Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13

OlSCOrIeQ oasis LOT any
sane Judgment of Amer
Il lean civilization" said
James TruSloW Adams recently in
an article in which he was draw
ing a dolorous picture Of what for
eign countries think of poor,
unhappy, .mutilated Uncle Sam.
Pointing a finger of shame at the
malignant influences which he
claims creep forth from the land
of sunshine. oranges and Malibu
Beach, he bolStered his not I'M
familiar assertion by undermining
an article in the British Spectator,
which says:
Americans should realize that
so long as the United States
methodically travesties and pro-
fanes herself before the whole
world by the loathSome pictures
that pour steadily from Hollywood
there is little excuse for complain
ing if other people think America
ridiculous. AS shown in many OF
the serious and in most of the
comic pictures that appear in Eng
land America is ridiculous. And
not only ridiculous, but obscene
and trivial. If America does not
care enough about her own repu-
tation to control this monstrous
vulgarity, she should not expect
other nations to be too tender OF
her"
THIS virulent attack from a
cousin Britisher is truism, or
rather a mild form of sickness
which afflicts many OF the super
highbrowS across the ocean who
go to the cinema" for little other
purpose than to laugh at America
and have their cup Of tea.
AS you sit in a handsomely
equipped London theater on Re
gent street. for instance, you can
stretch out your legs, have a
weed" and laugh at all this
''horrid" Americana while neatly
CARRIED waitress tucks tray OF
tea and toast on a rest" that has
slipped up suddenly under your
elbow from beneath the seat. Il
is, possibly, this tea which makes
an Englishman so angry at the
United States films (for, of course,
he has been trying for some time
to get angry about Something)
and this mildly lemonized liquid
which has come to him free OF
even a midget shilling, seems to
put him in the proper growing
mind.
AND yet-strange as 1t may
"A seem-there are many of these
mortals who are apt to forget
themselves at such a display
There, before some long-leggec
British aristocrat may appear that
erstWhile lithSome Bow LADY,
say, old chappie, but she's got gooc
proportions, what?"-in a film
which does much to musSing his
intended boredom; or perhaps
jeanette Macdonald, said to be q
great favorite, in something which
would chill his family back in deal
old Sussex; or, again, Constance
Bennett in $4,000 worth o.
clothes, which makes the Regent
street dealers look like rag mer
chants. Still, after he ha!
Smacked his lips over these un-
British foibles and his tea, he will
perhaps walk down the Strand
guffaWing under his blue-bloodec
chest, fall into Simpsons, ane
there suddenly over an elbow.
sized piece of mutton Gas heavy a!
his fatherland) fall to talking tt
the waiter about those "vulgaaar'
Americans and their "taawdry'
cinemas. (And this we have botl
seen and heard.)
X
IF now we are to be judged owe
in the land of tweeds and home
spuns by screen entertainment
which is unfair to any civilization
imagine how the Greeks woult
have Jared If they had held up
camera to their little home doings
Why not take Mr.. Britisher b.
the beard and do him likewise? 7