But the chief merit of Mx, Guedalla's book is that its temper is never destructive, The things that he disliked in' America are things that are more heartily resented by the best American themselves than they can be by any stranger, and such readers cannot but be grateful to a traveller who with so much wit and discretion adds weight to the attack that the best mind of America itself is delivering with daily determination, If, indeed, Mr, Guedalla's mic erocosm stopped short at these pardonable censures, his American friends might observe that they could well enough look to their own reforms; but the sallies of "Cone quistador" are but the. occasional gestures of a visitor whose normal attitude is courteous, and often constructively sympathetic. It is clear that Mr. Guedalla enjoyed his trip across the American continent hugely, and no one can enjoy that formidable Journey in a mood of antagonism. In his senso of a vast conglomeration of peoples striving towards national character, ho can, even find something to excuse the manifest absurdities of Chicago's Big Bill Thompson, while his pages. abound in handsome acknowledgment of the riper graces that are everywhere to be found across America in amazing proximity to rude unreason, Nowhere in the world ji contact between fair and foul close, nor, it may be added, is the contrast' 40 sharply—define America's best is splendidly credit to modern eivilfuation, and it is an added testimony to that best that it is vindicating itsd? in hand-to-hand conflict with her very. unlovely worst. Nowhere are moral and intellectual courage more closely osset, and nowhere are these virtues putting up a sturdier fight.
The Western Universities Mr, Guedalla's book leaves us with a clear and hopeful impression of the contest, And as a single example of ite' deeper wisdom, let me offer this of the great Western State Universities: tera" Universities by" ure inwards; and they will stand But the absorbing. ess of American, education elementary schools andy Secondary" Grade, in. State Universe there the. broth. of the melting-pot swirls round? and the "brew wil find. the buad anon thei That, in a few words, is a prox found contribution to a subject om which our old-world opinion is often frivolously ignorant, Many of his chapters are, hows fever, to be read in the spirit pure fun, of which he #0 enzaginge has the secret, The heart of Any man or woman who has faced fan American Teeture tour will warm. to the lively confessions of "Pinte form" and. "Questions," "and the graphic notes of landscape and customs to be found in "Dry-Points"™ and clowhere are fall of delicate amusement.
Mfr, Guedatle no doubt volume as an aside bes sustained historical studies, but it isa very beguiling tone, and his admirers will, T think, observe with pleasure that his very Personal and effective style is steadily becomifig more disciplixied, This waa evident in the later chapters of "Palmerston," and in "Conquistador" we find 'a greatly gifted writer becoming yet my surely master of himself—*Sunt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.