my discovery of england-第6章

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thing　about　the　Mind　of　London。　This　is　a　thing　that　is　always　put　into　any　book　of　discovery　and　observation　and　I　can　only　apologise　for　not　having　discussed　it　sooner。　I　am　quite　familiar　with　other　people's　chapters　on　〃The　Mind　of　America；〃　and　〃The　Chinese　Mind；〃　and　so　forth。　Indeed；　so　far　as　I　know　it　has　turned　out　that　almost　everybody　all　over　the　world　has　a　mind。　Nobody　nowadays　travels；　even　in　Central　America　or　Thibet；　without　bringing　back　a　chapter　on　〃The　Mind　of　Costa　Rica；〃　or　on　the　〃Psychology　of　the　Mongolian。〃　Even　the　gentler　peoples　such　as　the　Burmese；　the　Siamese；　the　Hawaiians；　and　the　Russians；　though　they　have　no　minds　are　written　up　as　souls。

It　is　quite　obvious　then　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　the　mind　of　London：　and　it　is　all　the　more　culpable　in　me　to　have　neglected　it　in　as　much　as　my　editorial　friend　in　New　York　had　expressly　mentioned　it　to　me　before　I　sailed。　〃What；〃　said　he；　leaning　far　over　his　desk　after　his　massive　fashion　and　reaching　out　into　the　air；　〃what　is　in　the　minds　of　these　people？　Are　they；〃　he　added；　half　to　himself；　though　I　heard　him；　〃are　they　thinking？　　And；　if　they　think；　what　do　they　think？〃

I　did　therefore；　during　my　stay　in　London；　make　an　accurate　study　of　the　things　that　London　seemed　to　be　thinking　about。　As　a　comparative　basis　for　this　study　I　brought　with　me　a　carefully　selected　list　of　the　things　that　New　York　was　thinking　about　at　the　moment。　These　I　selected　from　the　current　newspapers　in　the　proportions　to　the　amount　of　space　allotted　to　each　topic　and　the　size　of　the　heading　that　announced　it。　Having　thus　a　working　idea　of　what　I　may　call　the　mind　of　New　York；　I　was　able　to　collect　and　set　beside　it　a　list　of　similar　topics；　taken　from　the　London　Press　to　represent　the　mind　of　London。　The　two　placed　side　by　side　make　an　interesting　piece　of　psychological　analysis。　They　read　as　follows：

　　　　THE　MIND　OF　NEW　YORK　　　　　　　　THE　MIND　OF　LONDON　　　　　　What　is　it　thinking？　　　　　　　　What　is　it　thinking？

　　　　1。　Do　chorus　girls　make　　　　　1。　Do　chorus　girls　marry　　　　　　　　　good　wives？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　well？

　　　　2。　Is　red　hair　a　sign　of　　　　2。　What　is　red　hair　a　　　　　　　　　temperament？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　sign　of？

　　　　3。　Can　a　woman　be　in　　　　　　　　3。　Can　a　man　be　in　love　　　　　　　　love　with　two　men？　　　　　　　　　　with　two　women？

　　　　4。　Is　fat　a　sign　of　genius？　4。　Is　genius　a　sign　of　fat？

Looking　over　these　lists；　I　think　it　is　better　to　present　them　without　comment；　I　feel　sure　that　somewhere　or　other　in　them　one　should　detect　the　heart…throbs；　the　pulsations　of　two　great　peoples。　But　I　don't　get　it。　In　fact　the　two　lists　look　to　me　terribly　like　〃the　mind　of　Costa　Rica。〃

The　same　editor　also　advised　me　to　mingle；　at　his　expense；　in　the　brilliant　intellectual　life　of　England。　〃There；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　coterie　of　men；　probably　the　most　brilliant　group　East　of　the　Mississippi。〃　（I　think　he　said　the　Mississippi）。　〃You　will　find　them；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃brilliant；　witty；　filled　with　repartee。〃　He　suggested　that　I　should　send　him　back；　as　far　as　words　could　express　it；　some　of　this　brilliance。　I　was　very　glad　to　be　able　to　do　this；　although　I　fear　that　the　results　were　not　at　all　what　he　had　anticipated。　Still；　I　held　conversations　with　these　people　and　I　gave　him；　in　all　truthfulness；　the　result。　Sir　James　Barrie　said；　〃This　is　really　very　exceptional　weather　for　this　time　of　year。〃　Cyril　Maude　said；　〃And　so　a　Martini　cocktail　is　merely　gin　and　vermouth。〃　Ian　Hay　said；　〃You'll　find　the　underground　ever　so　handy　once　you　understand　it。〃

I　have　a　lot　more　of　these　repartees　that　I　could　insert　here　if　it　was　necessary。　But　somehow　I　feel　that　it　is　not。



IV。　　A　Clear　View　of　the　Government　and　Politics　of　England

A　LOYAL　British　subject　like　myself　in　dealing　with　the　government　of　England　should　necessarily　begin　with　a　discussion　of　the　monarchy。　I　have　never　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　the　King；except　once　on　the　G。T。R。　platform　in　Orillia；　Ontario；　when　he　was　the　Duke　of　York　and　I　was　one　of　the　welcoming　delegates　of　the　town　council。　No　doubt　he　would　recall　it　in　a　minute。

