Evening star., 1943-07-17
English Correspondent Explains
How England Knows About America.

How England Knows About America.
To the Editor of The Star:
Blair Bolles says: People abroad are
getting stark and unrelieved picture of
the United States. They can't see the
trees =. they are impressed only by the
bad news. British papers are thin
and many of them sensationalize the
news from the United States
There is some justification for this,
and there is no doubt that if England
depended on the press and Hollywood
movies for its knowledge of America it
would get very distorted picture.
Fortunately, there are other sources Of
information. British interest in America
and all things American at the present
time is both widespread and intense.
Last year. for instance, no less than
1900 English teachers gave up large
part of their vacations to study American
history, and since have been imparting
their knowledge to boys and girls in
English schools and colleges. Six i'm
portant new textbooks of American his
tory expressly written by Americans have
been published in England and now are
favorite reading in private homes as well
as educational institutions.
In one military area alone $50 lectures
on the United States are being given each
month to members of British armed
forces. An Anglo-American brain
trust" the equivalent of Information
Please'D has visited over 100 British regi-
ments to answer questions on America.
In the second half of 1912 the speakers
division of the Ministry of Information
received and filed over 1900 requests for
lectures on the United States.
So much for official activity. But in
addition to this there is the extensive
and enthusiastic work of numerous pri.
vate and local organizations and societies
such as the Associates for Anglo-Ameri-
can Understanding, the American British
Commonwealth Society, the American
Outpost in Britain, the American British
Institute, the Writers Educational Asso-
citation, the cooperative societies, the
National Council of Labor Colleges and
the English-Speaking Union Immensely
more active in promoting understanding
of Anglo American affairs than the cor
responding organization in the U. S. A.,
and with three times the membership. /.
The American Outpost alone arranged
over 500 lectures on America in towns
and villages throughout Britain last
winter.
1t may be that day-to-day happenings
in England are more effectively recorded
lean events in English newspapers But
that is of secondary Importance. What
each country needs is to know more
about the others history and institutions
In this respect there is no doubt that
England today is doing much more to
understand America than America Is to
understand England.
The popularity of American books and
plays gives some idea of the interest
England is taking in American culture
OF 700 books published in England last
year on political and economic subjects,
approximately 10 per cent concerned the
United States. Best sellers included
Margaret Leech's "Reveile in Washing
ton," Marjorie kinnan Rawlings Gross
Creek" Louise Andrews Kent's Mrs.
Appleyards Year." Samuel Padover,s
Jefferson" Herbert Agar's "A Time for
Greatness" William L. Whites They
Were Expendable," Maj. d. Severskys
Victory Through Air Power" Elizabeth
Chevalier's "Drivin' Woman"
OF stage plays running at the present