Einstein said American men are toy dogs

The NY Times reported on July 8, 1921:

Dr. Albert Einstein, the famous scientist, made an amazing discovery relative to America on his trip which he recently explained to a sympathetic-looking Hollander as follows:

“The excessive enthusiasm for me in America appears to be typically American. And if I grasp it correctly the reason is that the people in America are as colossally bored, very much more than is the case with us. After all, there is so little for them there!” he exclaimed.

Dr. Einstein said this with vibrant sympathy. He continued:

“New York, Boston, Chicago and other cities have their theatres and concerts, but for the rest? There are cities with 1,000,000 inhabitants. Despite which what poverty, intellectual poverty! The people are, therefore, glad when something is given them with which they can play and over which they can enthuse. And that they do, then, with monstrous intensity.

“Above all things there are the women who, as a literal fact, dominate the entire life in America. The men take an interest in absolutely nothing at all. They work and work, the like of which I have never seen anywhere yet. For the rest they are the toy dogs of the women, who spend the money in a most unmeasurable, illimitable way and wrap themselves in a fog of extravagance.

It followed the next day:

“Chicago Women Resent Einstein’s Opinions”

Men, However, Seem to Agree on “Toy Dogs” and Dominance of Wives

Chicago, July 8. – Professor Einstein’s opinion of America, and of American women in particular, as expressed in an interview cabled from Berlin to THE NEW YORK TIMES yesterday and reprinted in Chicago this morning, brought forth indignant protests from Chicago women today. They took particular exception to Professor Einstein’s characterization of American men as the “toy dogs” of American women.

Chicago men, however, seemed to agree with Professor Einstein on the dominance of women and the “toy dog” charge, while professors at the University of Chicago contented themselves with a few nervous tut-tuts and the comment that the German scientist had obtained a warped view of America because of the short time he spent here. ...

Professor W.P. Evans of the chemistry department at Northwestern University said: “It seems incredible that a man of Dr. Einstein’s attainments should make the statements credited to him. If these statements are correct, they go far to prove the fact that, although he understands thoroughly, we hope (don’t forget to put in the “we hope”), the theory of relativity, he has not the essential qualities for judging the scientific and industrial achievements of a great nation.”