Evening star., 1943-06-29
Discovers American Language
An Older English.

To The E6ltor OF The Star:
Your amusing editorial. "English In
terpreter Wanted" shows such a re-
markable command of the English Ian
guage as spoken lin the school of STRAIT
ford-atte-B Bow that I hesitate to draw
attention to one small lapse. I do not
speaks of mis- cricket game" but of a
game of cricket" or "a cricket match
one of those subtleties about which an
Englishman might feel as a good Ameri-
can does when a pagan refers to the
United States as the States
But it may be that you intended this
slipped stitch IN an otherwise perfect
fabric, like the pious Moslem who delb-
erately weaves a flaw into the pattern of
his rug to remind us that only Allah
makes no mistakes. In that case, l ask
your pardon and pass on,
Your readers may care to hear that the
study of the American language is max
ing steady progress in England, even in
those very private schools which the
English call public "a fine example of
their perversity in distorting the mean
ing of their own language.
Bradfleld College, long famous for its
annual production of an ancient Greek
play in the original, gave instead an
all-American program at last summers
commencement" (They don't call it
that; and surely in this the English have
it over the Americans, for it is manifestly
ridiculous for any institution to call the
end and climax of its course the be
girning.D This program consisted en-
tirely of selections from American lit
erature, beginning with the Declaration
of Independence and proceeding through
Lincoln and Whitman to Stephen Benet.
Today I have received a newspaper
account Of Etons latest 4th of June
celebration in which one of the chief
attractions was, as usual, speeches."
Many languages are taught at Eton:
Greek, Latin. French, German, Russian,
Spanish, Italian, and even a sort of Eng
lish. This year American has been added.
| The orators who made speeches in
these languages, on this occasion a year
younger than the preWar average age on
account of the calling up for military
service, seem to have maintained the
normal standard of catholic tolerance
and wide selection. The newspaper says:
Among the single speeches both the
Axis and the Allies were represented the
one by Schiller and Dante, the other by
Mark Twain. The latter, as was only
proper, was the best; Fylte, the youthful
orator, having lately returned from two
years in the United States, spoke the
American language easily and without
exaggeration, and gave Mark Twains
exposition of the difficulties of German
genders with delightful gusto."
In another part of the same newspaper
a reader complains that not only has the
word telephone" been suspended but
'phone" is going out of date, Americans
and others who believe in undermining
apd simplifying our language writing it
'fone"
Now to accuse Americans of modern
izing the English language is pure ig-
norance. just as in many other fields of
activity, 1t is that young, upstart, Goth
century England which is radical, 60
ahead and hustling (does she not hold
all the worlds speed records-with the
fastest trains, fastest ships, fastest planes
and fastest automobiles?) and that an
cient land America, which is conserva-
tive, easy-going and traditional. You
have only to consult that admirable
guide, Mr.. Horwill's American Usage"
published, by the way, by the Oldest
established publishers in the world-the