The first impression—­perhaps the strongest—­is a loss of permanent interest in Europe, especially all Europe outside of this Kingdom.  I have never had the illusion that Europe had many things that we needed to learn.  The chief lesson that it has had, in my judgment, is the lesson of the art of living—­the comforts and the courtesies of life, the refinements and the pleasures of conversation and of courteous conduct.  The upper classes have this to teach us; and we need and can learn much from them.  But this seems to me all—­or practically all.  What we care most for are individual character, individual development, and a fair chance for every human being.  Character, of course, the English have—­immense character, colossal character.  But even they have not the dimmest conception of what we mean by a fair chance for every human being—­not the slightest.  In one thousand years they may learn it from us.  Now on the continent, the only important Nation that has any character worth mentioning is the French.  Of course the little nations—­some of them—­have character, such as Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.  But these are all.  The others are simply rotten.  In giving a free chance to every human creature, we’ve nothing to learn from anybody.  In character, I bow down to the English and Scotch; I respect the Frenchman highly and admire his good taste.  But, for our needs and from our point of view, the English can teach us only two great lessons—­character and the art of living (if you are rich).

The idea that we were brought up on, therefore, that Europe is the home of civilization in general—­nonsense!  It’s a periodical slaughter-pen, with all the vices that this implies.  I’d as lief live in the Chicago stock-yards.  There they kill beeves and pigs.  Here they kill men and (incidentally) women and children.  I should no more think of encouraging or being happy over a child of mine becoming a European of any Nation than I should be happy over his fall from Grace in any other way.

     Our form of government and our scheme of society—­God knows they
     need improving—­are yet so immeasurably superior, as systems, to
     anything on this side the world that no comparison need be made.

My first strong impression, then, is not that Europe is “effete”—­that isn’t it.  It is mediaeval—­far back toward the Dark Ages, much of it yet uncivilized, held back by inertia when not held back by worse things.  The caste system is a constant burden almost as heavy as war itself and often quite as cruel.

The next impression I have is, that, during the thousand years that will be required for Europe to attain real (modern) civilization, wars will come as wars have always come in the past.  The different countries and peoples and governments