The Washington times., 1903-06-21
FRENCH oAMBASSADOR
ON OUR LITERATURE

Slluch MIN lnal lnlS was the way SloIE
should be told: the more impressive
the fact the less inflated the style
straightforward narrative. unadOrned
direct-this he adopted as his rule OF
art. seeking the shortest way TO the
statement OF the act And by this.
among other things. he attained his re-
markable success.
Yes. indeed. most OF your standard
writer's are known in my country. The
tale has ceased to be true that French
men understand no foreign language.
Very many read English with ease, and
were IL not so, many among your great
writer's are accessible in translation.
You have been celebrating the centen-
nial anniversary Of the birth of Emer-
son. We count him one of the best
sources of inspiration literature has
produced, and many are those on the
other side Of the water who, struck by
his saying. have tried to follow his be
hest. and TO hitch their wagon to a star,
Your historians and critics-Prescott,
Motley, Irving. Tieknor-thcir contribu-
tions belong TO the worlds literature.
Lowell is held IN special esteem.
Roosevelt Widely Read.
President Roosevelt is the most wide
ly read Of your writer's at the present
time in France. Everybody knows his
books Not literature? I am not so
sure Of that. Does he not conspicuously
exhibit this ability to say things sim
ply and directly? The greatest literary
artists can do no more. Personally. the
President is extremely popular in my
country. You cannot conceive how pop
ular. Were he to visit Paris. he would
be greeted by a demonstration equal to
any of those he has just received in his
present wide journey-et c'est tout dire.
The characteristic note OF American
| literature? IT is difficult TO say for one
/ so newly arrived. If ! must say some-
thing. I should be inclined TO say the
/ quality Of its humor; an optimistic. ac-
I tive, go ahead sort of humor, not the
I gloomy. respondent sort. Not that none
/ of your writer's knows gloom and de-
! spOndency. but the other style undoubt-
edly suits them best. All men allow
some miscries to be cured and wiped
away by touch of humOr and a laugh:
you allow a larger number of such mis-
/ haps TO be so cured than most people
( In which thing we greatly incline to feel
with you.
Young still. and untouched by the
/ great sorrows that have made tragic the
! careers OF the older nations Pardon ne,
/ you are not so young now. And you
have passed through great trials. great
sorrows. That gigantic struggle in
which North and South wrestled-that
/ terrible war. with its passions, tears
and griefs. 1t is hard, hard. to light
against ones own kin. And out of It all
I you emerged stronger than before and
united forever, with your faces turned
toward the sun and toward hope.
Materialism
Material interests. it is true. are
1 laying nowadays all things in the world
under their dominion. Your achieve
ments in this line have been marvellous
! To keep pace with so rapid a material
advance. very great things must be
/ done in the intellectual and spiritual
I field. and it is not a little pleasant for
friend of this country to see that this
is well understood: that the number Ui
universities, the number OF students IN
each OF them and the excellence Of th1
work produced there are on constant
! increase. Whenever one Of Us treats
any learned subject now he must al
ways begin saying to himself. Let me
see first what our American friends
have said and written on II: and q great
many and very valuable things. II is
usually found. they have said and writ
ten. and that they are worth knowing
The time is gone when such a town a.
Chicago would produce foodstuff only
/ IL produces mind stuff, too; ESSAYS
studies. books Of true Importance. Suci
a small pamphlet as Prof Carpenter D.,
. Guide to the Study Of Spcnser' woul,
be an honor 10 any university Of the OIL,
! or the New World. so complete II T.
and 50 accurate; IL Is unique In fits kind
and ought not 70 be. II should be iut
iatcd. What. then, should / say OF tn,
older ishments-Harvard. Colum
I bia. and the others 4 good man q
I your country would show the Ian,
. dotted with powerful industrial ;ovp
and with ever active. and powerful too
university cities. May both sorts nroa
per May these last ever keen pac,
/ Win the former. and no better wish n,
be expressed for them. nor for tn,
country"