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 will not and cannot learn the lesson of federation and cooeperation so long as a large mass of their people have no voice and no knowledge except of their particular business.

Compare the miles of railway in proportion to population with the same proportion in the United States--or the telephones, or the use of the mails, or of bank checks; or make any other practical measure you like.