The Cordova daily times., 1922-10-10
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1922
EUROPE's CRITICISM OF US

Rudyard Kipling has recently been quoted as attacking America because we did not en- ter the European war in August, 1914 He is alleged to have said that we had all the gold in the world, but had lost our soul, while Eng land was short of gold but had soul enough to so supply the export trade. He was quoted as declaring that America had been a degenerat- ing nation since the Civil war, when the best of our stock was killed off in war and since that we had been flooded with European i'm migrants of an inferior sort. Mr. Kipling says he did not say it. Probably he did not say it for publication That these are substantially his views, as often privately expressed, seems certain. That they are the views of most upper and middle class people in England, and not only in England but in France and in other coutries we helped pull out of the hole when we entered the World war and gave the final push that turned impending allied defeat into victory, is true. MT. Kipling can be criticized only for being less diplomatic than the rest. In what he said he voiced the preponderant opinion of unofficial Europe.
 The realization that what we did in the World war has brought us only the envy and hatred of so many Europeans of the higher social strata ought not surprise Americans or arouse here corresponding hatred of our late associates in war. Our plight is the usual one of the international Happy Hoohgan,-the disinterested nation out to do good. The man without visible selfish motive is always mis- understood, no matter how altrulstlc he may be, because the weak human nature of his fel- lows always invents motive, and always an evil motive, for him. Europe, with its tradi- tons, is so completely unable to understand any motive but selfishness in international re- latonships, that by trying to be noble in the greatest crisis the world has ever known, we have only gained a reputation for being hyp ocritica1 and greedy.
 Sometimes when we Americans think what has happened since we saved the world for democracy, we begin to feel sorry we saved it.
 Expressions like those credited Rudyard KipIing will be helpful to America and Amer jeans if instead of expressing our resentment in the cultivation of national hatred, we be- gin to realize that such ideas are the natural manifestation of European nationality and that when we set up as our national objective the gaining of the praise and good will of Europe through subordinaton of our own na- tional merits and interests, are engaging in as futile maneuver as that of Don QulX- ote in tilting with wind mills. Our way to the respect and the good will of the world is the old-fashioned one of building up ourselves and of giving to America and the American people our first thought Laws and administrative policies which promote American prosperity and contribute to the well being, the happi- ness, the comfort and the contentment of the American people are the best expression of American patriotism in statesmanshlp. They cOnstitute also. the most enlightened inter nationa]ism, and are the best guarantees of the worlds continued good will toward a na- tion which "with malice toward none and charity for alp does good job of minding it's own business.