52 MY AMERICAN FRIENDS

remarkably well informed, and I wondered how
far I should have to travel at home before finding
an English lady who knew as much about the
cabinet ministers in Washington. Finally she
broke out into expressions of admiration which,
from the way they were delivered, I think were
genuine. " My! you British are a great people.
Just great! | You're an example to the whole
world. Yes," sir! An example to the whole
world! " I asked her an example of what ?—for
I was by no means as confident on the point as
she was. " An example of how to grasp the
nettle," she answered, " that's just what our
politicians can't do—or rather daren't do. Yes,
sir; the British are great: and they let you know
-it when they're fighting with their backs to the
wall, though they don't show it tilLthen."

Then she broke out into a lamentation over
American politicians, which differed from many
others I have heard on the same subject from
American women. It ran somewhat as follows.

"Do you know how we fight Presidential
elections ? I'll tell you. Both parties begin
about a year before the election by boosting the
big things they're going to stand for. But as the
election draws nearer these big questions begin
to be shelved, because each party feels it is certain
to lose votes if it touches them one way or another,
either for or against. Take prohibition, for
example. Both parties are talking big about it
now—the Republicans mostly for, the Democrats