The Washington herald., 1922-03-19
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.


down some of the things 1 have
d heard in conversation with many
different types of people in many
American cities.
am sure that some of those con-
versations. in smoking cars. in
drawing rooms, at dinner parties,
in automobiles, would be as
valuable to the general public of
the United States as they have-been
to me in revealing certain fears,
doubts, and aspects Of thought
among intellectual. hard-thinking'
analytical minds. regarding the
present state and future develop
ment Of this great country.
Meets Sad Critics In L. s.
1t has never been a habit of mine,
and never will be, to criticize the
United States That would seem to
me as impertinent as CriticiZing
the whole order of nature. or as
a straw criticizinC the ebb and flow
of the great tides. But IL is the
right of the American people. as
of any people. to criticize them
! selves. to measure up their own
3achievements, and to forecast their
own development. and l have been
listening to quite a umber of can
did critics of American life ana
customs.
Perhaps they reveal themselves
to me more candidly than they
would to one of their own nation,
Just as most of US are more SELF
revealing to sympathetic friendS
| than to members OF our own family.
Awhat has surprised me little Is
the sadness, even the pessimism OF
certain thoughtful souls in this
New World which to people in the
Old World seemed to be so vital in
youthful optimism. so naturally SELF
{complacent because of immense
power and inexhaustible resources
The saddest man / met was IN
1city Of the Middle West. a great
|bustIinE prosperous city in which
he was one of the most successtul
men met him at an evening
party where there was much
laughter. many beautiful women
and no prohibition. Lovely II was
lin atmosphere. not conducive 10
melancholy, but at intervals DUR
ling the evening my new-tound
)friend kept repeating one dread,
{ful sentence in a sepulchral ana
emphatic voice.
S-es .EUnIted States Doomed"
rfhe United States is doomed!
~ thing can save u.s.
In spite of counter attractions,
ymany and alluring. I set myseh
down beside this prophet OF woe IN
order to discover the reason OF his
portentous utterance, and he Obliged
me by profound analysis OF
American civilization. punctuated at
periods by that awful conclusion:
'The United States is doomed!
Nothing can save usr'
HIS argument filled two hours
Land 1 must give the gist Of IL in
5but a few sentences Briefly then,
the cause of his melancholic con-
vfction was as follows:
In the first place the united
states. he said. is losing the OLD
dominant strain which built up It's
greatness and gave IL national CO.
hesion-the Nordic race, OF Anglo
lSa1on-Celtic. stock. ~ "..
Submerged by Aliens
That stock. he agreed. is being
submerged by an incursion of alien
races who do not amalgamate with
the Nordic stock, but keep apart,
and marry apart, and whose in
| herited tendencies Of thought,
whose very racial instincts are In
direct conflict with the mind struc-
turs, philosophy, and ideals OF the
old American stock. He cited an
immense influx of invading peoples,
and spoke OF them, passionately and
intoIerantly. as the scum Of the
earth"
But that was only a part of his
indictment and foreboding. He
elaborated a complicated argument
bin which he took for his thesis the
statement that the American peo-
pie are so hopelessly divided and
3localized in their interests, that
tthey are building a house divided
against itself: and so ignorant OF
the dangers menacing the white
race as a whole-the decay of the
older civilizations Of Europe, the
3downfall Of the world markets, the
risinE tide of color in the East, the
kcoIlapse Of economic security-that
they will not join in any partner
ship with friendly nations in Eu-
ope for the reconstruction Of our
ommon interests.
Fears Sectional Struggle.
The West" (of the United States)
e said, lis divided utterly from
he East" There is a terrific
political conflict in preparation be-
tween western agriculture and
astern industries II is a conflict
|hich will drag US down to ruin.
The United States is doomed-and
10 on to the end of his distressing
entence, interrupted at last by an
Itburst of song from a party of
\Iightful ladies determined to
LAX this devastating monologue.
The new-found friend of mine
oke in an exaggerated way. The
hmensity OF his gloom has not
en- equalled in my experience, but
only said with Hamlet-like mel
choly what 1 have heard suggests
more mildly by other peoples in
Fious parts OF the United States.
ese Respondent critics are dis
ssed by the solid blocks Of for
n folk in their midst, but not
yet merged by the Melting
Real Americans" Crowded Out.
fhe New EnGlanders, fairly proud
their historical share, their
Rdying influence. their moral
lity, in the making of the New
rid. confess sadly that their
ek is not being maintained in
hbers.
Ihe Real Americans" as others
to call themselves. of English,
tch. Irish and Dutch descent,
themselves being crowded out
many cities by Slavs and Ital-
and Films. and others. and it
Qs them and gives them uneaky