NOTES ON EUROPE.
In the articles written on the different European nations visited
I confined myself to certain subjects, but there are a number of
things worthy of comment which were not germane to the matters
discussed. I shall present some of these under the above head.
An American who travels in England in the winter time is sure to
notice the coldness of the cars. The English people do not seem to
notice this, for if they did the matter would certainly be remedied;
but the stranger who has to wrap up in blankets and keep his feet
upon a tank of hot water makes comparisons between the comfort
of the American railway cars and those of England, much to the
disadvantage of the latter. On the continent the temperature of the
cars is higher and travel more pleasant.
Sheep graze in the very suburbs of London. This was a surprise to
me. I saw more sheep in the little traveling that I did in England
than I have seen in the United States east of the Mississippi River
in years of travel. But after one has enjoyed for a few days the
English mutton chop, the best in the world, he understands why
English sheep are privileged to graze upon high priced lands.
The House of Lords is much more elegantly furnished than Parliament,
but it excites curiosity rather than interest. It, too, is small
compared with the number of Lords; but as the Lords seldom attend,
the accommodations are ample. Only three members are required to
constitute a quorum, and it is easy therefore to get together
enough to acquiesce in measures that pass Parliament. So far as any
real influence is concerned, the House of Lords might as well be
abolished; and as only three are necessary to constitute a quorum,
it would only be necessary to reduce the necessary number by three
and make none a quorum to entirely remove this legislative body from
consideration.
The Courts of England are a matter of interest to American lawyers,
and a matter of curiosity to other Americans. As our Supreme Judges
wear gowns, the gown is not so unfamiliar to us; but the wig, which
is still worn by the English judges, barristers and solicitors,
is not seen in this country. The wig is made of white curly hair
and does not reach much below the ears. "When the wearer has black
hair, or red hair, or in fact hair of any color except, white, the
contrast between the wig and the natural hair sometimes excites
a smile from those who are not impressed with the necessity for
this relic of ancient times. In one of the court rooms which I
visited, a son of Charles Dickens was arguing a case, and while I
did not recognize any of the brilliancy and humor that have led me
to place Dickens at the head of the novelists whom I have read, the
son is said to be a reasonably successful lawyer. In one of the
Admiralty Courts a very bushy headed wharfman was testifying to a
salvage contract which he had made and he was quite emphatic in his
assertions that the terms were "'alf and 'alf."
In one of the court rooms Lord Alverstone was presiding, and I had
the pleasure of meeting him afterwards at dinner in Lincoln Inn
Court. He is one of the finest looking men whom I met in England. He
rendered a decision in favor of the United States in the matter of
the recent arbitration with Canada.
Ambassador Joseph Choate placed me under obligations to him, as did
also Secretary of the Legation Henry White, by their many courtesies
extended.
At Mr. Choate's table I had the pleasure of meeting Right Hon. A.
J. Balfour, the present Premier. He strikes one as a scholarly man
rather than as a parliamentary fighter. He has had a remarkable
official career. As he was and is still a bimetallist, I found him a
congenial man to have at my right. Mr. Richie, who left the Cabinet
because of a disagreement with Mr. Balfour on the fiscal question,
sat at my left, and as he was an ardent opponent of protection, I
had no trouble conversing with him. I learned afterwards that Mr.
Balfour and Mr. Richie had not met since the Cabinet rupture. Among
those present at the table was Hon. Leonard Courtney, for many years
a member of Parliament. He was a member of the Royal Commission
that presented the now world renowned report on falling prices. He
also took an active part in opposing the war against the Boers.
In appearance he reminds one of Senator Allen G. Thurman, having
something of the same strength and ruggedness of feature. I am
indebted to him for an opportunity to visit Lincoln Inn Court, where
I met a number of other eminent judges besides Lord Alverstone.
Mr. Moreton Frewen was also a guest of Ambassador Choate on that
occasion. He has frequently visited the United States and has
written much on the subject of silver. When he came to the United
States soon after the election in 1896, and was told that there
had been some repeating in some of the cities, he inquired, "Is
it not twice as honest to vote twice for honest money as to vote
once?" I found, however, that he was working with the Chamberlain
protectionists, who, by the way, call themselves "tariff reformers."
He had found a Bible passage which he was using on the stump. It
was taken from Genesis. Pharaoh said to someone who inquired of him,
"Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do." It seems, however, from
the more recent elections, that the people have refused to identify
the modern Joseph with the ancient one.
