Evening star., 1922-07-31
American Men Are Not Money
Grabbers.

Margot Asquith's characterization
of all American business men as "un-
cultured money-grabbers" has fur
nished amusement to numerous
American editorial writer's, who are
inclined to wonder whether the ac-
tual results of the lady's American
tour were somewhat less fruitful
than her press agents and managers
were inclined to admit. 1t generally
is accepted that thstassault on Amer
lean males by the brilliant British
woman was intended to clear her
system of the remaining drops Of
that bitterness which marked q good
part of her stay here. And, while
certain of the editors are inclined to
treat her criticism in a serious vein
and reply to it in kind. there are
many who admit that they can see
only the humorous character of it.
ut would be a rank materialistic
nation" the Providence Tribune de-
clares, incapable of any high ideals.
foundation of a great wealthy nation,
a nation which does profess high
ideals in ethics, in diplomacy, in
standards of living, were as black as
Margot has painted them. or course,
there are many business men whose
balance sheet. Then there are the
business men with clear vision OF
social advancement, civic improve
ment and the economic welfare of
their employes-men whose culture
is not necessarily that of an in
tangible desire to help their fellow
men, to bring a little more happiness
into the world. to make life more
pleasant for those who toll. These
business men Margot overlooked"
The Saginaw News-Courier feels con-
vinced that American men will no
doubt show the culture with which
she does not credit them by ignoring
her criticism" while the Boston Post
is inclined to the belief that the
statements of Sir Auckland Geddes,
in which he praised the United States
most highly, rather offsets the views
of the woman in the case, because, on
the one hand. you have opinions OF
a lady who came over to get Amer
lean dollars and of gentleman
whose high standing is beyond Ques-
tion."
'The money-srabbing Indictment"
in the opinion Of the New York
Tribune, always seems particularly
amusing when applied to Americans
by an English lecturer Just after ne
pockets stuffed. Money grabbing is
a cosmopolitan pastime. Mrs. As
ouith's own class worships money
with much devotion, feeling they
must have it not merely to live. but
to avoid being declassed However.
News. If the criticisms "were written
by an American woman we should all
search our hearts and inquire wheth-
er or not they were true, concluding
that on the whole. they were. She
writes without passion and sets down
with her marshaling of instances. II
the government does not boss the
details of our private life in some
particular, q private society springs
up, assumes governmental powers
and does it anyhow and We submit.
he true If only an American, or any
bedy but q citizen OF England, said
"Yet after all, as the Pittsburgh
Press carefully points out, cuIture
means different things to different
people. To Margot it probably means
the fiippant vulgarities and heartless
cynicisms which her own memoirs,
as we'll as Col. Repington's, reveal as
the life of England's high society.
May American manhood iong con
tinue guiltless of that! To be chival-
rOuS, ROOQ Iatn6T anu "ho
a successful man of affairs like Ford
is more worth while than the frothy,
shallow thing that is culture to Mar
got" -
from her lectures. the Philadeiphia
Record points out, came from women,
and 'rt may be that was the con-
spicuous absence Of the men from
her audiences, which induced In her
mind the opinion that our men de-
vote entirely too much time TO busi-
ness. There II no real basis for such
4 sweeping generalization. But, after
ali, it must be admitted that At the
great indoor sport Of lecturing. the
British, both men and women, nave
the advantage of US. 1t is commonly
reported that the purse this poor
sportswoman carried back home to
England was not far short OF $l00,.
600. which isn't bad for few weeks
work" Americans also. the Paterson
Press Guardian thinks, know the
value of the right kind OF women
and they would have recognized Mrs.
Asuuith As hardly the right Kind
even IL William Watson had not pre-
viousiy written Of her AS the
woman with the serpents tongue.