Evening star., 1922-07-23
Rome, Seated on Her Seven Hills,
Still a Potent World Influence

oSSotoeice. - n Is questionable
whether in our EFFORT to do some
thing for the black man in Ameri-
ca we have not worked along the
wrong line, whether we are not
making him discontented by ele-
waiting him in the social scale.
fortunately. the Italian does not
take kindly to the effort to change
MS naoits OF thought or his modes
OF life. He will work out his own
salvation with fear and trembling
as mis- Judgment, emotion and pur-
pose may dictate. He may be mis-
Understood by. the world. He was
not understood by me until I came
INFO intimate contact with him.
Ihe Italian can never be a part
OF tne English-speaking peoples
OF the world. for his mind is not
our mind. What we like, he does
not like; our way of living is
wholly unsatisfactory to him. The
warmest friendship and confidence
can exist between us, I have not
the slightest doubt, but to obtain
!nls desired result we must .un-
uerstand him and treat him ac-
AS people. they are very gen.
erous' courteous and thouehtfuI.
klnd words go farther with them
tnan argument. All the Italian
wishes to know of you is that you
recognize him as your equal. that
you are willing to meet him on the
to pour down benefactions from
some great height upon his head.
Rome Is immortal because. not
withstanding infusion of new
blood and all the changes of the
ages. the people who dwell here
have minds artistic. An Amer
lean likes to have money in the
bank and will work from sunrise
to sunset to add to his accumu-
lations. The Roman would rath-
er nave painting upon his wall
than bank account and would
prefer to spend half of his time in
genial intercourse with his fell
low men. This artistic tendency
packs the opera house and bars
vaudeville in Rome. Fine music,
beautiful paintings and graceful
sculpture delight throughout Italy.
The artistic soul is extremely
sensitive-it is taut as the string
of a violin. which must be touched
with q tender care or 1t will give
out an inharmonious sound In deal
Ing with the Italian one should
not forget for a moment that he
has one of these finely attuned
souls. 1t does not do to strike
the chords of his life with any of
those brutal blows that come in
the business life of English
speaking peoples.
Senator Root was right, at least
so far as Latin-speaking people
are concerned. when he said, in
substance. that most of the dis
agreements in international life
arise rather from insult than
from injury. The artistic mind is
easily shocked and chilled by a
rude or thoughtless statement. To
maintain friendly relations with
the Italian people we must taper
our bluntness. We must under
stand that these people who ap-
preciate the fine lines in a draw
ing appreciate the fine distinc-
tfons of speech. We must i'm
press them that we are the rulers
of the world in no other way than
that which arises from our pro-
found belief in the brotherhood of
mankind.
From all the men with whom I
talk I learn but one desire, and
that Is to flnd out the good things
in American life. to consider any
good principles that may arise in
1t and to endeavor to cultivate a
social, political and economic re-
lation with the American people
II it can be cultivated upon the
principle of equality. I am not
disfespectful when I speak of
them as children. Nothing is
greater upon earth or in the King
dom of Heaven than a little child.
and when the Master said that it
were better for a man to have
hanged a milestone about his neck
and to be cast into the depths of
the sea than to offend little
child. He marked the measure Of
childhood. When. therefore.
speak of their childlike mind. I
speak reverently and with a COM
plimentary spirit Like the child.
the Italian inherently knows what
is kind and what is unkind. Our
dealings must be the dealings of
men who love their fellow men. in
whatever phase our relationship
may have to do with them. candor,
care and kindness must prevail.
Thus Rome. the immortal, may be-
come the steadfast friend of
America, the all-powerful.
Copyright, 1922. BY Thomas R. Marshall.l