New-York tribune., 1905-02-12

world, (3) members of the Commission de Bureau
International Permanent de la Palx, "a members
and associates of the Instu de Drot International.
and 50 university professors of law of political science,
of history and philosophy"
When the nominations arrive, they are handed
to various sets of Judges The selection from the
nominations made varies in the different In
Physics and Chemistry the selecting body is pair of
Nobel committees of five persons named by the Swedish
Academy of Sciences. In Medicine the arrangement
is similar, the medico-Chrurgical Royal Caroline
Institute of Stockholm being the leading body among
nomnators; the selection resting again with Nobel
committee in medicine. In Literature the procedure
is analogous the Swedish Academy FOUNDED in 1886
for the promotion of Swedish literature language and
poetry taking the lead but with the cooperation of
the Academic Francaise and other literary academies
of Europe"
The Norwegian Storthing nominates the committee
which adjudicates upon the Peace prize.
The first thing, therefore, for Americans to ascertain
is whether as the in the first years cOmpe-
ttion far Britain concerned, any Americans
nominated for any of the prizes The Americans.
like the British, have academy like that which
exists in Sweden France and Spain. In these
tries in which ancient academy OF letters exists
committee sits to discuss the Motel prizes and the
best way in which could be given for candidates
In Germany, Holland, In Italy, where there is no
national academy of letters the response of scholars
in those to the appeal of the Nobel committee
instant and copiOus.
When inquiry was made 70 the failure of the
British nominate anyone for the prizes OF 1901.
it was discovered that the Swedes did not know
qualified Engishmen they satisfied themselves as best
they could by sending broadcast to the secretaries OF
heterogeneous lot of institutions in the United King
dom and the Colonies copies of printed circular
Several these institutions obsolete, one was
dead, none had any vital connection with English
literary life.
As nothing was heard from these circulars, 1t was
presumed that they were consigned to the paper
basket that yawns ready to receive the lnnumerable
circulars foreign lotteries which sent every day
through the post to the British hOusehOlders 1t
would be interesting ascertain whether similar
fate has overtaken a similar circular addressed to
American institutions which in Stockholm have been
supposed to supply the lack of American Academy
of Science of Letters.
The English Royal Society Academy of Science
is entitled advise nominations but all candidates
must be nominated by persons, not by institutions
Nominations cannot be made masse by academies,
committees or other representative bodies. On this
subject the French Academy, which desired to send
cumulative vote entered into lengthy correspondence
with the Swedish Academy but failed to persuade the
latter Committees of academic bodies may discuss
the question together and may decide to concentrate
their influence on single candidate but the result
of these deliberations reach the swedish Academy
form of recommendations from individual per-