The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-09
THE FRENCH ACADEMY IN TROU
 BILE.
A Complete Lack of Harmony Between
 the Immortals and Parliament.

| A Complete Lack of Harmony Between the Immortals and Parliament.
 | Another literary institution in trou- ble Is the French Academy, there being complete lack of harmony between the members of parliament and Immor- tas making up the august body of aca- demicians. The French Budget has been giving the parliamentary Budget commission a great deal of hard think
 ing to make ends meet, and economy is the cry. The deputies in government favor have been irritated by the atti- tude of the academicians in regard to the ministry of public instruction upon the occasion of the midsummer univer- Sity and school commencements, when, upon the minister's refusing to confirm as speakers of the day several of it's arch political opponents, proposed by the academy. the latter passed a vote of sensure. To get even, the lawmak- CTS decided that a good deal of money could be saved the state if the subsidy granted the academy were struck out, particularly the sum accorded as in demnity for the famous dictionary which the academcians have for years been slowly preparing. Some fifteen years ago Ernest Renan declared that at the rate the Immortals were work ing it would require twelve hundred years to complete the Historical French Dictionary" The French dep uties have evidently found this period too long. for the Budget commission in it's report, wants to know what is be- 10 hI1n6rp6 and twelve pounds annually allowed the academy for the dictionary The sum of G2,460 is all parliament allows the academy for it's expenses, but, fortu- nately. the body is enormously rich, and can afford to disdain the reproach- es of the body of deputies, whose mem- bers, it claims, make grammatical mistake every time one of them speaks in the tribune.
 The quarrel, like that concerning the Comedie Francaise, is most interesting, because it shows the tendency of mod ern France to invade time honored in- stitutions with reforms which, while much needed, mark new epoch in two world fomous organizations.
 One by one the literary men who nave Dee1 lOltlIloSl ctS he'ticAichAiot iSS'N' CTS are renouncing politics as incom- patible with literature. After the re- tirement of Maurice Barres, who has not vet recovered from the ducking his socialist opponents administered to him, that of Jules Lemaitre, the high priest of nationalism, is hinted. h. deed the latter's literary friends are preparing to kill the fatted calf to feast the prodigal son upon his return into their midst Before the coming cleo tions, which will be memorable in France, Lemaitre can hardly resign; but as soon as they are over the for mer popular writer will resume his lit- erary occupations, in which wise deci- sion Coppee will probably follow him. Little by little nationalism is dying out in France, slowly but surely, and with it anglophobia, for even Russian alliance enthusiasts are beginning to see that there is more to be gained in friendship with England than for two years past some Frenchmen have seemed to realize. The waning of na- tionalism is therefore particularly in- teresting to Englishmen. London Mail.