New-York tribune., 1907-11-06
literary yNese,s end Criticism.

- - Ole reels that the man is dead in
iiies' ana that his opinions are sound yet one
finds ones self wishing he would toIo oro4t,ou
~ s"oN' 'iift one might have the luxury of dis
agreeing with him. We are ant in this country
~ say OF such person that he has no sense oP
-"iioi ana retire him to private life But this
. io' England and don't aim to produce
s,- d'eu young men who can make after
N''iiief Speeches without any Jokes in them and
are competent TO govern an ernpire
Nheh all Is said. Lord Curzon has been gen.
e'"iiS "ulIlitted TO be very capable admins
'ia'oi lie had firm hand all his subordi-
mates ana ne pressed to a conclusion a number
or Important reforms. He coped succassfr,,
with famine that made six million ,aor1a do
pendent on the charity Of the government and
ne performed the ornamental functions oF his
post 10 perfection when he held the famous
coronation durbar at Delhi in 1909 II has
neen said of him that he is deficient in tact
ana as an instance Is mentioned his sneech n
the students of the Calcutta University extol-
ing truthfuness. We Americans like To he
preached at and told how bad our rich men
are but we don't like to hear that anv one else
Is any better. We can sympathize with the re-
sentiment that met the statement duly qualified
that truth Is a Western conception Macaulay
was snug in his study at home when he wrote
mat what the paw is to the tiger what the
sting is to the bee, deceit is to the Bengalee
But Lord Curzon addressing a lot of Indian
stuoents' the most sensitive people on earth,
referred to Oriental diplomacy as something
rather tortuous and hypersubtle
AS one put it, he was able progressive and
strong with positive genius for rubbing peo-
pie the wrong way. Whether such a combna-
ton OF qualities will eventually lead him to the
only remaining political honor that England has
TO give must be a constantly recurring question
TO the reader Of these pages.
There is one activity of Lord Curzon far re-
moved from politics which must entitle him TO
the gratitude and respect of every student, of
every lover Of art of all to whom the priceless
memorials Of the past have value and signi1-
canoe. And that is his determined and effective
advocacy of a policy Of enlightened protection
and care of the great monuments of India.
The English. to be sure. did not begin tho prac-
tice OF spoliaton and neglect. What part Of
India" he asks. did not bear witness to the
ruthless vandalism OF the great iconoclast
Aurungzeb?" The Mahometan despoiled Hindu
temples. the Brahman when his turn came
rifled the Mahometan. Successive changes of
capitals rejecting q despots whm were mimi
cal to the completion and continuous existence
Of architectural fabrics The English pioneers
We're too much concerned in laying the founda-
tIons and extending the borders OF new en-
pire to give much thought to the relics of old
ones. Only few ftful efforts were made to
stay the progress of vandalism.
IN the days OF Lord William Bentinck the Tai
was on the point Of being destroyed for the value
Of its marbles. The Governor General sold
by auction the marble bath in Shah Jehans pal,
a q agra which had been torn up by Lord
Hastings for n gift TO George ", but had some
how never been dispatched. In the same regime 4
proposal made to lease the gardens at Sikan-
dra TO the executive engineer at Agra for the pur-
poses of speculative cultivation. In 1856, after the
nutiny. it solemnly proposed to raze to the
ground the Jumma Musfid. at Delhi, the noblest
ceremonial mosque in the world and II was only
spa red at the instance of Sir John Lawrence.
James Fergusson's books sound one unending note
of passionate protest against the barrack builder
and the military engineer. must confess that
think these individuals have been, and within the
more restricted scope now left TO them still are, In
veterate sinners.
Lord Curzon was fortunate In being able to
inaugurate more civilized policy, and stu
dent and traveller alike owe him a debt OF
gratitude for his vigorous and well directed
efforts to preserve and maintain some Of the
most wonderful. most interesting and most
beautiful monuments that have come down to
US from any age.