The remarks of the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Southampton
on his return from New York three weeks ago, and especially those which appeared to give the impression that the American Middle West is less well- informed on European matters than the Eastern States, were certainly capable of being interpreted in a way that the speaker never intended. It is true that in the Middle West and Pacific States Europe does seem a long way off, but it must never be forgotten that there are various agencies whose work counteracts the effects of geo- graphical separation. The numerous residents of Euro- pean birth or of European parentage in every large centre of population, the increasing excellence of the European news-service of the leading American newspapers, the popularity of the lecture or " travelogue " through the agencies of Chatauqua and the Lyceum, the moving picture, and finally the ever-growing number of Americans, business men, University professors, school teachers and students who visit Europe, keep the Middle West in touch with the world. Twenty-five years ago it was probably quite true to say that the American Middle West was entirely self-absorbed, but it is no longer true to-day.
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