Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-15
BY FRANK II. SIMONDS.


TOR Europe the forthcoming pres
- idential election has two distinct
aspects, that which relates to
i American policy and that which
has to do with our domestic
customs. On the foreign side Europe
hopes that in some fashion a change
OF administration and perhaps
change in party control may bring
about a modification. if not a re-
versal, of our debt policy. On the do
nestle side the single issue, to the
| minds Of the European masses, must
necessarily be prohibition. Europe has
| grasped the fact that Smith is a
wet" AS consequence it sees the
approaching election as a new phase
in American progress.
Contrary to the general American
| impression, the circumstance that
Hoover would call a white collar"
product-that both come straight from
| the people, the one from rural COM
munity. and the other from the side
| walks of the American metropoliS-at-
tracts little attention abroad. After
all, the first President of the German
republic was Saddler. and the prede-
ceSsor of the present British prime
minister came from the humblest of
possible conditions.
The possibility that the religious
issue will be used against Gov. Smith
excites European curiosity rather than
interest. There IS for the European
a certain incongruity in the fact that
country which believes itself to have
escaped all the old prejudices of
Europe should still cling to any SEM
blance of religious intolerance. France,
for example, which IS country almost
completely Roman Catholic, has a
Protestant President.
Prohibition General Topic.
Nothing the United States has ever
done in its own domestic back yard has
attracted anything like the attention
in Europe that has been evoked by our
eighteenth amendment 1t is never
| failing source of comment in the press,
in public discussion. in social meetings.
1t Is for Europeans totally incom-
prehensible thing which could only be
achieved by a people that was itself
| ncomprehensible. The paradox OF
governmental prohibition and popular
and even public consumption of alcohol
furnishes the point of departure for
most. If not ALL of the clever literary
people who have followed Columbus to
our hemisphere.
Again. the increasing rush of
American tourists to Europe associates
itself in the European mind with pro-
hibition. Since America went dry
officially the American bar has become
the outstanding detail in all cities
which are or would become centers OF
American tourists. And firmly settled
in the European mind Is the convic-
/. ton that the great mass of Americans
who come to Europe, substantially all
who are even moderately rich. come
fleeing tyranny-the tyranny of Fas-
cism, bolshevism and prohibition; these
seem the three forms of persecution
which I'LL Paris with exiled Italians
Russians and Americans.
Curiosity on Subject.
European curiosity on this subject
! is never satisfied. The Briton looks
upon 1t as an invasion of personal
liberty which. IL applied in his own
country, would produce that British
| revolution which no form of economic
or political oppression could conceiva-
bly, excite The Frsnchman looks upon
1t as not merely the elimination of
one Of the chief articles of food. but
as form Of anarchy aimed at the
whole social system which he knows.
Every one in Europe understands the
OaIlIllllk VI LdIQ itQuu4s III SuHLC
form or other most European countries
played with this idea during the war.
But to take away the Briton's ale. the
Frenchman's wine. the Germans beer
this is thing totally unbelievable. 1t
arouSes sympathy for the ''downtrod-
den" American masses and doubts as
to the reality of the American freedom.
of which Americans In times past have
been accustomed TO boast frequently In
Europe,
That Europeans should single out the
prohibition issue as the single impor-
tant problem to be settled at the next
election is not surprising. Our politi-
cal differences are meaningless to Euro
peans. Between our two parties and
their platform creedS they are unable
to detect the smallest difference. We
have no such divisions as In Europe, no
Socialist Left, no Catholic Center, no
Nationalist or Capitalist Right. Our
workingmen are quite as often Demo-
Gratis as Republicans. On the Fourth of
ullv our natriotic orators of both par