The Retort Discorteous

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="11f285a1erlcgo.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Berton Braley Cyber Museum</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Berton Braley Cyber Museum"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     </B></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="11ed2c00dkelyh.png"> <div> <A HREF="news_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U>News</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="biography.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biography"><U>Biography</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="works.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Works"><U>Works</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="bibliography.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bibliography"><U>Bibliography</U></A></div> <div> <A 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                                                                                                  </I></div> <div> (President Harding Considers Invitation To Genoa Conference -- News Item)</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>When Harding gave a party, with disarmament the aim,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>He asked the other nations--and the other nations came;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And they labored very hearty</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>With co-op-er-a-tive zest</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>So that Warren's little party</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Could be numbered with the best;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Though there now and then were traces of a clash of various races,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>All the ructions and the rows were very small,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And the nations' hopes were blended with enthusiasm splendid</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And a very pleasant time was had by all!</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Now Europe gives a party of an economic style</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And says "You must come over," with a most engaging smile,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>But the gentlemanly nation</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Has a half-a-dozen fits</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>While it tears the invitation</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Into little tiny bits,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And our president grows trembly lest we gather in assembly</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>With the European nations over there;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Though they came and joined </B></I><I><B>his</B></I><I><B> party with enthusiasm hearty,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>He rejects </B></I><I><B>their</B></I><I><B> invitation with a glare!</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Which may be democratic (with a very tiny "d),</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>But it appears exceedingly unsportsmanlike to me;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>If we treated Europe rightly</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>We would courteously say,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>"Since you joined </B></I><I><B>us</B></I><I><B> so politely</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>In your polished foreign way,</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>We'll consider it a pleasure to extend to you full measure</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Of our counsel and to join your friendly chat;</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>To do otherwise were rudeness of a most abysmal crudeness</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>And of course we </B></I><I><B>couldn't </B></I><I><B>be as rude as that!"</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>  </B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Published in: </I><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Life Magazine"><U><I>Life </I></U></A><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Life Magazine"><U><I>magazine </I></U></A><I>- March 9, 1922</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="copyright.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Copyright"><U><I>© 2000-2006, Berton Braley Cyber Museum. </I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="copyright.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Copyright"><U><I>All rights reserved.</I></U></A></div> <div> <I>---</I></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com"><U><I>Contact Webmaster Peter Leeflang</I></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:info@bertonbraley.com"><U> </U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>