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PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION

art, literature, science, religion, and government—in a word,
in civilization.

This lurid chromo, painted in crude and primary colors, is
clearly the Shavian reflection of English press-opinion of Amer-
ica and the Americans—if it is not one of Mr. Shaw's mosi
successful comic fictions. In whatever proportion jest and
earnest may be commingled in such a comic fiction, certainly il
is disappointing to find a man who has often proven himseli
an exceedingly clear-sighted observer and astute thinker wit!
respect to subjects upon which he is fully informed, betray s<
pathetic an ignorance of the realities of American life. Mr
Shaw has been content to acquire his notions concerning America
at second hand, and often at third and fourth-—a method oi
acquiring information which is to be recommended for easj
rather than for accuracy. !

The English newspaper is, actually, a standing menace to pei
fectly equable relations between England and America. Ther
js a yellowness of sensationalism, and there is a yellowness d
Deliberate misrepresentation. There is a deeper, more subt]
inaccuracy than that which inheres in .the distortion of facts
it is the inaccuracy which inheres in the suppression of facts
The picture of America daily presented to English eyes throug
the medium of the English press is a caricature—a broad, cruel
caricature. It is so flagrant as to lead to the lurid chromo d
America achieved by Mr. Shaw. The English visitor to tl
United States, who gets no further than the hotels of the gre^
cities and the rear platform of an observation car, catches on]
the most superficial of impressions—chiefly of the hurri^
metropolitan search for wealth and of the natural, still almoj
primitive, wildness of the landscape. England means censoriouj
ness; and English curiosity and inquisitiveness are more thg
often misguided—searching into and accentuating those phasl
of American life and character which are most open to adverl
criticism, and overlooking or ignoring those indicative featurj
and attributes which are most suggestive in their utility aij
value. • • |

In reality, England and America have much to learn fre|

each other that will be mutually helpful and beneficial. Th|

spirit of generosity which characterizes America in her relatioj

' • • ' • xvi ' i



	PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION art, literature, science, religion, and government—in a word, in civilization. This lurid chromo, painted in crude and primary colors, is clearly the Shavian reflection of English press-opinion of Amer- ica and the Americans—if it is not one of Mr. Shaw's mosi successful comic fictions. In whatever proportion jest and earnest may be commingled in such a comic fiction, certainly il is disappointing to find a man who has often proven himseli an exceedingly clear-sighted observer and astute thinker wit! respect to subjects upon which he is fully informed, betray s< pathetic an ignorance of the realities of American life. Mr Shaw has been content to acquire his notions concerning America at second hand, and often at third and fourth-—a method oi acquiring information which is to be recommended for easj rather than for accuracy. ! The English newspaper is, actually, a standing menace to pei fectly equable relations between England and America. Ther js a yellowness of sensationalism, and there is a yellowness d Deliberate misrepresentation. There is a deeper, more subt] inaccuracy than that which inheres in .the distortion of facts it is the inaccuracy which inheres in the suppression of facts The picture of America daily presented to English eyes throug the medium of the English press is a caricature—a broad, cruel caricature. It is so flagrant as to lead to the lurid chromo d America achieved by Mr. Shaw. The English visitor to tl United States, who gets no further than the hotels of the gre^ cities and the rear platform of an observation car, catches on] the most superficial of impressions—chiefly of the hurri^ metropolitan search for wealth and of the natural, still almoj primitive, wildness of the landscape. England means censoriouj ness; and English curiosity and inquisitiveness are more thg often misguided—searching into and accentuating those phasl of American life and character which are most open to adverl criticism, and overlooking or ignoring those indicative featurj and attributes which are most suggestive in their utility aij value. • • \| In reality, England and America have much to learn fre\| each other that will be mutually helpful and beneficial. Th\| spirit of generosity which characterizes America in her relatioj ' • • ' • xvi ' i