Evening star., 1923-09-09

lady Napoleon. and a committee of
ladies, and a thousand people were
there. They included all the most
distinguished people in New York,
many of the most distinguished in
America, and they were there to
testify their friendship to England.
They were there also to express
their friendship, If I may dare say
so, to me, as man who had tried
to serve England. and America, too,
in speaking and in writing the simple
truth. They wrote all their names
in a book that was given to me at
the dinner, and 1 keep il as a great
treasure. holding the token of a
! nations kindness.
\ X X
lI HAD great time in the United
States on each OF my three visits.
but Notwithstanding all I have said
1 shall never make another lecture
tour in that country. The fatigue
OF it demands the physique of an
an African lion tanner. Several times
I nearly succumbed to timed tomato
soup. Twice did lose my voice in
a wind forty below zero. and regain
it by doses of medicine which de-
stroyed my digestive organs. Nightly
was roasted alive in sleeping berths.
Daily did my head swell to unusual
proportions, not in conceit, but in a
central heating system which is q
terror to Englishmen.
visibly did 1 wither away as
travelled from city to city, received
by deputations Of leading citizens on
arrival, after sleep-disturbed
night. with the duty ahead of keep
ing bright and intelligent through a
! long days program. saying the
right thing to the gracious ladies
who entertained me at lunch, the
bright thing to the City Club which
entertained me to dinner, the true
thing to all the questions asked
about Europe, England, Lloyd
George. prohibition, Mrs. Asquith,
the American flapper, hcishevism,
France, and the biological necessity
of war, to business men. professors.
journalists. poets, financiers. bish-
ops, society leaders in Kansas City
or Grand Rapids, the president Of
the Mormon Church, the editors OF
the local newspapers. the, organizers
of my lecture that evening. and the
unknown visitors who called on me
at the hotel all through the day, and
every day.
One can't keep that sort of thing
| up. It's wearing.
remember that in the hotel
in Boston. q little old gentleman
| carrying a black bag tapped at
my door and introduced himself
by the name of DR.. Gibbs. He
said that his hobby In life was to
search out Gibbs in the United States.
and he found thousands! He present.
ed me with a copy of the Gibbs FAM
| lily Bulletin. and opening his black
bag produced n photograph of his
great-grandfather.
It was my son Tony who called
my attention to the fact that was
amazingly like that venerable man,
who was toothless Che lived before
the era of American dentistry1 and
with hair that had worn thin as the
sere and yellow leaf. / decided that
Y should became exactly like him.
sans hair, sans teeth" If contin-
Iued this career as an English isc-
turer in America. In order to avoid
premature old age, made a resolve
| (Which I shall probably break) not
to make another lecture tour in the
1 United States.
| But of all my Journalistic adven-
lures, count these American exs
perienoes as my most splendid time.
and for the American people havs
la deep gratitude and affection.
Copyright, 1929, by sir Philip Gibbs. All rights
Eeserred.i