some excerpts from a small booklet issued by the Department of the Army to G.I.s arriving in Britain in the war.
"No Time to Fight Old Wars."
"If you come from an Irish-American family, you may think of the English as persecutors of the Irish, or you may think of them as enemy Redcoats who fought against us in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. But there is no time today to fight old wars over again or bring up old grievances. We don't worry about which side our grandfathers fought on in the Civil War, because it doesn't mean anything now. We can defeat Hitler's propaganda with a weapon of our own. Plain, common horse-sense; understanding of evident truths. The most evident truth of all is that in their major ways of life the British and American people are much alike. They speak the same language. They both believe in representative government, in freedom of worship, in freedom of speech. But each country has minor national characteristics which differ. It is by causing misunderstanding over these minor differences that Hitler hopes to make his propaganda effective."
British Reserved, Not Unfriendly ...The British are often more reserved in conduct than we are....So if Britons sit in trains or buses without striking up conversation with you, it doesn’t mean they are being haughty and unfriendly. Probably they are paying more attention to you than you think. But they don’t speak to you because they don’t want to appear intrusive or rude.
The Country You will find out right away that England is a small country... At first you will probably not like the almost continual rains and mists and the absence of snow and crisp cold...Most people get used to the English climate eventually.
The People - their Customs and Manners The best way to get on in Britain is very much the same as the best way to get on in America. The same sort of courtesy and decency and friendliness that go over big in America will go over big in Britain...They are not given to back-slapping and they are shy about showing their affections. But once they get to like you they make the best friends in the world.
The British like Sports The British of all classes are enthusiastic about sports....The great “spectator” sports are football in the autumn and winter and cricket in the spring and summer.....You will find that English crowds at football or cricket matches are more orderly and more polite to the players than American crowds. If a fielder misses a catch at cricket, the crowd will probably take a sympathetic attitude....
Indoor Amusements The British have theater and movies (which they call “cinemas”) as we do. But the great place of recreation is the “pub”....The usual drink is beer, which is not an imitation of German beer as our beer is, but ale.... The British make much of Sunday. All the shops are closed, most of the restaurants are closed, and in small towns there is not much to do. You had better do as the British and try to spend Sunday afternoon in the country.
English versus American Language Almost before you meet the people you will hear them speaking “English”. At first you may not understand what they are talking about and they may not understand what you say. The accent will be different from what you are used to, and many of the words will be strange....
The subject of the First World War is mentioned on page 15 under the heading "Keep Out of Arguments."
"You can rub a Britisher the wrong way by telling him 'we came over and won the last one.' Each nation did its share. But Britain remembers that nearly a million of her best manhood died in the last war. America lost 60,000 in action. Such arguments and the war debts along with them are dead issues. Nazi propaganda now is pounding away day and night asking the British people why they should fight 'to save Uncle Shylock and his silver dollar.' Don't play into Hitler's hands by mentioning war debts. Neither do the British need to be told that their armies lost the first couple of rounds in the present war. We've lost a couple, ourselves, so do not start off by being critical of them and saying what the Yanks are going to do. Use your head before you sound off, and remember how long the British alone held Hitler off without any help from anyone.
"British railroads have dinky freight cars (which they call “goods wagons”) not because they don’t know any better. Small cars allow quicker handling of freight at thousands and thousands of small stations. British automobiles are little and low powered. That’s because all the gasoline has to be imported over thousands of miles of ocean. The British don’t know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don’t know how to make a good cup of tea. It’s an even swap. The British are leisurely - but not really slow."
The booklet concludes with "Some Important Do's and Don'ts." [caps original]
BE FRIENDLY - but don't intrude anywhere it seems you are not wanted. You will find the British money system easier than you think. A little study on shipboard beforehand will make it easier.
You are higher paid than the British "Tommy." Don't rub it in. Play fair with him. He can be a pal in need.
Don't show off or brag or bluster - "swank" as the British say. If somebody looks in your direction and says, "He's chucking his weight about," you can be pretty sure you're off base. That's the time to pull in your ears.
If you are invited to eat with a family don't eat too much. Otherwise you may eat up their weekly rations.
Don't make fun of British speech or accents. You sound just as funny to them but they will be too polite to show it.
Avoid comments on the British government or politics.
Don't tell the British that America won the last war or make wisecracks about the war debts or about British defeats in this war.
NEVER criticize the King or Queen.
Don't criticize the food, beer, or cigarettes to the British. Remember they have been at war since 1939.
Use common sense on all occasions. By your conduct you have great power to bring about a better understanding between the two countries after the war is over.
You will soon find yourself among a kindly, quiet, hard-working people who have been living under a strain such as few people in the world have ever known. In your dealings with them, let this be your slogan: "It is always impolite to criticize your hosts; it is militarily stupid to criticize your allies."
How much of this could still stand today?
