MAX O'RELL ON THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1900, 3 July 1890, Page 35

MAX O'RELL ON THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA.

Max O'Rell, the humorous French author, in making his last public appearance in Boston gave what he aptly termed "a causerie on America through French glasses." To the eyes of a foreigner, he said, the most marked characteristics of Americans were the universal intelligence, industry, aud good humour everywhere observable. Here men generally are better informed upon contemporary events, at home and abroad, than in any country in the world. In Europe the man who can live upon his income doea no work, and is called a ! " gentleman," but in this country, notably in the West, he is called a loafer. While in Chicago recently I saw the proprietor of one of the newspapers there, a i man 82 years of age, and worth several millions of dollars, working at his desk as hard as the humblest employe at 1 o'clock in the morning. That is something that could be Been in no other country, and I venture to hope that the time is not far distant when your American influence will become so powerful abroad that the •« gentleman " of tc-day will be properly termed, as he is here, a loafer. The national good humour of Americans is a characteristic of a simple, honest people ; for America is a young nation, and why should she not possess those qualities natural to childhood. To be sure they lead men to take liberties with you occasionally, but while such men would be intolerable bores in Europe, in America they are simply "good fellows." To illustrate how incapable an Englishman ib of appreciating American humour, the speaker told how a year or two ago Ohauncey M. Depew and himself were guests of the White Star line, upon the occasion oi a trial trip of the steamship Teutonic. The British Admiralty was represented, and among the many •peakers was Mr Depew, yrtio fawttottsly wtarea to foe fritiiii

warriors as Invincible In peace and invisible in war. The joke completely missed fire, and one of the naval officers, when told that Mr Depew was one of the greatest American ' speakers, said, "Well, his remarks to-day were in very bad taste." Upon another occasion Mr Depew followed General Horace Porter in a speech before some gathering of jolly fellows. When General Porter sat down Mr Depew arose and accused General Porter of having used up all his (Depew's) jokes. Mr Depew continued that the General had on the voyage across the ocean bad access to bis notes, and had evidently profited by that privilege at Mr Depew's expense. An Englishman present whispered to his neighbour, "That was not the act of a gentleman." An anecdote showing humour of a peculiar kind was related by Mr O'Eell as follows :— A short time ago I lectured to the students of a religious college in Ohio. The president of the college, a clergyman, introduced me by means of a prayer, in which he said substantially : " Oh, Lord, Thou knowest occasional relaxation from work to be necessary, We have to-day, here, a friend from France, whose wit is subtle, and we pray Thee to so prepare our minds that we may understand and appreciate his utterances." " The request was granted," remarked Mr O'Rell.— (Great laughter.) As an instance of the American way of receiving an unsatisfactory-sermon, the speaker quoted a telegram from the Boston Globe to the effect that in Kansas City recently a minister's nose had been bitten off by a member of the congregation who was not satisfied with something contained in the sermon. The speaker concluded that as the editor of the Globe made no comment upon the case it was probably an ordinary piece of news, not at all surprising to Americans. The lecturer paid a clever tribute to the Irish American, whom, he said, while loving his adopted country always preserved a warm spot in his heart for the land of his birth, a characteristic more marked in the Irish race ( than in any other in the world. Ireland, also, was the only nation where wit was common, even among the lowliest. In conclusion, Mr O'Rell said the most charming side of the American's character is seen in his treatment of women. In France and England the men decide what the women shall do, and they do it; but in America she decides for herself, as she should, and for this both she and the men are to be congratulated, for where women are the most influential there you find the soundest morality. The social position of women in France, England, and America is admirably illustrated by the manner in which a married couple enters a hotel dining room. In France the wife enters, leaning upon the arm of her husband; in England, John Bull stalks in first, with a frown upon his visage, while his wife follows timidly behind; in America, mark the majestic entrance of Mrs Jonathan first and Jonathan bringing up the rear.— (Laughter.)