Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29
JEER AT YANKEE TASTE
GOSSIP OF BOOKS AND AUTHORS
ACROSS THE SEA.
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON, June 10, 1907.
Lord Alfred Douglas, who recently took
over the editorship of the Academy, lit
erary journal which up to that time held
an unblemished record for responsibility
and dizziness, is doing his best to infuse
new life into that staid old public: ton. His
best this week Is a sneer at American lit
erary taste. The excuse for 1t is the opin-
ion expressed by ]. H. Sears, IN American
publisher. that few English novelsts wrote
books that were suited to the American
market "Gum chewing occidentals,"
"bleached Hiawathas of the Hudson" ''tne
long ears of the American public" are
among the phrases he uses to express his
contempt for American literary tastes.
There is something irresistibly comical in
the spectacle Of Lord Alfred Douglas set
ting himself up as censor OF this sort.
Lord Alfred Douglas is a younger son of
the late Marquis Of Queensberry of Queens
berry fighting rules fame. At one time he
father objected and gave Oscar Wilde a
thrashing. 1t was that which led to the
exposure Of that perverted genius his
prosecution and imprisonment. Aft"r that
Lord Alfred Douglas disappeared for some
years. A little while ago he published
book of Rabelaisian verses entitled THE
Belgian Hare" clever in parts, but UNI
quotable. 1t would never have been printed
in America. Lord Alfred enjoys the advan-
tage of occupying the unassalable position
Of the man who has no reputation to lose.
He can't hurt himself by anything he says
or writes. And he can't hurt anybody else.
Familiar With Society.
The realistic NOVELETTE, novel which aims
primarily at depicting manners and social
states truy-appeals in the main only to
those who are familiar with the society
thus depicted. That is the reason why many
books that are popular here fall fiat in
America and vice versa.
LAS a simple matter Of fact" says Alfred
Mutt, an English publisher, America is
producing number of excellent realistic
in a thousand will have them at any price.
Fairy tales about the American smart set,
like Mr.. Chambers last book, are, on the
other hand, widely read.
Those who think these a residuum OIL
call it Anglo-Saxondom common to england
and America-and that the permanence and
development of this common element is of
import to humanity, must ardently wish for
writers Of sufficient genius to make realism,
the faithful representation of ordinary life,
palatable to both sections of the English
speaking world. But Is must be ankly
recognized that this Is a task which re-
quires genius. Even twentieth-rate talent,
on the other hand. will carry romance"
Prolonging Copyright.
NJ. Victor Marguerite, the president OF
the French "Societe des Gems de Lettres,"
has persuaded NJ. BRAND, the minister OF
public instruction, to promise to nominate
an extra parliamentary commission to
consider the question of prolonging literary
copyright and protecting 1t more effectual-
ly. In France the copyright of a literary
work is the property of the heirs of a de-
ceased author for fifty years after his
death At the expiration Of that period it
becomes public property M Marguerite
contends it is unfair that publishers alone
should benefit by the extinction of a copy
right. The steps that he has taken for the
revision of the law on the subject were
evidently prompted by the recent expira-
ton of the copyright of the works of Bal
FAC and Musset, and the approach of the
moment when the formidable Literary