Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-01
Editors Table

Mr. Douglas Woodruff is the author
Of an amusing addition to the Today
and Tomorrow Series called "Plato's
American Republic" Mr.. Woodruff
is a young Englishman who made
trip across this country in 1885
as leader of the oxford Debating
Teams which received considerable
publicity at that time and il was
during his sojourn here that he con-
ceived the happy idea of sending
Socrates and his garrulous Xantippe
on an imaginary lecture tour This
brilliant little volume is the result.
Aantippe. was a huge success with
the women's clubs in the towns they
visited, while Socrates on the other
hand struggled with the Business
Mems Luncheon Club of Hootsville,
Iowa, and almost came to grief not
withstanding the chairmans happy
introduction of him as "a man who.
with his slogan of Boost knowledge
had made good in his own country"
Nantippe was the big noise of the
trip. speaking exclusively to women,
declaring them to he the moral lead
erS of the community and insisting
that they take their proper place in
ordering the community's affairs.
with her on to the platform for
purposes Of demonstration.
The philosopher however. had time
to observe much and one of his con-
illusions, based on the number of
automobiles he saw and the increas-
ing difficulty of securing parking
space, was that the American home
will sooner or later be displaced by
the residential car. From this obser-
walton came his prophesy that a new
race will have to arise TO take the
place Of the centaurs of old. For
as the centaurs were half men and
half horses, so will these be half men
and half motor cars And It would
seem that of such a race the natural
sustenance would be alcohol" Soc
rates was also impressed by the pow
err in this country of Propa ganda.
America he pronounced an Ideal
field for the propaganda" since we
are all secretly uncertain of ourselves
and look to see what our neighbors
are thinking, desiring to be counted
among the majority. Il believe my
self" said Socrates. that American
men do not mind dying since ii
means joining the great majority
Asked to give a talk before the
Business Mems Luncheon Club of
Hootsville, Iowa, Socrates let himself
in for criticism by going after the
Athenians with tire same enthusiasm
with which he criticized America,
and was roundly denounced for
knocking his own home town. 1t was
here at this Luncheon-an affair
which had to be gotten through In
quick order-that he met with
heavy rebuff. Reminded by one of
the notices he had seen in offices
Come to the point, but don't camp
on it," he remarked that there are
many points upon which 1t Is excel
lent to camp" His extended speech
and particularly his reference to the
Fates eternally weaving their varied
combinations, brought down the
sarcasm of the disguised President
of the Club upon his head:
No self-respecting American bust
ness citizen, declared the President,
red with anger, would have anything
to do with a concern so out of date
in factory methods as were these
three sisters. Did their visitor know
that they in Hootsville and every
where else in the States, had
machines which spun. measured, and
cut thread in the single operation.
l. come 10 sO-dHcdu CoiIiiiuhi'H
with such a fool proposition was an
insult. -. He would like to warn their
visitor that he had better quit adver-
Using the obsolete process or he'd
be railroaded out of every decent
town
Railroaded out he ultimately was.
not only out of Hootsville, but out
of the country.
and in the end, Socrates" in
quired his friend to whom he related
the story, Il suppose you were de-
ported?"
What else indeed?" said Socra-
ties.
Published by f. P. Dutton & Com
rany, 681 Fifth Avenue, New York
City, n. Y.