But　in　England　the　King　is　surrounded　by　formality　and　circumstance。　On　many　mornings　I　waited　round　the　gates　of　Buckingham　Palace　but　I　found　it　quite　impossible　to　meet　the　King　in　the　quiet　sociable　way　in　which　one　met　him　in　Orillia。　The　English；　it　seems；　love　to　make　the　kingship　a　subject　of　great　pomp　and　official　etiquette。　In　Canada　it　is　quite　different。　Perhaps　we　understand　kings　and　princes　better　than　the　English　do。　At　any　rate　we　treat　them　in　a　far　more　human　heart…to…heart　fashion　than　is　the　English　custom；　and　they　respond　to　it　at　once。　I　remember　when　King　Georgehe　was；　as　I　say；　Duke　of　York　thencame　up　to　Orillia；　Ontario；　how　we　all　met　him　in　a　delegation　on　the　platform。　　Bob　CurranBob　was　Mayor　of　the　town　that　yearwent　up　to　him　and　shook　hands　with　him　and　invited　him　to　come　right　on　up　to　the　Orillia　House　where　he　had　a　room　reserved　for　him。　Charlie　Janes　and　Mel　Tudhope　and　the　other　boys　who　were　on　the　town　Council　gathered　round　the　royal　prince　and　shook　hands　and　told　him　that　he　simply　must　stay　over。　George　Rapley；　the　bank　manager；　said　that　if　he　wanted　a　cheque　cashed　or　anything　of　that　sort　to　come　right　into　the　Royal　Bank　and　he　would　do　it　for　him。　The　prince　had　two　aides…de…camp　with　him　and　a　secretary；　but　Bob　Curran　said　to　bring　them　uptown　too　and　it　would　be　all　right。　We　had　planned　to　have　an　oyster　supper　for　the　Prince　at　Jim　Smith's　hotel　and　then　take　him　either　to　the　Y。M。C。A。　Pool　Room　or　else　over　to　the　tea　social　in　the　basement　of　the　Presbyterian　Church。

Unluckily　the　prince　couldn't　stay。　It　turned　out　that　he　had　to　get　right　back　into　his　train　and　go　on　to　Peterborough；　Ontario；　where　they　were　to　have　a　brass　band　to　meet　him；　which　naturally　he　didn't　want　to　miss。

But　the　point　is　that　it　was　a　real　welcome。　And　you　could　see　that　the　prince　appreciated　it。　There　was　a　warmth　and　a　meaning　to　it　that　the　prince　understood　at　once。　It　was　a　pity　that　he　couldn't　have　stayed　over　and　had　time　to　see　the　carriage　factory　and　the　new　sewerage　plant。　We　all　told　the　prince　that　he　must　come　back　and　he　said　that　if　he　could　he　most　certainly　would。　When　the　prince's　train　pulled　out　of　the　station　and　we　all　went　back　uptown　together　（it　was　before　prohibition　came　to　Ontario）　you　could　feel　that　the　institution　of　royalty　was　quite　solid　in　Orillia　for　a　generation。

But　you　don't　get　that　sort　of　thing　in　England。

There's　a　formality　and　coldness　in　all　their　dealings　with　royalty　that　would　never　go　down　with　us。　They　like　to　have　the　King　come　and　open　Parliament　dressed　in　royal　robes；　and　with　a　clattering　troop　of　soldiers　riding　in　front　of　him。　As　for　taking　him　over　to　the　Y。M。C。A。　to　play　pin　pool；　they　never　think　of　it。　They　have　seen　so　much　of　the　mere　outside　of　his　kingship　that　they　don't　understand　the　heart　of　it　as　we　do　in　Canada。

But　let　us　turn　to　the　House　of　Commons：　for　no　description　of　England　would　be　complete　without　at　least　some　mention　of　this　interesting　body。　Indeed　for　the　ordinary　visitor　to　London　the　greatest　interest　of　all　attaches　to　the　spacious　and　magnificent　Parliament　Buildings。　The　House　of　Commons　is　commodiously　situated　beside　the　River　Thames。　The　principal　features　of　the　House　are　the　large　lunch　room　on　the　western　side　and　the　tea…room　on　the　terrace　on　the　eastern。　A　series　of　smaller　luncheon　rooms　extend　（apparently）　all　round　about　the　premises：　while　a　commodious　bar　offers　a　ready　access　to　the　members　at　all　hours　of　the　day。　While　any　members　are　in　the　bar　a　light　is　kept　burning　in　the　tall　Clock　Tower　at　one　corner　of　the　building；　but　when　the　bar　is　closed　the　light　is　turned　off　by　whichever　of　the　Scotch　members　leaves　last。　There　is　a　handsome　legislative　chamber　attached　to　the　premises　from　whichso　the　antiquarians　tell　usthe　House　of　Commons　took　its　name。　But　it　is　not　usual　now　for　the　members　to　sit　in　the　legislative　chamber　as　the　legislation　is　now　all　done　outside；　either　at　the　home　of　Mr。　Lloyd　George；　or　at　the　National　Liberal　Club；　or　at　one　or　other　of　the　newspaper　offices。　The　House；　however；　is　called　together　at