At Mr. Choate's table the subject of story telling was discussed,
and some comment made about the proverbial slowness of the
Englishman in catching the point of American stories. I determined
to test this with a story and told of the experience of the minister
who was arguing against the possibility of perfection in this life.
He asked his congregation: "Is there anyone here who is perfect?" No
one arose. "Is there anyone in the congregation who has ever seen a
perfect person?" No one arose. Continuing his inquiry, he asked, "Is
there anyone here who has ever heard of a perfect person?" A very
meek little woman arose in the rear of the room. He repeated his
question to be sure that she understood, and as she again declared
that she had heard of such a person, he asked her to give the name
of the perfect person of whom she had heard. She replied, "My
husband's first wife." All the Englishmen at the table saw the point
of the story at once, and one of them remarked that he thought the
story would be appreciated wherever domestic life is known.
It was my good fortune to meet in London Mr. Sidney Webb and his
talented wife, both of whom have written extensively on municipal
ownership and industrial co-operation.
One of the most interesting figures in European journalism is Sir
Alfred Harmsworth, proprietor of the London Daily Mail. He has
achieved a remarkable success and is still a young man. His country
home, some thirty miles out from London, is an old English castle
which he recently secured for a long term of years. The house was
built more than three hundred years ago by one of the kings for a
favorite courtier. The estate is large enough to include farm and
pasture lands and a well stocked hunting preserve. Lady Harmsworth
is one of the most beautiful women in the kingdom and entertains
lavishly.
The average foreigner does not have any higher opinion than the
American does of those "international marriages" by means of
which some of the decaying estates of titled foreigners are being
restored, but there are many marriages between our people and
Europeans which rest upon affection and congeniality. The union
of Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain and the daughter of Ex-Secretary
Endicott, who was at the head of the Navy Department during Mr.
Cleveland's first administration, is a notable illustration. Mrs.
Chamberlain is a charming and accomplished woman and justly popular
with the Britons as well as with the Americans who visit England.
The American tourist is sure to find some of his countrymen
stranded in London. I met several of them. Most of them represented
themselves as related to prominent political friends, and these
I could assist without inquiring too closely into the alleged
relationship, but one case of a different kind failed to appeal to
me. A lady who attached a high sounding title to her name sent her
secretary to solicit aid. He represented her as an American who had
against her parents' wishes married a titled Englishman; her husband
had deserted her and her physician had told her that her health
required that she spend the winter in Southern France. Her American
relatives were rich, I was assured, but she was too proud to let
them know of her misfortune. It was a sad story even when told by a
secretary (how she could afford one I do not know), but I did not
feel justified in encouraging a pride that led her to make her wants
known to strangers rather than to her own kin.
In my article on the growth of municipal ownership (it will be found
on another page), I referred to the work of John Burns, the noted
labor leader of London. I may add here that his seven or eight years
old son is the handsomest child that I saw in England. I was on the
stage at Lord Rosebery's meeting and my attention was attracted to
a child of unusual beauty sitting just in front of me. I asked the
gentleman at my side whether he was a fair sample of the English
boy; he replied that he was an excellent representative. Soon
afterward the mother introduced herself to me as the wife of John
Burns. I thought it an interesting coincidence that I should admire
the child unconscious of his relationship to the man who had the day
before impressed me so favorably.
And, speaking of Mr. Burns, I reproduce below an item which appeared
in one of the London papers the day after I returned Mr. Burns'
call. He sent it to me with the remark that it probably differed
from the personal items to which I was accustomed. It reads:--
"Mr. Burns' Mysterious Visitor.
"Just before ten o'clock this (Friday) morning a hansom cab
(plentifully bespattered with gilt coronets) stopped outside the
residence of Mr. Burns, Lavender Hill. A person alighted and
was received with every appearance of cordiality by Mr. Burns,
who escorted him into the house. We believe the visitor was
Lord Rosebery; he certainly bore a striking resemblance to that
childlike peer. Possibly, however, it was only the King of Italy.
In diplomatic circles it has been known for a long time that his
Italian Majesty intended to visit the Municipal Mecca for much
the same reasons that induced Peter the Great of Russia to come
to England. It was known, also, that he would come in some sort
of disguise. That Mr. Burns' visitor this morning was a person of
importance is evidenced by the fact that a constable in uniform
and two or three other men (probably secret service officers) were
in waiting when the cab drew up. They stood round the visitor and
the constable saluted respectfully. A uniformed policeman had been
in the neighborhood of Mr. Burns' house and the 'Crown' all the
morning."[14]
[14] NOTE--It was an ordinary cab and no policemen or secret service
men were in sight.--Editor.
