AMERICA DEGENERATING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8139, 22 June 1906, Page 4

AMERICA DEGENERATING.

" The rapid growth of a half-caste 1 population in America is producing a decadence oE American energy, and the cocktail habit there is breeding a race of degenerates," writes Ernest Charles, in a singularly ferocious editorial in "Gil Bias" (Paris, March 17). In fine, we can forsee the rapid decline of the United States, a decline precipitated by dissensions botween individual States. Uncle Sam—a great, active, boastful, cynical, ignorant fellow—is threatened by the double scourge of alcoholism and black blood. He -is condemned to burst from plethora or |to succumb in early youth to maladies that belong to senile decay." Charles, who is credited with high ability, ie spurred in his diatribe on Amenoa and Americans by the perusal of American newspapers with details of Aik- iin-o itooseyelt's wedding, Charles, who is far from being alone in his onslaughts, writes: " Never before have wo had such an opportunity to realise the social barbarism—or, if you prefer, the primitive social condition—of the United States as is afforded by the carniyalesque manifestations attending this marriage. In France, a young woman who gave herself up to noisy self-display, such as Miss Roosevelt complacently indulged in on the eve of her marriage and the day after, would have been howled down by the people. We French have still some sense of propriety, which is the very essence of civilisation."

The writer further declares his conviction that the United States, ' in its loud chase for dollars, has attained as near civilisation as is possible From now on, America will begin to slide , backward to. the intel. ectual, moral, and social barbarism from which if has never been entirely emancipated"." Charles deplores that up to now Franco has been misinformed about America " by unbalanced writers returning in ecstasy." Now the truth is appearing ing such works as George Moreau's, which " proves that President Koosevelt's Imperialism is stirring up grave political troubles."