American adventures : a second trip "Abroad at home" . encearose to their feet; others soon followed—some of themapparently with reluctance—until at last the entire househad risen. Meanwhile the members of the companylined up before the footlights: the mock president smirk-ing at the center, the half-clad girls posing, the pinkyoung lady dangling above, the band blaring, the Starsand Stripes awave. It w^as a scene, in all, about as con-ducive to genuine or creditable national pride as wouldl)e the scene of a debauch in some fabulous harem. The difiference between stupidity and satire lies, not
American adventures : a second trip "Abroad at home" . encearose to their feet; others soon followed—some of themapparently with reluctance—until at last the entire househad risen. Meanwhile the members of the companylined up before the footlights: the mock president smirk-ing at the center, the half-clad girls posing, the pinkyoung lady dangling above, the band blaring, the Starsand Stripes awave. It w^as a scene, in all, about as con-ducive to genuine or creditable national pride as wouldl)e the scene of a debauch in some fabulous harem. The difiference between stupidity and satire lies, notinfrequently, in the intent with which a thing is without essential change upon the stage of amusic hall in some foreign land, the scene just describedwould, at that time, when we w^ere playing a timid partamongst the nations, have been accepted, not as a glori-fication of the United States, but as having a preciselyopposite significance. It would have been taken forburlesque; burlesque upon our country, our President, 24 so a- P o. A BALTIMORE EVENING our national spirit, our peace policy, our army, and per-haps also upon our women—and insulting burlesque atthat. Some years since, it was found necessary to pass a lawprohibiting the use of the flag for advertising law should be amended to protect it also fromthe even more sordid and vulgarizing associations towhich it is not infrequently submitted on the Americanmusical-comedy stage. In the morning, before I was awake, my companionarrived at the hotel, and, going to his room, opened thedoor connecting it with mine. Coming out of my slum-ber with that curious and not altogether pleasant senseof being stared at, I found his eyes fixed upon me, andnoticed immediately about him the air of virtuous su-periority which is assumed by all who have risen early,whether they have done so by choice or have been shakenawake. Hello, I said. Had breakfast? No. I thought we could breakfast together if youfelt
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1917
