Americans, I have come to conclude, are a hysterical people, much given to morbid feeling. Whether it be a Government scandal such as I cheve been speaking about, or a wedding or funeral the sorrow into @ picul flock to point of interest, a ig funeral or the scene of a crime, like traditional bargain hunters. They make holiday of the most solemn occasions. As I write I think of Poor Valentino's passing. Morbid curiosity combined with sincere sorrow at the bier of the great film "sheik" in New York during the greater part of two days. to cause shocking spectacle. Thousands of People struggled to gain access to the undertaking establishment where the body lay. Police guards were necessary and were at times ineffective to prevent shocking scenes of rioting. The streets Jwere packed with milling crowds, who only after hours of effort were reduced to some semblance of order. When at last the people were formed mtg line and the thousands filed through the place, it was evident that there was more of spectacle seeking than of reverence on the part of the multitude. The decorum of "lying in state" was absent. The majority were plainly out for experience They - giggled and joked, and altogether showed an utter lack of respect for the dead. this respect, the American! people resemble the Chinese; occasions of tragedy and sensation magnetize them. Tu this case the remarkable fame of the dead man the paper 1 quote above ium upon Personal participation tu the funeral rites, and with no reasoning the mob flocked to gain access to the mortuary chambers." Fortunately no one was killed in the series of panics, but many were hurt, and many practically had their cloth torn from their bodies.
"It was a free show' to most of them," says the Washington paper in deprecating the whole affair, "for which really a heavy bill was and which has written another of bad manners against American civilization." may be said truthfully, course, that the Londoner as' well the New Yorker likes watching] 'a show. Merely let it be announced that a member of the Royal Family {is to. pass through London at any hour pf the day or night and Londoners will stop work or rob} themselves from sleep willingly to witness the Royal procession. But there is a difference. The Londoner enjoys his pleasures much more quietly than the New Yorker, who, no matter what the occasion may' be and whether he knows even what all about, will make any excuse to do some "flag-wagging" stunt.
In tennis circles val. over the country people are anxiously awaiting the coming of Suzanne. Your readers will, of course, be aware that a week or two ago Suzanne Lenglen signed a contract to undertake a four months' tour in the United States during: the autumn and winter months. The spectacular French tennis star gave in under! the persuasion of Mr. Charles Pyle, the American sports promoter, and agreed to come over to the United States and play fom Maine to California, and also in Canada, Mexico and Cuba.
Tt is expected, however, that the contests in which Mdlle. Lenglen will take part will be played in covered courts. The reason she is tcking this step is pur et simple the dollar. At least so here. Her racquet will earn her anything between 100,000 and 200,000 gold dollars, and 'a lot of money when transferred into franes. If she number of illusive are many who will agree with. me when I say that she should do so. Of course, she turns—professional, but in this country that is what is expected of her. Two men who are called pugilists agree to fight, Before they come to that agreement i is regularly understood that the amount of money that they have them before they agree upon the event. Unless it is they will not Fight. But when they do fight they clear up a "gate" of anything up quarter of a million dollars, Wel, then, why should a tennis player not do the same thing?
It is also likely that before she goes back to. France. alle, Lenglen will be engaged Yor of course, will bring in a few more thousand' shekels. Miss Ryan is spoken of as Suzanne's opponent in this professional tour, but this has yet to be confirmed.' By the time the tour commences outdoor }season will be over in this country—that is, except in states like Florida and California, and it is expected, that matches will be played in city auditoriums and large halls. Much as one may regret that one of the world's most brilliant exponents of lawn tennis should fall to the lure of the screaming eagle, common sense decrees that, if our brilliant, tennis players follow the game with {single-minded professional devotion, they are entitled to compensation—far more compensation than any but a very few of them are ever likely to get, 'Can California' Raise Rubber?
California marketable quantities. She that very soon Californian si be known in the silk markets of the world. Now comes rubber. Says Hoover: "It is in California the greatest hope of American rubber culture lies. Some experiments have already been made, Jand the results are most encourag. ing. California may become one of the greatest rubber states in the world,"
Probably this statement was made with just slightly more than usual enthusiasm by the Secretary Commerce, for in California few people have heard that experimental tion was being vigorously conducted in the growing of rubber. same, there seems to be no reason why rubber should not be produced the southern sections of the state, where climatic conditions are practically tropical. But to pioneers who set out along the hazardous pathway of rubber growing in a country where labour conditions enn-not even begin to compare with, conditions in. the veal rubber countries, all their grief ix in front, Jof them.' It is, however, well to} know that optimistic Hoover; ig determined that Americans shall consume only rubber, though he wisely from making any act far as either the Philippines or California is concerned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.