Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-24
Rich Refugees
Going Around
'Panning' U. S.,
Europeans Are Toctlaes
in Their Criticism
BY EDWIN G. HILL


PANIED recently in quarters
where one would least expect it
and in which such criticism
seems singularly tactless and
ill-advised.
We're reporting on the be-
havior of the Deauville and
Mayfair set, now sojourning on
our shores. They don't like us,
or at best find us quantity anus
ing.
Our women are dowdy; our
speech is atrocious; our food is
abominable: our manners boor-
ish: our cities Uttered and ugly.
and. above all, we are a nation
of hard-eyed money-grubbers.
4 NY abort frequenters of the
~ smart New York night
spots will fill you in on this.
You will get even more details
from the musical cognoscenti
who frequent symphony and
concert halls.
Rich European refugees turn
out en- maSse for musical affairs,
and during the internisslon you
will ~find cloSe-in huddle OF
diamond tiaras giving this coun-y
. try the works.
If the star performer happens
to be a European, the cultural
entente yields a blizzard OF
Annie Oakleys and half the
house will be paper-and
marvellous field day for the
hanmer-throwerS as they rate
American music away down with
the grind-organs.
ART salons haven't figured
n much in our cultural and
-i.t.e.ll ii.-.ai.44.ll versions hlii-lslih
the coming Of the Riviera and
the Rue 81. German 10 our
shores they're going great guns
in New York.
Frequently. they center around
some unreconStructed eXpatriate
painter. back home because OF
bombing or financial embarrass-
ment. They. too. contrive much
amused diSparagement of our
faltcring efforts in this line.
We have put down the rough
classification of rich refugees"
That is not an altogether precise
description BY no means all OF
them are rich.
Many Of them had a bone
buried over here. before the
shooting started. but many
others just act that way.
Ef4fStstfss z z :, x woman friend
n of this writer noted stun
mig Lanvin gown al concert.
but observed that 1t was 1887
model
But" my friend added chari-
tably. II admire her for keep
ing her flag flying. ] DOM think
we ought TO get catfish about .
thing like that"
| thoroughly agreed, hut did
insist that some one ought 10
take the visiting ladies and gents
gently IN hand and whisper tcx
them something about our ideas
Of Seemly behavior
II would be for their own
good
We have another friend who is
an elderly beau Sabreur. with a
spiked mustache and a morning
coat. who speaks perfect French.
bows from the hip, clicks his
heels. kisses ladies' hands and
gets about a lot among these
elegant exiles. Withal, he is a
wise and tolerant man.
I ASKED him whether these
L people thought they would re-
cover their lost world. and how
they thought this would be
brought about.
Heavens knows what they
think" he said, 'if they think at
all. But we should pity them
and try to understand them.
"They have lived In their little
insular world, with the Illusion
that theirs was a true cosmO-
pOlitan culture.
Their secured incomes, their
treasured little articles Of dress
and behavior, their rOutined and
patterned amusementS and their
cult of esoteric and superior cul-
ture have isolated and immu-
niZed them from reality. And
don't forget for n moment that
they have terror In their hearts.
ST THINK we can he infinitely
L forgiving and understand
ing. After all, they aren't i'm
portant In the big sweep OF
events.
"It Is true that there are
among them some who were de-
featestS i'm France and who adj
mired Hitler until the bombs
began dropping. But ! don't see
and 'Cliveden set growing up
around them here.
THAT sort of refugee Is much
less confused and ignorant than
these people and he wouldn't
make the fatal mistake of dis
paraging this country.
Put IL down to insularity
and ignorance and if you write
about them just make II a rap
on the knucl<Ies and not a