AN AMERICAN

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1929, Page 7

AN AMERICAN

VIHAYS ON HIS PEOPLE. LONDON, July 22. Calmly and dispassionately, a very witty American who is now in London —Mr G eorge Jean Nathan, the essayist and critic—dissected the nation to which lie belongs when yesterday he talked to a reporter.

“All Americans, except those who represent the arts, are afflicted with an inferiority complex in regard to English people,” said Mr Nathan. “They live in a big country, they deal in big money, and so, quite naturally, they have acquired the habit o r talking big. licit money, as was said a long time ago, cannot buy everything —though it can buy pretty nearly everything.” He smiled slowly as he pulled at his cigar. “ You know,” he resumed, “ the greatest weakness of Americans is that they haven’t got contempt. They have got any amount of, self-confidence, but no contempt. “It was his contempt Of other nations that made Napoleon what lie was —and until Amerrans get contempt the world need not fear them.” He continued: ' “In the United States the intelligent class is a very limited one. There are 120,000,000 people there, and 100,000,000 of them are completely negligible. They think of nothing but 1 money—yet what else should they think about! They have no aspirations beyond it. '

“ Yes, there are far more objectionable classes in the United States than there are in England. There are the “ Uplifters,” for instance. Those are people with an itch for publicity—people to whom nothing is worth while unless it gets them their names in the newspapers.

“ That’s why we have so many societies in America. They are a fairly recent development, and came about in tin's way. A great many men in poor circumstances in small towns made a lot cf money. Their wives, having married poor men, knew nothing a’'ove washing dishes. But the moment their own new Ford drew up outside the house these wives began to see themselves as ‘women of the world.’ As they didn’t know how to iazz, and couldn’t drink —not knowing how to make gin—they went in for 1 culture.’ SEEING THE “SIGHTS.” “ Why do so many Americans come to Europe? Curiosity. They flock to famous places • because, to them, they are 1 sights.’ They come, in fact, simply to see the sights. And how many of them know, anything about - what they look at?” < .

Mr Nathan smiled, his slow smile again. Then lie said, very seriously: “ In spite of the preponderance of objectionable people in America, we have there quite as many charming people as there are in any other country.” And he went on:

“ It is the only country in the world where, among the educated classes, there is unhindered .discussion. Americans are prudes, but nothing disgusts them—and they are afraid of nothing. They have an "open mind If or everything. That is why they see plays which are not allowed to be staged in England. “ That is why, also, Mr Bernard Shaw never shocks the American people. Indeed, m the United States Mr Sliaw would be a most respectable man, and would be invited to address Y.M.C.A. meetings. Mr Shaw merely says most respectable things in a slightly offensive way. Aliy really modern American girl would go to sleep before any of his plays!” Prohibition, said Mr Nathan in conclusion, was “too awful to talk about,” and as for the “talkies,” they were not worth talking about.