy have been coming l..
to get rid Of it, just as they 20 to otss ,
sorts FOR one purpose or arc -er. Acu,..
estimates show that half million visit.
ONE here daily, and none Of these leaves vs
the same amount Of politeness he or sb. :.
rived with. Once the newcomer nas,s
through the gates at the Pennsylvania j
Grand Central Station absurd consideras,
fer others begins TO peel off. Every tim, !.
comes in contact with a real, dyed-in-the.as
n1etropolite he loses hunk Of poIiteness nj
if he is lucky and has moved about quite q i.
during the day he is at nightfall in that nor.
nal and ideal frame of mind where he hsts
all men and all women except one. and !.
willing to fight any and everybody at the drOo
of hat.
Take away this condition and what is lei,
to New York? Take away Palm Beaeh's d.
mate and what is left of Palm Beach? d.
prive the Adirondacks Of their refreshing at
mosphere and who viii go there? Who wants
TO come to New York if he or she is TO b
treated courteou sly? People can get that ssrs
Of treatment at home.
Fortunately, there are enough patriotic cit.
Gems left here to nullify the efforts of the CT.
saders, but they must be up and doing if thg
would thwart the purposes of these evildOer
The courtesy campaigners soon will be show.
ing great activity. They viii so about thsi
work Systematically and system must be en-,
ployed in combating them.
The first efforts Of the reformers, nc doubt
will be made in the public sehools They viii
preach the heresy of politeness to teaelsrs
Here is an opportunity for parents to stand
pat, just as they have been standing all thess
"Uncivil at All Times" we must remembel
the old adage about the twig and the tree
Under no circumstances must children be al
lowed to grow up with the stain Of polite
ness on their lives.
AS to the effect of the crusade upon Oda
persons, there is more hope. It must be 40
mitted that there are many persons here whom
there is no danger whatever Of converting
The new ideas They are set in their ways
Their minds are such that they 30 not tax
readily to obsolete f.. rs Of speech like "Par
don me-" or Excuse me-" or "Please have th
seat; you look tired" They don't like des
languages. They are too hard boiled.
The real hope of the city lies in this gres
conservative class. They are the hard nut
that can't be cracked. BY standing firm thel
with what assistance the rest of us can reH
der, will be able to make proper resistance
this ridiculous propaganda.