Life, 1928-04-05 · page 13 of 59
Life — April 5, 1928 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
**The Cartoon:** The top illustration satirizes Americans abroad on the Paris-Rome Express train. It depicts wealthy tourists in stereotypical traveling clothes observing European peasants and rural life, with the caption questioning whether one "sometimes [longs] to change your environment." **The Story "E Pluribus Unum":** This is a satirical dialogue between an American tourist and a sophisticated Englishman discussing their travels. The satire mocks American tourists for: - Staying in European hotels but never truly experiencing European culture - Excessive drinking (contrasted with European aperitif culture) - Loud, uncultured behavior - Believing Americans are "the only Americans on the train" The piece lampoons American travel pretensions and cultural insularity during an era when overseas tourism was becoming fashionable among the wealthy middle class.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“But tell me, don't you sometimes long to change your environment?” Ozark Puosopuer: Along every spring I get to hankering to take off my thick ones and put : The Paris-Rome Express de Luxe. “DORTEUR! Porteur! Bien. Voulez-vous ascender cette suit- case sur le chose la haut? C’est trop sourd pour me se lever. Merci.” “I beg your pardon, but I could not help overhearing your conversa- tion with that Englishman. You are American, are you not?” (Slightly hurt.) “Er —a New Yorker, yes.” “IT happen to be a New Yorker myself. We seem to be the only Americans on the train.” (Light laughter.) “Out of season, you know. Paris is really de- lightful now.” “Yes, isn’t it? It’s really dreadful in. summer. In_ the American section especially—er —round the Opéra, that is. Why, summer before last, on the rue de la Paix, you hardly heard a word of French spoken....” (Gargon puts head in compart- ment.) “Premiére service!” “Non, gargon, nous sommes dans le seconde service alors. Toute & Vheure, donc.” “But now, even at the Crillon, there are no Americans at all. I stayed—stopped—at the Cril- on thinner ones. E Pluribus Unum lon myself this trip. It was really extraordinary. ...Extrordnry.” “Yes, isn’t it extraor — amazing how they all stick together in the season, like a lot of sheep, never really see Europe at all? They might just as well stay at home.” (Light laughter.) “Better, I say!” “Funny—odd—at home we should be thinking uf cocktails now. Here it never occurs to you—one....” “No. You never want to drink when you know you can. That's what Prohibition has done for us.” (Silence. Looks at watch.) “Still, now you've mentioned it....” (Looks at watch.) “Of course it “Have you got that book on Bridge by Louis Rey?” is cocktail time. I should think one «++Gargon! Garson! Deux martini sec aussitot que possible!” (Anticipatory silence. tails arrive.) “A votre bon santé!” “Saluto!” “Now at home we'd never be con- tent with one cocktail. Here one is all you need....Or at most two.” “Yes—at the outside. Gargon!” “I know nothing more disgusting than the spectacle of Americans drinking in Europe. Why, you can't imagine a European taking more than two apéritifs before dinner.” “Certainly never more than three.” “As you say. Of course they are so mild, these apéritifs.... No, this is mine. Gargon! En- core deur. Et une petit peu plus du gin cette fois.” (Sympathetic silence.) “Very pleasant to have company on a long trip like this. After all, one does need protection against—” “Against one’s countrymen, doesn’t one?” (Light laughter. The third round arrives.) “Well. ..Cheerio !” “God save the King!” (British voice in corridor): “Americans. ..drinking...” Roger Burlingame, The cock- comicbooks.com