TOO BUMPTIOUS

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 229, 28 September 1926, Page 8

TOO BUMPTIOUS

THE AMERICAN MANNER. - ILL FEELING ABROAD. AVARY1NG FROM PRESIDENT. SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7. The "buiiiptious" American, to use tho term employed by liimseH, is, iu the opinion ol! Pfesident Coolidge, getting his comitry into had odour abroad, aiul is lesponsible toi' tlie .anti-Ainei'ican outbursts iu Euiope, in which tourists froiu tlie Unitetl States have been attacked hy people on tlie houlevards oi Paris. Iu an offieial sta-tement, on behalt oi Ihe President, a salutory warning is ssucd by the President as to how Americans should heliave abroad; il they are not prepaaed to do so, they should, it s'ays, stay at hqme and spend their surplus money. For . the past year or so Canada has suffered a good deal oi displea.sure from Am-enican visitors wlio have made themselves obno'xious by the displa-v of the Stars and Stripes on their motor-cars. Nine-tenths of the six million Americans who annually visit Canada hy motor appear to liave fallen into the liabit oi fc.stooning their automobiles with flags. In many cases, to be sure, the Union Jack is cariied, but it is relegated to a minor position, and Canadians, who do their utmost to make tlie visitors comfoi'tahle, feel keenly the affront offered them. They would much p-refer tliat no flag be cariied at all, as is tlie case iu all other British Domiiiions. Tlie Autoniobli© Association oi th-e United States, a mightv organisation, with millions of members has broadcasted a warning to its members urging them to desist from thus offending the' susbeptibiliti.es of Canadians. Tlie statement of the Spokes'hian of the AVhitc House is tlie fourth warning that has been issued within a year to people of the United States as to their. attitude towards the rest oi the world, which is observing them keenly in their super-prosper-ity. One was not ro be prodigal in their disiplay of wealt-h, anotlier to be tolerant, -a third to avoid pagan materja-lsim, and "n"o\^ "the toilrtli is' not to offiend people of other co>untries by £ ' bumptiousness'. ' IRRESPON SIBLE TOURISTS No language oould be stronger or more direct than tliat of the Spokesman's statement. "The Executive mates an unoffiei.nl apology to the peoplcs of Europe for tlie antics of irresponsible tourists abroad, and expresses the hope that their unwarranted criticisms and reeriminations be not taken as coming from this Government, or regarded as an expression of publie sentiment geherally in tlie United States." "A plea for greater tolerance and a more kindly attitude towards Europe is made. Those who fmd things abroad not to their liking should remain at home. The President has

looked earefully into conditions abroad, particularly with resipect tothe wave of resentment against the United States which is spreading through Eiuropean nations, and he has oome to tlie conclusion that travelling Americans have only theMiselves to blame. "The President divides American tourists into two classes — those of a bumptious nature, given to making hoastful statements, not founded on facfcs, and those of a greater culture who are aiV'iro of the eommon ainenities of civilisation. If those in ihe first gronp, in their travels abroad, have learned that there are other people iu the world with equal pride in their own Goyernments apd their own mpdesi of living, President Coolidge feels that they have gained something, and oertainlv that no great harin has heen donc. For the second class — the more intelligeint group - the President suggests tliat if things abroad are not to their liking the United States offers a. splenclicl field for Spend ing their money. EURORE'S DIFEICULT PROBLEMS. "It is rnost .heoessary at the present time that Americans keep alwavs in mind tliat Europe is how going through a very difficu.lt period. The President ea 11s atteiition to Europe's ■ tre-mendous war losses, and to its troiiblesouie business and economic situat'ioh, With this in mind, the American should tuni towarcl Europe in a sympathatic mood. "This Goverrment lias plone what it can to help, and has been suceessfiil in a good many ways, but the most helpful thing that can be done is to make all due allowances and refrain from indulging unwarranted criticisms and reeriminations. Americans should be thaukful for their own oonditions, but at the sanie tinie should manife-st a desire to help others. ^ "As the oue holding offioo for tlie. toreign relatfons of the United Staties, President Coolidge I'egrets there are some people prone to make assertions in Europe which are not always facts, and thereby stir up animosity. AVhen this occurs, the Executive hopes that the people abroad will realiso that the statements oome from an irresponsible elernent. and do not represent the view of tliis Government on the true sentiment ©f the American publie. "The same rule, the ■ President hopes, also will apiplv in the rever.se . wh-enever an alien m the United States makes critical statements." The text of tlie statement appeared in full in the United States Daily, a rather unique new newsjjptaper, published in AVashington, which publishes only tlie doings of the Executive, the Cabinet, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Department of State. No comment is made; there are no editorials nor advertisements. — AVellingtoh Post's correspondeht.