The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-14
WHIP HAND 0URS...CARNEGIE.
NO NEW NAVY NEEDED BECACSE
We FEED THE WORLD.
says No European Power Dares Attack
Is Because IL Would Mean starvation
10 AsEressor Confesses He Was
n%lackbailed Twice by Authors club.

Andrew Carnegie, speaking last night
at a reception given him by the Authors
Club, declared that he regarded a war
on the United States by a European Power
or by any combination of Powers. as an
absolute impossibility and That the large
navy now being built by this country Ia
useless for that reason. He said in part:
Some one here referred 10 steel. That mnde
me think hat II Is indeed n great matter for
this country TO feed the whole world as u
will soon be doing, It renders us unassall-
able. No Power. in Europe or anywhere
else. can take a step against us. even should
y declare war Therefore, the payy is per n
] remember that Gladstone asked me. about
The time OF the Venezuelan, episode. II our
preparations then made by England.
NO" | replied. In that way you are
simply making enemies on the Continent
The American people do not care If you ouiid
why, notf' he cried in surprise. W
could blockade yoggr entire coast, ,ovo No
chance TO do so. Before. you could have
time to establish any blockade We would
dent would simply place an embargo on all
exports. and the result. would be that withlil
three weeks you would be starving n,.
Such Is tho situation. IL is not possible
even for a great naval power to declare war.
1t would simply starve the moment II did so
And its own people would compel its Govern
Speaking Of our present invasion Of Europe
and especially of England, l am, happy 20
note its carrying out along a line wholly
different from those most often referred
to; ! mean the invasion by thought. by mind.
by the books, you write. IL is a special cause
TO supply the physical wants OF Europe, and
that We cannot rest content until We have
shakcspeare. for Milton and ali the other
great spirits given us by the Old World. As
a believer in republics j feel sure that a move
ment OF such repayment must come.
At the beginning Of his speech Mr.. Car
negie remarked that he had tried TO figure
M the real reason for the friendly well
come given him by the club and that he
had come TO the conclusion IL was done as
n matter of atonements for past neglects
and trials to which he had been subjected
by the club, when he was twice proposed
for membership. Continuing he said:
/ regard II as the greatest honor That eyer
befell me. not exec pting the Lord Rectorshtp
of st. Andrews. that on those two occasions
| was ignominiously lackballed one OF the
objections which. | fancy. was made against
not nave Written the book that bore my maine.
Don't let us be parties TO a fraud. J. think
you snid 10 yourself, that book must be the
w wSs1 found Si 4 IN TeI my a" wealth. "" An author must
be poor to be good, YOU said, II was only
when | replied that If I was a rich man, was
so much poorer az an author. that l tnaliy
gained my membership.
Speaking Of the presentdeluge Of fiction,
Mr.. Carnegie said that it presented a very
serious problem 10 public libraries on ac-
count OF the great outlay of money il in
volved. He had been thinking the matter
over and had come 10 wonder II IL would not
be wise for public libraries TO establish a
rule Of not purchasing any work OF fiction
that was not n year old Another sugges-
ton he wanted to make was that in taking
account of the circulation Of libraries for
the estimates Of their pro rata allowance OF
public support, no regard be taken of works
Of fiction less than three years old.
The other speakers were DR.. John Shaw
Billings, Moncure ID. Conway and Prof.
Calvin Thomas, the chairman OF the Execu-
tive Council Of the club, who made the
welcoming address. He said:
think that MIR. Carnegic's future literary
fame will not rest on his major literary ef-
forts, but rather on certain minor writings
OF his that properly may be called opuscular.
I refer TO certain small, rectangular manu-
scripts, written. according TO rule, only or
one side Of the paper and with wide margin.
and containing. nothing original, but the
signature. In the production of those works
he has showed an amazing probability. In
placing them. he has aroused the envy OF
every member OF the craft