New-York tribune., 1908-03-14
THE SHAKESPEARE MEMORIAL.

The plan of building a world $ memorial OF
Shakespeare. to be completed and dedlcaIed II
his tercentenary. which has been put forward
under eminent leadership in England. is vari-
ouslv regarded. as all important matters are.
and is the object OF some ridicule and condem-
nation. which does not by any means Indicate
that if is either ridiculous or unworthy of
commendaton. without awaiting any VIDE
spread consensus of opinion. it seems safe 10
assume that it will appeal to the great majority
of thoughtful men and women well con
ceived scheme which deserves to be pushed 10
completion promptly and on generous scale.
The question which some persons ASK why
there should be such a memorial TO Shakespeare,
whose fame So little needs any material aids
is answered by another, why there should he
any memorial TO anybody. If great men, VINO
need DO such tributes. are not TO have them
because they do not need them then there will
be nobody left to receive them save those who
are so small and insignificant as to need such
artificial exploitation. and. of course, it is OBJ
vious that they should not have it. because the!
do not deserve it. Therefore. there should be
memorials to nobody. That is logical. but we
do not think that the common sense OIL the
world will accept the conclusion, and 1t VIII not
do so because it will regard the major premise
as fncorrect-to wit that memorials should
be erected to whose fame already tran
scends any material monument.
The root of the error lies in the assumption
that Il monument is erected wholly or chiefly for
the gIorification and advertisement of its sub
iect. That is not its true purpose. Its value is
subjective rather than objective. 1t is not IN
expression of the greatness of the man whose
name it bears, but of the appreciation or graf
itude of those who build il. The towering obc-
lisk by the Potomac the graceful arch at the
foot of Fifth avenue and the innumerable other
memorials of Washington all over the land 10
not and can not add one iOt or title TO the fame
o. Washington. but they do impressivey set
forth the mind of the American people toward
him. So this proposed memorial to Shake
speare cannot in an infinitcSimal degree en-
bauce the fame of the worlds supreme p0etIc3l
genius. II is not for moment intended that
il shall. But il will be concrete and enduring
reminder Of the reverence with which the world
regards hinl-refexively really memorial OF
the world rather than of Shakespeare.
We hope that it Will be built that it will be
finished in tme-there will be eight years from
next month before the tercentenary of bis death
and that i'll mingled beauty and majesty of
design and in integrity of construction it will
be as nearly worthy of its subject the mu
niticence the genius and the industry of men
can make it. 1t is fitting that the movement
should be organized, started and directed n
England and it is inevitable that its chief pro-
motion will come from the English speaking ma
TONS but we should certainly hope and
ndently expect to see every lterate people on
the face of the globe spontaneously contribute
TO a work which is more universal in its appeal
than any other of the kind which the world
has known.