The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-09-11
MONARCHS TRYING
TO SOLVE TURKISH
PROBLEM
BY Marquis de Castellane.

| PARIS, Sept. 11.-Kings, emperors,
and presidents Of republics have new
er travelled as they do today, and they
| take their foreign ministers with
them. Certainly II Is not only to talk
always OF peace. To Judge by what
one hears in the chancelleries OF
statesmen, the heart and kernel of
the recent interviews has been to try
| to feel which power is eventually to
replace the sultan In Constantinople.
One power of the front rank will
Is realized. unless the non Mahometan
tribes there are to massacre each
other out OF existence. Russia is the
candidate OF France and England for
that post To counter their activity
Kaiser Wilhelm has sent General Won
der Goltz, the next active chief OF his
own army, to Turkey to watch Ger
bany's interests on the spot. He is TO
seek to establish relations with the
sultan's new ministers and to promise
them his masters support In resisting
the pressure OF reform programs for
Macedonia.
There are two sets OF formidable
antagonists, and peace-loving
Frenchman would feel more treasured
II he saw all the sovereigns give up
their travels and stay quietly at home.
am really ashamed to be obliged
to speak OF topic raised by one OF
our chief magazines; Is there such
thing as American literature? Many
Frenchmen deny its existence. Their
reproach is that Americans do not
study sufficiently the perfection Of
form. Now, It Is chiefly this disdain
of form which is the marked charac-
terlstic OF American literature. II Is
realistic and practical. Is not that as
much n virtue as being dreamy and
stepped in romanticism? Franklin,
who was the first American writer to
achieve popularity in France, Is heavy
and little vulgar, but at least he
taught his compatriots how to com
port themselves SO as TO become rich
and powerful.
And in later days are not the works
of Fenimore Cooper, singer OF the
trappers and the redskins. and OF Mark
Twain translated into all tongues
And Your poets-are not Edgar Poe
and Longfellow true celebrities2 The
truth Is that In French literature to-
day everything turns banal and uni.
form and dyes itself in the same color.
To say that Americans lack individ
uality. when one thinks OF the magni.
ficent output OF books, Is really ash
nine.
Does a national art exist In Amer
lea II not literature? II must be
conceded that most of the painters
and sculptors of the United States
have their methods instilled in them
in the schools OF Europe. But that
does not prevent their art becoming
more and more cosmopolitan. The
truth is that painting and sculpture
take birth wherever they can, under
some mysterious motive force thet
neither money nor will power can
compose.
In the earlier part OF the eigh.
tcenth century your painters seem Il
have hesitated. but In 1878. such indie
pendent young artists as Wyant, Low
Shirlaw. lines and Martin, and the
illustrious author, II. Gaudens. found
ed the American Art association
They were the true precursors oil
some painters OF genius such q:
Whistler and John Sargent, OF whom
one. | am certain. will before Ions
win the title OF the greatest portrait
painter in the world. II is not. strict
/ ly speaking, American art. but IL is a
plead of artists which Is more and
more intcrnationalizlng art.