Evening star., 1927-10-16
CONTINUED from First Page.l

f
sachusetts citizens write to me that
they have consigned" various of my
lnimportant writings to "the garbage
can" and have otherwise treated them
with contumely 1 am to be barred
and suppressed by a hundred million
true Americans. This is melancholy
news for me. but of no great import
ance to the, world. The fact remains
that these indignant letter writer's are
still in the same world with Frankfur'
ter's book, and that il they do not
read it In this world It's careful perusal
will almost certainly be one OF the
first purifying tasks set them in the
next.
Well. life must go on, and the Brain
tree case must be left now on the re-
ceding beaches of history. After this
article / shall write no more about IT.
And here, indeed, it is not about this
: case that / am writing, but about the
extraordinary bad temper certain
types of Americans display at the
mere shadow of it's discussion-and.
indeed. of any discussion of things
American. One can scarcely let a SEN
tence that is not highly fiattering
glance across the Atlantic without
some American blowing up. No other
people have SO acute a senSibility.
This Sacco and Vanzetti business has
merely brought this testy impatience
TO a head
I have spent only d rev months of
my life in America and / am always
careful to base such comments as j
make upon America upon American
authorities. Upon prohibition my ST.
lence has been monumental: 1t is an
affair for Americans only. But many
other matters are not entirely their
affair. For example, it is a matter of
concern to the whole world that the
general level of education in America
should be high. That is another mat
ter on which | have offended and shall
continue to offend.
Drawing my instances from Amer
ican writer's, | have pointed out on
divers occasions that the level of ele-
mentary education in America is not
high enough for her immense possi-
bilitieS and her limitless aspirations.
1t is no answer to say that it is as
high as it is In most European coun-
tries. My answer is that it ought to
be much higher cause of the immense
wealth. power and opportunity of the
United States. l regret l have not
saved the whole mass of ill-written,
abusive retorts this friendly and help
full reflection has provoked.
The other day again / lectured AT
the Sorbonne on the necessity of de.
mocracy entering upon new phase.
] was considering European con.
ditions. and do not think | even
mentioned America, but apparently
the word democracy" infringed the
sacredness of the American tradition
and Senator Borah went up with
loud report. | was reminded. as a
Britisher, of many humiliating things,
and particularly of my financial mis-
mana cement of the war situation,
which left Senator Borah so muci
upon me. Yet, am doing my best 70
pay off Senator Borah. and / have
never complained. And the INSULT
cheney of the American common school
10 a danger to the peace of the world
This disposition to answer back hot
~ and irreverently is not confined
TO Senator Borah and my mail. Sew
eral newspaper articles to my address
have instituted painful general com.
parsons between English and Ameri-
can ways. One writer lays much
stress on the alleged British habit of
playing tennis, taking bath and put
ting on the same underclothing again
This may be all right: l have never
searched rev fellow-countrymen hii.