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Transcriber's Notes: Variations in spelling and hyphenation have been
left as in the original. Some typographical and punctuation errors have
been corrected. A complete list follows the text.

Words surrounded by _underscores_ are in italics in the original.
Ellipses match the original. A row of asterisks represents a thought
break.


  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
  |                                                                    |
  |                                                                    |
  |                           The Twentieth                            |
  |                          Century American                          |
  |                                                                    |
  |                               Being                                |
  |                                                                    |
  |               A Comparative Study of the Peoples of                |
  |                 the Two Great Anglo-Saxon Nations                  |
  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
  |                                                                    |
  |                                                                    |
  |                                 BY                                 |
  |                                                                    |
  |                         H. PERRY ROBINSON                          |
  |                                                                    |
  |           AUTHOR OF "MEN BORN EQUAL," "THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY           |
  |                       OF A BLACK BEAR," ETC.                       |
  |                                                                    |
  |                                                                    |
  |                           [Illustration]                           |
  |                                                                    |
  |                                                                    |
  |                        The Chautauqua Press                        |
  |                        CHAUTAUQUA, NEW YORK                        |
  |                               MCMXI                                |
  +--------------------------------------------------------------------+


                           COPYRIGHT, 1908

                                  BY

                         G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS


                  The Knickerbocker Press, New York




                                  TO

                            THOSE READERS,

                     WHETHER ENGLISH OR AMERICAN,

                                 WHO

                  AGREE WITH WHATEVER IS SAID IN THE

                   FOLLOWING PAGES IN LAUDATION OF

                          THEIR OWN COUNTRY

                              THIS BOOK

                       IS INSCRIBED IN THE HOPE

              THAT THEY WILL BE EQUALLY READY TO ACCEPT

                     WHATEVER THEY FIND IN PRAISE

                                  OF

                              THE OTHER.


[Illustration: The British Isles and the United States.

A Comparison (see Chapter IV.)]




PREFATORY NOTE


There are already many books about America; but the majority of these
have been written by Englishmen after so brief an acquaintance with the
country that it is doubtful whether they contribute much to English
knowledge of the subject.

My reason for adding another volume to the list is the hope of being
able to do something to promote a better understanding between the
peoples, having as an excuse the fact that I have lived in the United
States for nearly twenty years, under conditions which have given rather
exceptional opportunities of intimacy with the people of various parts
of the country socially, in business, and in politics. Wherever my
judgment is wrong it is not from lack of abundant chance to learn the
truth.

Except in one instance--very early in the book--I have avoided the use
of statistics, in spite of frequent temptation to refer to them to
fortify arguments which must without them appear to be merely the
expression of an individual opinion.

                                                         H. P. R.

February, 1908.




CONTENTS


CHAPTER I

                                                                    PAGE

     AN ANGLO-AMERICAN ALLIANCE                                        5

     The Avoidance of Entangling Alliances--What the Injunction
     Meant--What it Cannot Mean To-day--The Interests of the United
     States, no less than those of England, Demand an Alliance--But
     Larger Interests than those of the Two Peoples are
     Involved--American Responsiveness to Ideals--The Greatest
     Ideal of All, Universal Peace: the Practicability of its
     Attainment--America's Responsibility--Misconceptions of the
     British Empire--Germany's Position--American Susceptibilities.


CHAPTER II

     THE DIFFERENCE IN POINT OF VIEW                                  35

     The Anglo-Saxon Family Likeness--