New-York tribune., 1907-05-19
PRESIDENT ON REALISM
Says Many Mature" Story Wr;ters
1re Fakers.

A conversation with President Roosevelt on the
subject OF nature books and certain so-called
dents OF pature is the basis Of article entitled
Roosevelt and the Nature Fakers." bv Edward r
Clark, in the June issue of 'eEvervhodv,s Naoo
zine" In the conversation which Mr. Clark reports
the President expresses his firm belief that ,oa,xy
writers about wild animals among them William
j. Long, Jack London and Charles G. d Roberts
nave talied to learn tho real secrets of the life in
the wilderness"
rake the chapter from Jack London's White
Fang that tells the story of fight between the
great northern wolf. White Fang and bulldog"
said President Roosevelt according to Mr. Clark
Reading this, / can't believe that MI London
knows much about the wolves and am certain
that he knows nothing about their fighting,
realist he would not tell this tale. This kind of
realism IS a closet product"
The President went to give from his wide
knowledge Of the animals Of the mountain and for
est the reasons why Gir London should not be ac-
cepted a reast. II he and others like him wrote
their stories in the spirit of Kpl!ng in his Jungle
Books. they might be read as fiction and fable and
be enjoyed to the full without doing any harm.
But when such fables written by a make
believe realst," Mr.. Clarke reports the President
as saying. the matter entirely differ
ent complexion Men who have visited the haunts
of the wild beasts. who have them and have
learned at least something of their ways. resent
such gross falsifyng OF natures records"
Realism is truth" he says "A writer like
Stewart Edward White is true to nature: he knows
the forest and the mountains and the desert; he
puts down what he sees, and he the truth.
But certain others either have not at all or
they have superfcially Nature writing with
them is labor of love. Their readers, in the
main persons who have never lived apart from the
paved street take the widest flights of the imagi-
nation Of these realists' as inspired word from
the gospel of nature II is false teaching
William J. Long is perhaps the worst OF these
nature writing offenders. It is his stories. I am
told that have been put in part, into many of the
public schools of the country, in order that from
them the children may set the truths of wild ami
NAL life
Take Mr.. Longs story Of "Wayeeses the White
Wolf Here is what the writer says IN his preface
10 the story: Every incident in this VOLTS life
from his grasshopper hunting 70 the cunning carl
bou chase, and from the den in the rocks to the
meeting OF wolf and children on the storm swept
barrens, Is rninutely true to fact. and is based
sQuarely upon my own observation ana that OF my
Indians
AS a matter OF fact. the story OF wayeeses Is
filed with the widest improbabiiities and few
mathematical impossibilities. II Mr. Long wants
US to believe his story Of the killing OF the carl
bou fawn by the wolf in the way that he says It
was dous, he must produce eye-witnesses and af-
hdavits. don't believe the thing occurred.
Many Of the nature stories of Charles c.. D. Rob
erts avowedly fairy tales and no one is de-
ceived by them When such is the we all
owe q debt TO Mr.. Roberts, for he is a charming
writer and he leves the Wilderness. But Mr..
Roberts fails to consult possibilities in some OF
his stories
THE lynx seems 70 have unholy fascination
for these realists. and Mr Roberts has succumbed
TO It wish he had learned little OF the real
lynx, distinguished from the Mr.. Long lynx, be-
fore he wrote the story called On the Night Trail
Mr.. Roosevelt speaks OF nature from first hand
himself. OF his knowledge Of the denizens Of the
wilderness DR.. c. Hart Merriam. chief Of the
United States Biological Survey. according TO Mr.
al 9 worlds
authority the big game mammals OF North
America His writings fuller and his observa-
tions are more complete and accurate than those
any other man who has given the subject study.
Mr. ClRrk's conversation with the President ended
with the latters opinion OF the results Of children
reading these so-called mature stories The
preservation Of the useful and beautiful animal and
BIRD life of the country said Mr. Roosevelt de
pends largely upon creating I'm the young an interest
In the life OF the woods and fields. II the child
mind is fed with that false nature the
children will go the haunts of the animal only
10 meet with disappointment. The result Will be
disbelief and the death Of interest The men who
risinterpret nature and replace fact with fiction
undo the work Of those who In the love OF nature
m Alright