Evening star., 1923-07-04
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

sengers the bad actions Of Americans.
and he wound up with the clustering
threat that IL America did not behave.
teach them what's what.
In the group was demure Amerl-
can girl, who looked up half fright
ened, apparently, and asked, What,
again?"
Probably there never was a time
when the entente cordiale between
England and America was so serene
as it is today, and Americans will re-
call, even on the Fourth OF July. that
to the rank and file OF the English
wings largely was due the success
OF the revolution and the triumph or
terms of the settlement OF terri
torial boundaries making for Greater
America.
National prejudices and ignorance
national acquaintances. Americans
do not hate the Tommy" after stand
ing beside him through the dark
Field. They do not confuse the poilu
with the frogs after sharing the
same blanket In the bivouac. .
r 4
International prejudice is not new,
but it is trending toward the obso-
lete. Compare 1t today with the fruit
of the race unacquaintance of revo-
lutionary days? Benjamin Franklin
made 1t absurd when he laughed at
the unsophistication Of the English
even in his day concerning every
thing American. The English editors
had been filing their columns with
wild and silly tales about America,
when Franklin wrote the following
communication" to a London paper:
"All this" he wrote, els as true as
the account, said to be from Quebec.
in all the papers of last week, that
the inhabitants of Canada are max
ing preparations for a cod and whale
fishery this summer in the upper
lakes.
Ignorant people may object that
the upper lakes are fresh, and that
cod and whales are salt water hsh;
but let them know. sir, that cod, like
other fish, when attacked by their
enemies. fly into any water where
they can be the safest; that whales.
when they have a mind to eat cod,
pursue them wherever they ny: and
that the grand leap of the whale. in
the chase up the fall or the niagara
is esteemed, by those who have seen
1t. as one Of the finest spectacles OF
nature.
Since Franklin perpetrated that
humor. more than century and
half ago, 1t is beginning to be appre-
tab
joke. and rumor has 1t that
Scotchman has inquired the exact
height of Niagara Falls. In the
words OF Grant. Let US have peace"
In spite OF the fact that the Boy
Scout idea is OF English origin.
English cousins in joining the organ
ization. There are now in the Amer
lean Boy Scouts 472.5s2 boys and 140,-
329 men. That total 616.s11 MEM
bership Is more than the total Of
other nationaiities combined. There
has been growth OF nearly l0O,-
600 since December. 1921.
There are greater potentialities in
the Boy Scout movement than in
any other organization In America.
1t trains the best qualities that are
in the boy nature and develops
latent powers of resourcefuiness that
would Otherwise never be known. Its
moral and patriotic Ideals are peyono
praise. No American boy can afford
to miss the Boy Scout training and
fellowship.
But lest the Boy Scouts become too
complaisant, 1t should be stated
clearly that there is another organi-
cation whose members have not the
slightest reason to be jealous OF the
! Boy Scouts. In fact not member of
this other organization would ever
condescend to join the Boy Scouts
| even IL urged to do so. The ideals
and practices of the rival organiza-
| tion are every bit as high as the Boy
Scouts can ever hope to attain.
Their drills are magnificent. They
! can do stunts the Boy Scouts prob
ably could not do, or II attempting
! to do would be very awkward at per-
| forming.
This organization is the Girl
| Scouts.
| Vice President Coolidge was born
| on independence day and has been
having a rebirth of independence
every July for the last fifty-one
years. yet without very much fire.
| works.
Copyright. 1923. by p. v. oollins)