‘What, then, did they say to you?’ ‘That I had lied in filling in my answers to those first questions that all must answer who would receive a passport. For they said I had plainly intended to subvert the government of the United States, and that they found, after inquiry from various publications, that I had been in prison. And the inspector added that I had been in an asylum also, for that I came from Europe, and the Balkans at that, which he considered to be nothing less than a madhouse.’ ‘And do you think,’ said Agathon, ‘they will read your views about them?’ ‘I think so,’ I answered, ‘for they find the topic of themselves of much interest. But I do not expect them to profit by what I say, for even Xantippe is handicapped in their regard by belonging to the past. For they do not admire the past at all, nor is the word “ancient” ever used as praise.’ ‘Do they despise all history?’ asked Lysis. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘and they love the utterance of their Detroit Oracle, when he said _History is bunk_, and they regard him with increasing honour as he says these things and as the Europeans have given to Aristotle the title they think honourable, calling him the Master of them that Know, though they do not add how little, so the Americans hail the Detroit Oracle as the Master of them that Guess.’ ‘But,’ said Lysis, ‘though they despise even the story of the Greeks, surely they are eager to know about Rome, for Rome excelled also in size and great buildings and bridges and in buying culture from the East. Do they not feel great sympathy?’ ‘No,’ I replied, ‘and the priests and keepers of ancient tradition find the name of Rome an embarrassment to them, for the Americans will have no respect for Rome, since they heard it was not built in a day.’ ‘They have named a city after Plato,’ said Agathon. ‘They will name a city after anybody,’ I answered, ‘and there are but few of their own citizens whom they do not desire to forget.’ Here Agathon interrupted what I was going to explain about the cities, and said: ‘But I believe they think of changing the names of their cities into numbers and of numbering the States. And some think it will help efficiency and be a compliment to themselves if they abolish the words United States and America and get everybody in all countries to call them One, as being country Number 1 of the whole world. But this compliment will cost many dollars.’ ‘If only philosophy cost many dollars,’ reflected Lysis, ‘they would value it more.’ ‘They would,’ said Agathon, ‘but as it is you must not despair, Socrates, for your countenance is one that grows upon people.’ ‘It grew upon me,’ I said. ‘We,’ he said, ‘have had to get used to you, and so it is perhaps with the Americans and philosophy. They will acquire the taste――in time.’ ‘Anyway,’ said Lysis, ‘they ought to be grateful to you, Socrates, for examining into what they think and do and value.’