Found/ pseudonymo.

3 Aprilee

XXI

AMERICAN IMPERIALIST

American Imperialist writes about " 24 Hours ".

It is difficult for me, and I imagine that it is difficult for most Americans of my generation to adjust themselves to a world wherein the United States is expected to mount guard over the Persian ( or as you now call it, Iranian ) railways.

It is difficult to adjust this condition, or proposed condition of things with the often reiterated :" Again and again, and AGAIN ; I assure you that NO american boys will be sacrificed on foreign bollte fields . "

One might reasonably conclude that Mr Roosevelt has changed his mind about something

BUT

there is the alternative, not perhaps, flattering to feminine part of the electorate, namely that Mr Roosevelt had deliberately meant to deceive that part of the electorate.

It is possibly just as hard for young america to picture the america of an earlier day, when imperialism meant at most the domination of the Carribean, and waters adjacent, with the quite usual effective control of a good deal of South American trade, and especially of central american fruit trade. Spain was then, still in touch with South America. Spanish was " advised " as a business langauge. The buses on Fifth Avenue were still drawn by horses; and the driver collected the passenger's fares.

There was, as I recall it a rather ingenious device whereby the driver from his seat on the box could glance downward onto a sort of glass choot, EYECH obsere the nickle or quarter placed there, and make change when the amount exceeded the fare.

People still walked to EYECH church on Fifth Avenue. Up past the old reservoir, that stood like a monument to some local pharoh, between 40 th street and 42 nd. I think one church was " Grace Church ", and the other St. Thomas.

2

ne remembers the Tiffany chateau. There were no jews on
Fifth Avnue , or at least there no recognized jews on Fifth
avenue. "ews were on Eighth Avenue, or the Bowery.

They Bowery HAD been the parade of fashion in
long since for otten era. It was known to the native americans
in the 1890s , rather by comic song, than by actual explorations
Without Music Hall allusions, one might not have known it was
there.

A great number of americans dined very well during
that era. In fact one never remembers anyone who did not.
Cream was , decidedly; cream . Ice Cream was made of real
cream. The morning's milk carried , let us say well over
half a pint of cream.

There were , undoubtedly , many large
country houses . There were old country houses set in large
grounds, near the large cities. They had vast stretches of lawn
and often fairly large fields under cultivation.

the ruin'd old
house , or the abandoned , or temporarily abandoned and
dilapidated old house was an exception. If any such memorial
of departed splendour had degenerated to the point of having
a broken window , it was usually said to be " haunted ".

The point I wish to make is that a number
of large, not palatial ; but large , handsome and// ESTATE HOME
and comfortable ESTATE HOME houses had been inhabited
by the same family for two or more generations. They
were not palaces , but they were capacious , and often
elegant . They were in some cases " colonial ". That is
really colonial, for the style had hardly begun to be
combed. New Port is the only town I recall where there was
an abrupt cleavage between the few millionaires and the
older quiet solidity. Even that memory may be an illusion.

Perhaps no modern american can even vaguely imagine
the sense of security that pervaded the american atmosphere
of that era. One can hardly remember why one should not have
stayed there. The only urge to shift about had been
Horace Greely's exhortation to the YOUNG MEN to move westward.
And there was no cinema.

3

If you ask me what is NOW missing from this picture of
american life, I must answer by a parable.

Some years ago, I think it was in the
Hotel Berchielli in Florence, I picked up a book, entitled
" How to live on twenty four hours a day. ". 

I did not read it. I have
forgotten even the name of the author. I did not read it
because I thought I had learned how to live on that
allowance of hours.

I do not think my generation needed
instruction along those lines. But the next generation or
the present young generation may need it, especially in
AMERICAN America. They seem to be condemned, or to
be condemning themselves, with Mr Hopkins' assistance, to
a life of forced labour, on what we should have once called
prison fare.

And it is very hard to see what they think they
will get out of it.

Something seems to have blinded them.
They seem to be prey to a sort of collective hysteria.

It is obvious, at least to a man of my years,
that if all the energy of nation is turned AWAY from
useful production, there will ultimately arise a great scarcity
of useful products. And this scarcity must affect the life of
nation quite differently from the rich trade in foreign
wares, such as was the aim of earlier american commerce.
Boats used to bring in tea and bananas. That had been going
on for some time. It had been done by fast sailing ships
before steam liners were invented. It had been done by
" side-wheelers " before even the great steamshipERICA five thousand
ton liners were driven by " screw-propellers ". VanTine's
brought in silk from the orient. It was a undoubtedly, a
very different America. The food simply must have been
better and cheaper. That impression can not be merely romantic
memory. We believed in the Monroe doctrine. Good will was
a recognized factor in business. INDEPENDENT A certain code
reigned in Big Business. I do not say it was exactly a
sunday school code, but there was was recognized business
practice. Certain forms of directness were necessary,

if business were to be BIG business for any considerable
time.

Perhaps we have reached that limit. It is very bewildering.
I believe America has watched Europe with interest, and for at least with a sort of hope or affection.

And of one thing I am most certain. In the present conflict, all that is best in the United States of America, should be ON THE SIDE of the parent civilization.

NOT against the parent, but against the civilization, of
not on the side of the tartar and muscovite.

I mean quite definitely that the United States should be on
the side of the AXIS **against** bolchevik russia, and
russia's allies.