The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-23

BOSTON, March 22,-Thc splendid gift
OF the Kaiser to the new Germanic Mu-
,e1rn Il. Harvard which vas formally
rendered to the University On the occt-
sion OF Prince Ee7ry.s recep'Icn by the
Germanic Museum Assoc.auon. has been
followed by dispatches announcing that
the Swiss Federal Council is to contri-
butte to the same museum colicctloh oi
casts Illustrating the progress OF Ger
manic art in Switzerland BY gift OR
purchase, moreover. other representative
collections are expected from other Ger
,rnnfc countr1es-for the new museum
is not merely German. but Germunic, or
Tcutonic, in the broadcast sense. aiming
TO illustrate through objects of art and
industry the history of ciVilizat ton among
The Germanic peoples generally. prima lily
in Germany, to be sure, but also in Scan
tinayia, Denmark. the Low Countries,
German Austria, the German Cantons Of
Switzerland. and even the England of
the Anglo-Saxon period.
SYSTEM OF FREE MUSEUMS.
Another point to be borne in mind is
that the museum-though situated at
Harvard and eventually, 1t is hoped. to
take its place under the auspices of the
University, in a. great system O. free pub
bic museums in which all civilizations,
from China to Peru shall be represented
is not 10 be considered as merely Har-
ward institution. That is has interested
not only the German Emperor and The
Swiss Republic, but Germans and men IN
1erested in German culture all over the
United States, has been due to the TACT
that the intention from the beginning has
been to make 1t a national undertaking
=. typical monument OF German civiliza-
ton erected on American soil for the
benefit of all Americans who are interest
ed in the history Of the German peoples.
Professor Kuno Francke Of Harvard
was the first to suggest such a museum.
Ills PLAN later, was taken up and set on
its present broad national basis by
group Of Influential men who formed what
IS called the Germanic Museum Ass"T'd-
ton. of which Mr. Car! Schurz OF New
York as the best-known American or
German birth, was elected president The
organization includes among its vice
presidents a large number of prominent
men. among them-as illustrating the
more scholarly side-Profcssor w. II. Car
,renter. of the German Department of
Columbia University: Professor Henry
Wood. OF Johns Honl1ins University. Pro-
fessor voss. OF the University of Wiscon-
sin: Professor Hempl. of the University
of Michigan; Professor Collitz. of Bryn
Mawr. Professor Goebel. of Leland STAN
ford; Professor Learned. of the Unlver-
rHy Of Pennsylvania: and Professor
C.rueuer. Of Yale-an imposing list that
strikigly illustrates something OF the
solidarity of American scholarship"
Other names that attract the eve as
one reads over the list of vce-presidents
OF the Association are those Of President
Roosevelt. whose interest in German
studies is well known: DR.. Won -Hollebeh
the German Ambassador, and Hon. An
drew D. White. the American AMBASSADOR
in 1,arlir: wilhelm Bode. at the head OF
The ROYAL Museum in Berlin. and Gustav
yon Bezo1d. the director of the great Ger
manic Museum at Nuremberg: after which
The Harvard Museum is to be nIodeiied:
carl Buenz the German consu!-cenerai
in Now York and Heinrich Coa'iei man
ager of the Irving Place Theatre in New
York the best known German p'a"houses
81, this county; Hon. William I. Harris.
United States commissioner of edn"auon;
and Charles Godfrey Leland, the veteran
american writer now living in Italy but
remembered as the earliest American
translator of Heinz and the author Of the
iniInitaa,le Hans Breitmann Ballads.
GIFT OF GOETHE'S WRITINGS.
The Association went to Harvard. frSt
because nowhere else on this side OF the
water had the idea of a Germanic museum
been developed. and second because Har-
ward has always been pecuirly sympa-
ihetic with German thought More IMAM
50 wears ago, for instance. Goethe sent
Harvard a gift of his Writings as a
1rark OF deep interest in its high literary
character and in the Successul zeal 1t
las displayed through so many years for
The promotion Of solid and elegant edu-
cation'' A few years later the first
American professorship Of German was
established there; and the present Ger
man department is much the largest in
the country in the number of instructors
and of students enrolled. Furthermore.
Now England, an despecially Harvard.
writer's. have been principally instrument
tal in populariZing German philosophy
and literature in this country-men like
14ongfelow and Emerson, for example.