Westminster Abbey is one of the places which the visitor cannot
well neglect. It was originally the burial place of royalty, and as
the guide shows you the tablets and statues which perpetuate the
memory of warrior kings and tells you how this king killed that one,
and that king killed another, you recall the story of the American
minister who concluded a very short discourse at the funeral of a
man of questionable character by saying, "Some believe that he was
a tolerable good man, while others believe that he was a very bad
man, but whether he was good or bad we have this consolation, that
he is dead." It is a relief to pass from the bloody annals of the
earlier days and from the bloody deeds of ancient royalty to that
part of the building which is honored by memorials of the great men
in modern English life. To the American the most noted of those
recently buried in Westminster Abbey was Gladstone. His life spanned
the present and the past generation, and his character and talents
are regarded as a part of the heritage of English speaking people.
A description of the Art Gallery, the public buildings, the Tower,
and of the many interesting and historic places would occupy more
space than I can spare at this time.
I shall pass from England with one observation. Upon the streets of
London, and in fact throughout the British Isles, the rule is to
"turn to the left." The American notices this at once, and until he
becomes accustomed to it he is in danger of collision. If England
and the United States ever come together in an unfriendly way, it
will probably be accounted for by the difference in our rules. We
will be turning to the right while she will be turning to the left.
Queenstown, Ireland, the first town to greet the tourist when he
reaches Northern Europe and the last to bid him farewell when he
departs, is a quaint and interesting old place. It is near the City
of Cork, and the names upon the signs--the Murphys, the McDonalds,
the O'Briens, etc., are so familiar that one might suppose it to
be an American colony. Here the returning traveler has a chance
to spend any change which he has left, for black thorn canes and
shillalahs, "Robert Emmett" and "Harp of Erin" handkerchiefs and
lace collars are offered in abundance. The price of these wares
has been known to fall considerably as the moment of departure
approaches. At Queenstown one can hear the Irish brogue in all its
richness and if he takes a little jaunt about the town he can enjoy
the humor for which the Irish are famed.
Scotland has a hardy population, due probably to the climate. Even
near the southern boundary, the weather was quite wintry before
Thanksgiving Day of last year. Scotch plaids are in evidence at the
stores and the visitor has an opportunity to buy traveling blankets
bearing the figures and the colors of the various Scottish clans.
As I visited Scotland to study municipal ownership I reserved for a
future trip a visit to the places of natural and historic interest.
Strange that a narrow channel should make such a difference as there
is between the Englishman and the Frenchman. Some one has said,
"not only is England an island, but each Englishman is an island."
This puts the case a little too strongly, but one notices that the
French are much more gregarious than the English and more inclined
to sociability. Their attention to strangers while not more sincere
is more marked.
Paris seems to be the favorite place for residence for Americans who
desire to live in Europe. The climate is milder, the attractions are
more numerous and the cooking, it is said, is the best in the world.
The automobile seems to have captured Paris, possibly because of its
many wide streets and boulevards.
While the tipping system may not be worse in France than in other
countries, it is certainly nowhere more fully developed. It is said
that in some of the fashionable restaurants of Paris the tips are so
valuable that the waiters, instead of receiving wages, pay a bonus
for a chance to serve. But all over Europe service of every kind is
rewarded with tips, and a failure to comply with the custom makes
the delinquent a persona non grata. At the hotels all the attendants
seem to get notice of the intended departure of a guest and they
line up to receive a remembrance--porter, chambermaid, valet,
bell-boy, elevator man, and some whose faces are entirely new to the
guest. The cab-drivers collect the fare fixed by city ordinance and
expect a tip besides. Ten per cent is the amount usually given and
anything less fails to elicit thanks. An Irish jaunting car driver
at Queenstown took out his tip in making change. While the traveler
is often tempted to rebel against the tip system as it is found in
Europe, he finally concludes that he can not reform a continent in
one brief visit and submits with as good grace as possible.
Guides can be found at all the leading hotels and they are well
worth what they charge. They are acquainted with all places of
interest, and can act as interpreters if one wants to make inquiries
or do shopping.
