Evening star., 1927-10-16
@HIS paper is addressed pri-
marily to certain American
correspondents, but it dis
cusses a matter of consider

'\H1S paper lS addressed prl-
marily to certain American
correspondents, but it dis
4 cusses a matter of consider
able interest to all English
speaking readers, namely, the right
OF British and European people gem
orally to have and to express opinions
about American affairs. The con-
verse right has never been questioned
and Is exercised freely by Americans
throughout the world.
In this article I maintain my right
as O. free-born Englishman to think
freely about the affairs of the United
States, and to say what think to be
true and right and proper about all
or any of these affairs. l refuse to
regard the people of the United Safes
as in any way holy people. 1t Is
not blasphemous to deny them per-
fection. It may even be wholesome
that their present great exaltation or
spirit should be tempered by criticism.
And if have anything upon my con-
science with regard to the United
States in the past, it is that my dis
position has been more consistently
favorable and fiattering to the Amer
lean tone, the American quality ana
the American future than the present
ungraciousness of these correspond
ents of mine justifies.
Y X X X
True, that when first crossed the
Atlantic some artless comments of
mine offended Boston. There has
always been something little diffi-
cult between myself and Massachu-
setts, some incompatibility. New
York loved frankly and Chicago
amazed me. / left verbal instructions
that the ashes of my heart were to
| be thrown into the Potomac where
Virginia, Maryland and the District
of Columbia meet, but Boston
found refined and genteel and sensl-
tive beyond my capacity
Everybody admired the Winged
Victory and had replica of it sone-
! where. l had never encountered
such serried unanimity of culture
before had made remarks about it
and about Longfellow,s house. / be-
gan wrong, perhaps, by going to Bos-
ton in a FAN River boat with my
cabin near the siren, and spending
the next day skeptically in an open
automobile exploring the wilderness
into which Boston was proposing to
expand. doubt it ever will. And
now again my trouble Is with the
SUPER civilization of Massachusetts,.
All the nauSILlcT iGllGTS get III tulo
correspondence come from that safe.
My gravest offense. gathered, lies
in this. that. together with two other
| miscreants, TO wit, one Arnold Ben.
nett and one John Galsworthy, ! did
| wantonly issue manifesto or appeal
| upon the issue of the Sacco and Van
| zetti trial while it was still in sus-
pense. For myself and my associates
/ object to every word in that indict-
ment. We were approached severally
by an American gentleman bearing
| one of the greatest names in the his
tory of American science and himself
of respectable academic standing, and
asked to sign an appeal to Gov. Fuller
which he put before us, and at least
was given to understand that this
was to be an extensively signed docu.
ment not confined to English or
American opinion. We were not so
pontifical. therefore. as we seemed to
be. In fact, we were not pontificai
at all. We responded to an American
! invitation and did not expect to be
treated as principals but as a chorus
in the matter.
Still. that is minor point signed