Americans in Europe

An American newly settled in London enjoys certain advantages not granted to his British neighbours. A subtle but important one is that his social mobility is not impeded by his accent. American speech of every social level falls with an equally appalling thud on the British ear. The aristocratie, "Eastern Establishment" noises emitted by, say, the late President Kennedy appear to be indistinguishable from the harsh gutturals of a Bronx cab driver. Both are lumped together under "American Accent" and from that point you're on your own.

On the American musical invasion

"For four years, Fabrication Bril International, a French firm making clothes, bas been trying to convince US patent authorities that it should be able to use the trademark FBI on clothes sold in the US. It bas been fought at every step by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which claims the exclusive right to the initiais FBI and says that the clothing firm's initiais are likely to deceive and confuse the public."

Considering how hard it is for the professional poet to get a showing these days, unless we count the man who writes the Heinz Beans commercials for cuddlesome tots, it's surprising how easily the amateurs manage. Trends have been reversed in the last hundred and fifty years or so. When Shelley popped down to the Yenice post office with his Julian and Maddalo in one pocket and canto three of Byron's latest in the other, neither the idea nor the fact of rejection crossed either their mind or their door- step. Meanwhile, in London, you could hardly move without tripping over Leigh Hunt on his knees, begging Keats for a couple of odes to plug space in the Examiner .

New Orleans Jazz. Atlantas underground city. Walt Disney World. Spacecraft. See them ail in our South this year. Air fares have never beensolow.