The rivers of Europe which have been immortalized in poetry and
song--the rivers whose names we learn when as children we study
geography--are a little disappointing. The Thames at London, the
Seine at Paris, the Tiber at Rome, the Danube at Vienna, the Spree
at Berlin, the Po in northern Italy, and the Rhine are not as
large as fancy has pictured; but the lakes of Switzerland surpass
description.
I regretted that I could not visit the Bay of Naples for I never
think of it without recalling the lines:
I care not if
My little skiff
Floats swift or slow
From cliff to cliff.
With dreamful eyes
My spirit lies
Under the walls
Of Paradise.
Surely it must be a delightfully restful place if it justifies the
description given by the poet.
I was disappointed that I did not have time to see more of Germany.
Berlin was the only city in which I stopped, and the fact that
the holiday festivities were at their height made it difficult to
prosecute any investigation. In another article I have discussed
the German socialistic propaganda, and I shall here content myself
with calling attention to their railroad system. The total railroad
mileage at the end of the year 1900, as reported by the American
consul, was 28,601. Of this mileage private companies owned 2,573,
and the federal government 798, the remainder was owned by the
various German states, some of the states owning but a few miles of
line. The ownership of the railroads by the various states does not
in the least interfere with the operation of the lines. The plan in
operation in Germany suggests the possibility of state ownership in
this country as distinguished from federal ownership.
In Austria I saw for the first time the systematic cultivation of
forests. In some places the various plantings were near enough
together to show trees of all sizes. At one side the trees were but
a few feet in height while those at the other side of the forest
were being converted into fuel.
Vienna, the capital of Austria, is not the "Old Vienna" which
was reproduced at the Chicago World's Fair and at the Buffalo
Exposition, but is a substantial, new, and up-to-date city. The
stores exhibit an endless variety of leather goods, and I found
there, as also in Belgium, many novelties in iron, steel and brass.
Russia deserves more attention than I could give it in the articles
on Tolstoy and the czar. It is a land of wonderful resources and
possibilities, and is making great progress considering the fact
that a large proportion of the population has so recently emerged
from serfdom. The peasants live in villages as in France and their
life is primitive compared with life in the larger cities. There
has been rapid growth in manufacturing, commerce and art. Besides
furnishing one of the greatest of novelists, Tolstoy, who is also
the greatest of living philosophers, Russia has given to the world
many others who are prominent in literature and in art. There is an
art gallery at Moscow devoted almost entirely to the work of Russian
artists. Here one finds a most interesting collection, a large
number of the pictures being devoted to home scenes and historic
events. In this gallery the nude in art is noticeable by its
absence. In the art gallery at St. Petersburg most of the paintings
are by foreign artists. There is in this gallery a wonderful
collection of cameos, jewelry and precious stones.
I found in Russia a very friendly feeling toward the United States.
Prince Hilkoff, who is at the head of the Siberian railroad, speaks
English fluently, as do nearly all the other prominent officials. He
informed me that he visited the United States about 1858 and crossed
the plains by wagon. He inquired about the Platte river and its
branches and remembered the names of the forts along the route.
I have spoken in another article of the deep hold which the Greek
Church has upon the people of Russia. A story which I heard in St.
Petersburg illustrates this. An American residing there asked her
cook to go to market after some pigeons, or doves as they are more
often called. The latter was horrified at the thought and refused,
saying, "The Holy Ghost descended upon our Saviour in the form of a
dove and it might be in one of these." Another American was rebuked
by her servant, who when told to throw something out of the window
replied, "This is Easter and Christ is risen. He might be passing by
at this moment."
In Russia we find the extremes. The government is the most arbitrary
known among civilized nations and yet in Russia are to be found some
of the most advanced and devoted advocates of civil liberty. Nowhere
is the doctrine of force more fully illustrated and yet from Russia
come the strongest arguments in favor of non-resistance. The poison
and the antidote seem to be found near together in the world of
thought as well as in the physical world.
[Illustration: GODDESS OF LIBERTY IN NEW YORK HARBOR--A WELCOME
SIGHT TO THE RETURNING TRAVELER.]
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.
Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been retained
as printed including unpaired quotation marks.
The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up
paragraphs, thus the page number of the illustration might not match
the page number in the List of Illustrations.
Page 163: "which Señor Gregoria Agilpay is the head. Obispo Maximo
Aglipay" ... this stands as printed in the book.