The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
FRIENDLY TO AMERICA
APPRECIATIvE WORDS OF ONE OF
THE GREATEST OF GERMANS.
The General Sentiment I'm Germany
Kindly Toward Cs-Ame rfcan
Products I'm Demand.
of the indianapolis Journal.

or social representative OF a great country
would be fiattering. In our case IT means
much more. since these words were uttered
by one of the greatest living Germans. a
sincere friend Of America and Americans,
Herman Grimm.
When I went to his home on Matthaei-
kirchstrasse. accompanied by friend. and
pupil OF the great man. feared not to be
received. for the health of the septuagenar-
ian has not kept up with his intellectual
vigor. My JOY, therefore, was great when
I was ushered into his reception room. L
passed through a number Of tastefully
decorated and furnished rooms. and soon
met the famous biographer Of Raphael.
Michael Angelo and Goethe: the last repre-
sentative OF family of renowned literary
men to whom the German nations are in
debted for invaluable services. The family
Is closely connected with the literary
school of German Romanticism, especially
the so-called Heidelberg group of this
movement, l. e. Achim Won Arnim, Clemens,
Brentano and others, to whom the Brothers
Grimm, one Of whom is the father of DR..
Herman Grimm. were attached in close
friendship and common literary interests,
as for instance, the collections OF folklore
folksong and fairy tales. The bond grew
more intimate through Bettina Won Arnirl,
Brentano's sister and Achim Won Arnim's
wife, well known through her book.
"Gothe's Correspondence with a Child"
She became the mother-in-law of III.
Grimm.
The venerable gentleman grasped my
hand. while I apologized for my intrusion.
mo, no." he said, don't say that: Ameri-
cans are always welcome to me- And now
have seat and tell me something about
the States"
I expressed my gratitude for this kind
reception and his high. but well-founded
opinion on the future of our country.
hardly, indeed. is there a great man in all
Europe who is so thoroughly in sympathy
with America and her future This love.
however, does not make him blind as to
the dangers of modern tendencies in the
political life of the United States But
his criticism is that of a wise and loving
rather. He stands for a close cultural
union of AmerHa and Germany, for he
thinks that no two other countries are az
by destiny. SO bound to work together. 10
assist and educate each other under the
palladium and guidance Of their past great
genious. He believes in both of them.
II, according to Goethe. Il be the DUR
pose Of life to do justice to the REQUIRE
ments Of the hour. the American people
have verified the truth of this statement.
for their true greatness lies in the instinc-
tive sense Of doing the right thing when
the moment demands action"
Hardly ever have I heard a. more vaI,i-
able. higher praise and a better assurance
of a glorious future of our people than is
contained in the foregoing few words
The position Of Herman Grimm Is a most
unique and remarkable one in German liter
allure and civilization. He is the founder
of the German essay. For the work of
Karl Hillebrand. the second great German
essayist, who might be said to share the
honor of having introduced this literary
and artistic form into German literature,
lacks. as compared with Grimm. in the in
trinsic German flavor, which the latter has
attributed to this French and English
form. OF the two he possesses decidedly
more esprit and greater personality. The
influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson on the
development of his essay-style leads to his
prediction, his esteem, his love even for
America and her achievement. her ideals
and her great men. His is an unalterable
faith in the future OF America, and his con-
viction is that her development will be in
the direction as outlined by the ideal per-
sonality of Ralph Waldo Emerson. A
striking expression Of this is found in his
novel, "Unneberwindliche Machte' Gun
conquerable forces) This book is most re-
markable for it's description of American
life and character, although the writer
never set foot on American shores. He is,
however, and has been, the kindest, most
sympathetic friend and protector of Ameri-
cans who come to see him for other reasons
than that of gratifying mere curiosity. His
weak state of health does not permit him
any more to lecture at the university. His
personal magnetism, the product Of his
kind. gracious nature. together with his
capacious mind, as evidenced by his style
Of writing and speaking, make him one Of
the principal attractions of the great Uni
versity of Berlin.
RED TAPE IN BERLIN.
Berlin enjoys the well-earned reputation
OF being one Of the best-administered cities
| in the world. The streets are clean, and
we'll lighted by night. and numerous street.
cars, omnibuses and an elevated road ham
| die the traffic of the metropolis. Every
| thing moves In the most exquisite order.
| Surely there is nothing like living in such
well-reguiated community. compared
with which ours look like an anarchistic
chaos; but ii is a question in my mind
| whether the bureaucratic "order" is the
| climax of human happiness or effort. To
| my taste it is too paternal. and binders
| the freedom OF motion. This bureaucratic
red tapeism-profusely ridiculed by the peo-
| ple-provides for one man TO do the work
and ten to control him respectively each
other. For this purpose 1t has constructed
an invincible weapon, the issue OF a public
ect. Last year the regulation Of public
/ welfare consumed the following articles:
| 1884 pen holders. 4s0.176 pen points. 27s
| quilts, 5000 gallons black ink, 25 gallons
red ink. and $1,000 pencils have been used!
II took G. erasing knives and 2.13o ink
erasers to make corrections on a total OF
| 10, OS6.O ss sheets OF paper, This is some
thing awful when we figure that II means
| five sheets and half per capita
over 20 per cent. Of all patents issued
| last year by the imperial German patent
| office at Berlin were awarded TO Ameri-