The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-15
ROASTS AMERICANS
Monsieur Jules Huret Lets
French Creep In.
HIS WORK ON UNCLE SAM
Less Prejudiced Than Majority
of French Writers.
Dieter to the New York Pozt.)

great length the observations made by
him during several months sojourn in
the United States. He has undoubtedly
tried to see with both eyes open. and his
mental attitude is for the most art hum
bic. as of one who would learn willingly
from the New ). orld which is suddenly
casting so threatening shadow over the
old He has very little Of that Ger ain
condescension in foreigners" of which
Lowell wrote d generation and haf
ago; and, in spite of the fresh way he has
of putting our hfe before his Partisan
readers, | should not have thought of
mentioning his articles if it had not been
for one portentous slip.
In Sundays Figaro, NJ. Huret reeounts
his interview with Booker T. Washington
at Tuskegee Here for once there was
aroused in him that sensitiveness which is
so common in Europeans when they hear
Americans boasting of their material
progress. Mr. Booker T. W ashington had
pointed out to him the great progress of
the United States in mechanical inven-
tions. LAS II, says the wounded French
lions had not been first found out in Eu-
rope''-and he goes on to emphasize he
Americans lack of originality in general
ideas, and his capacity of exploiting what
other people have first thought out. He
associates this with the lack OF higher
education in the United States. where sue
cess is supposed to be dependent on mere
practical farming. To soften this we're
judgment, however. Jules Huret asten-
ed to remind Booker Washington that
the United States had produced Emerson
as wei as Carnegie and Rockefeller, and
that Emerson's dreams were, perhaps,
more important TO the world that the &C
tivity Of the others.
There may be a kernel of truth in all
this, and Americans have been the first 10
lament their lack CT opportunity for cult
waiting p ure science which makes discov-
cries possible, and hence, in the long run,
inventions practicable. But the delusion
of the Frenchman who thinks that credit
should rather be given to European incon-
elusive attempts in applied science which
have never worked rather than to the
American inventions which have worked
until they have wrought out world pow
er for us, is too characteristic to be pass
ed He has unwittingly laid his finger on
that defect in the French education ard
social organization which retards as much
as anything else the material progress Of
France
Pure science has been admirably cul-
tivated in rance for more than CEN
fury; and the superiority of French liter
airy education has turned out professors
of science whose writings have become
the text books of other peoples. Who're
there is little need OF new combinations,
that is of practical inventions demand
ing the imagination of a bonafide work.
man the French have been able to apply
their science. as i ntheir marvels of en-
gineering and architecture and in chemi-
cal Industries. Where there is need of
new machines, that is of new organisms
to be created whole from the imagination
of the man that knows the exact need Of
them, because he has felt it in his every
day labor, there the Americans superior
ity cannot be questioned. And it is there
the caste conferred in France by educa-
ton has proved injurious TO the interests
of the country.
In France an Edison would be next to
impossible. AS he is not of the class
which has studied and taken out diplomas
the entire caste of officially recognized
scholars would have set their faces
against his every attempt to work out
practical inventions for himself.
In these last few days l have had
case in point. An intelligent electrician
but a workman only-after years Of ex-
perience with highly imperfect machines
has thought out a lifting apparatus,
new elevator for loads of any weight or
size from persons to tons Of freight. He
proposes to do away with the awkward
wells. or deep holes in the ground. into
which the shafts OF French elevators have
TO be sunk; even the lifting weights above
in this idea SHOULD be merely steadying
counterpoises His apparatus viii neither
so he claims. spring up when lightened OF
its load nor sink down when weighted.
as is the troublesome habit with present
elevators. And he has reduced the motor
problem to its simplest expression. both
in artifice and expense, using any pow
er, electric, water. or steam. or even pc
troleum. o nthc ground floor or wherever
the elevator begns ascent He claims also
economy OF space
Employers had enough confidence in the
workman to believe there might be some
thing in his invention, but not enough
fair play TO help him take out patents
in his own name Instead they brought
him before a board of engineers, having
the requisite certified knowledge. who in
sisted on knowing and judging Of the en-
tire combination. preparatory TO forming
a company which would be the sole pro-
prietor Of the Invention. while the tn-
ventor was promised q place as head
workman. Intimadated as he was by the
assurance OF 50 many social superiors
that only science could deal accurately
with such things. he had the courage and
good sense TO give over his secret; Tor.
with eli respect fer Il. Huret. thc higher
scientific training which he finds lacking
the United states often turns out n T.
s. H. have both VII aid caaacity % exp OFT
S. haJ others have first thought out Yet
.ren a workman may have ideas sait
th- e.ec rcian Il re-. cs le spoke Despair
as.y Of ,he fate Of his invention
Perhaps much II the greatness q Amer
lea Is due 70 the fact that the idezs e
workueu such rs aTt CT ourasei taeTe.
ana ccrta aly vhe labor uroblsuls off'rorce
are l1ters ee1 IS ths separating - the
w~rr en ty caste from the recosri ed
oU-ne-s ~ science as wel rs q p7cDerty.
And 50 far Ii dos -or 81 n that 52sicai
reforms or even socialist Tne-s-r are
doin Ea1ythi1r e~ec-ire q produce thas
circulation OF CLASSES 3. which the work
man IS W. as the farmers son aai III
srsaa ~