New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-11


ED INTERESTS.
Reference was made yesterday In these coi.
umns 10 the fact that Alfred Austin. the British
Poet Laureate, had addressed 10 Secretary Hay
a letter on the subject OF international copyright
between Great Britain and the United statea
The Tribune is now enabled to give the full text
OF the letter as follows:
villa Lander San Domenco. Florence
March %. 1899
My Dear Mr.. Hay:
The last words we interchanged before you
quilted our shores to assume yet weightier re-
sponsibilites at home were expressive OF fervent
hope scarcely distinguishable from confident
belief that the cordially OF sentiment then sub
s,sting between the United States OF America
and the Mother Land would gradually ripen into
one OF the permanent forces Of International life
When now exactly twelvemonth ago In "A
Voice from the West warmly responded v
bv your countrymen. ventured to write,
Let us speak with each other face to facs
And answer man to man.
And Loyalty love and trust each other
As only free men cam
I was thinking need scarcely say. OF no formal
compact but OF that mental and moral afnnity
which In the absence OF any sharp conflict OK
material interests. Is more binding than all the
seals and signatures in the world So far events
have justified our Joint prognostic While other
communities have but imperfectly dissembled
the suspicion, not to say the Jealousy. Win
which they have seen you emerge from DIM
cult enterprise with the success that was Ger.
tain to attend YOU Englishmen have witnessed
with pride and satisfaction each fresh assertion
Of your power and authority How could 1t b
otherwise? We could no more be Jealous OF your
victories than father Of a son who was tread
Ing successfully in his own footsteps
But IL the century whose sands are fast run
ming out promises to distinguish It's clos
by the establishment OF common purpose
| between the two great Engish-speaking COM
munities Is 1t not permissible to ask what II IS
mainly that has promoted and promises to up
hold this happy contamination? or all the ties
| that link men together language is the most
potent: and literature is the highest and most
efficient expression OF language. To me 1t has
| long seemed inevitable that two nations think
ing speaking, praying. loving, legisatins, in the
selfsame tongue should at length be drawn
into parallel orbits by the force Of Irresistible
| attraction, and that they to whom the sonoroue
| djct,on Of the Testament the matchess imagb
nation OF Shakespeare. the novels OF Scott anS
Dickens the lyrics OF Byron, Wordsworth ana
by recognizing that they are members o. one
family. accidentally separated. but not really
severed by a mere expanse OF salt water. which
friendship and familiarity can reduce to insls'
| nihcance.
That this end has already practically been
reached Is mainly due as have said TO litera.
ture and obviously therefore to men Of letters.
When Americans first set foot shores
whittier do they at once betake Themselves? TO
| Poets Corner TO Stratford on Avon, TO Abbots.
| ford 10 Dove Cottage, to the Banks and Braes
! of Bonnie Doom: is 1t till pilgrimage has
been paid to those hallowed spots that they turn
| TO Windsor's towers to Westmnsters Sem
ate With America Englishmen are less &C.
auanted than Americans with England. But
| II Is not necessary TO cross the Atlantic 70 ap'
precate the philosophic penetration Of Emerson
the delicate analysis OF Hawthorne or the tender
| charm Of Longfellow: and IL. on your arrival
amongst us as the representative OF your now
| adult Republic even more than usually cor.
dial welcome was extended to you, was II not
because the author Of Jim Bludso" was already
we'll known to the English people, who greeted
YOU accordingly rather an old friend than as
| a new acquaintance?
How Is IT, then-and here l come TO the pur.
mort of this letter-that American law challenges
| English literature and English men Of letters at
vour long frontier, treats them aliens. almost
as enemies and unless they submit TO conditions
that deprive them of a goodly portion of the re-
ward OF their labors robs them OF IT altogether!
| And who are they over and above their being
| tho very makers and messengers OF amty be.
tween the two communities that are mus SO.
vcrely treated? With rare exceptions, they arg
| men who can indeed say OF their calling whas
| Goldsmith said OF his Muse.
/ oil hliesa
| Thou foundst me poor at first, and keep'st me
| The material reward that falls even to the
| most successful writer's in the higher branches
OF literature is, save for some fortuitous circum.
stance VIGOROUSLY meagre; ana CONFESS u
| mains me to reflect that this Is made yet more
scanty by the artificial barriers erected against
| them by your legislation 80 -,
| Lam not unaware OF the recent modincations
| I'm the Copyright Law between the two countries
But these are wholly inadequate. II judged oy
the canons Of literary equity; nor shall l. lor
| one be content till every vestige or discrimlna-
| ton between American and English writer's
| abolished on each side OF the Atlantic. Neither
! have | any desire that this should be enectea
| by negotiation bargaining but rather that
! the placing OF English and American authors
| on a footing of absolute equality should De JUG
| free gift of a great and magnanmous peope
| II were asked what Is the most attracu'e
| Characteristic OF your countrymen. should say
| II is the quick response they make to every
| genial overture and to every generous appear.
and this it is which gives me courage TO hops
| that the one now venture TO make VIII not pe
| addressed to them in vain. .
II am reminded that there are certain vested
interests which have to be taken into considera.
| ton by all means let them be considered. bu'
a prosperous and open handed people. who have
| lust voted $40 10000 toward the liberation OF
| an enslaved race. would surely experience no
| difficulty in finding as many thousands In oraeI
| to perform an act of justice to the most friendy
| and worst remunerated OF all your working KIM
dred.
| have said nothing OF the injury inflicted on
| American writer's by the maintenance OF the ex
isting legislation. But | am writing this lettet
as the guest OF OF the kndest OF your
| countrymen. in what was once the home OF an
| eminent English man OF letters: and my deslrs
| that American authors should be treated Win
| fairness throughout the British Empire is )us'
as great as that English writers should be ac'
corded plenary hospitality throughout the Amer