Detroit evening times., 1945-05-16
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY WestbrookA
Peeler

does not understand English.
Some diplomats pretend not
10 because ours is one OF the
most difficult languages in the
world and a man may make un-
intentional commitments or err
rors of grammar which, coming
from a pretty countess with an
accent, may be regarded as de-
Iiciously quaint, uttered by a
statesman, constitute low
comedy dialect.
Our Henry Wallace is un-
inhibited and undertook 10 ex-
press himself in Russian TO Rus
slams in Russia on the basis OF
a few hurried lessons, relying.
no doubt, on the generosity OF
his hosts 10 understand his mis-
takes and give him great credit
for trying.
However we'll Mr.. Mofotov
may understand formal English
doubt nevertheless that he
could have caught the meaning
of conversations and remarks
in our own native tongue in the
crowds which came 10 the hotel
lobbies and the conference In
the early days.
Would he have been able 10
translate for himself, indeed
would his interpreters have un-
derstood the question OF girl
standing in one OF the DOUBLE
lines OF the ST. Francis or
afternoon?
UHozAGGUY >. she asked
" and her friend said,
.SPROBLY MIlZZLETOFF."
Ain, MUZZLETOFF,n the
first girl said. '.-EEZA LIEL
-BfDDYguy. K00DIBf Eden.
"Ain' Eden" the other girl
said. Eden ZUPPADAMARK."
Which. even TO Americans who
do not know San Francisco.
must be translated II means
Anthony Eden was at the Mark
Hopkins Hotel, locally known
as the Mark.
"Oh, know" the first girl
said. "SMANCHER. SDAN Lon
don. SPURDIERN Eden"
rs SPUR TT
PTRDY. BUDEEDEN SPURDY
too"
OF a truth. Don London. the
manager OF the st. Francis. Is,
as the belle allowed, BUT
PRETTY, and whether he can
out-pretty Anthony Eden. whom
Benito Mussolini called the
English charm boy, is a matter
Of artistic opinion.
DERSONALLY, I doubt that
L Mr. Eden is called on for
more snap judgments in crises
calling for tact, the correct
decision in split seconds and
firmnesS. once a decision has
been made. than the manager
Of big hotel in San Francisco
these days.
Al present Mr.. London Is re-
heved Of much OF that respon-
Sibility for the hotel has been
Communicated, so 10 speak, by
the state department for visit
ing dignitaries.
But before they came. Il was
his task and responsibility. ever
since San Francisco became -
great war port for traffic, goifV
and coming. TO discriminate. ID
placate and accommodate with
consideration for the parents OF
young men outward bound, for
the men themselves and many
young brides come TO Lands
End TO see them away, and then
for men coming back, and
wretched families, come TO be
near badly wounded boys taken
straight from the ships to the
hospitals.
A HOTEL has only so many
"A rooms, there are no rubber
walls and old clients turned
away must be soothed with a
appeal 10 their nobility without
that Grass reminder that there
is a war on. For the day will
come where there will be no war
and the hotels will be back on A
competitive basis.
The Russians have been down.
right THIBETAN in their mys-
terious aloofnesS. which is a
matter OF no resentment 10
the MANCHER of the house be-
cause to relieve the manchment
OF worry over casual comings
and goings OF persons unknown.
They guard their own portals
and premises and keep their own
secrets in a language as obscure
to us as our slurred and tele-
scoped ARGOT is to the best
OF their school-taught linguists.
Their attendants are not nee.
essarily gruff or grim but just
stony like the giant robots in
the old play who seemed to wear
football pads and never changed
expression because they had
none to change.
Perhaps the Russians too have
dialects and slang with which
they could mask their conversa-
tions, although they would seem
not to need such, speaking ~
little outside their own circle u |
country where so few know
even their alphabet, much less
their formal language.
CA-4ss~s..-