The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-23

ARELY, II ever, since the desperate
X Battle of the Books, which Dean
Swift reported in such a literary
war correspondent style. have letters
been as violently arrayed as they are
on the wordy field of the Five Foot
Book Shelf. Former President Charles
W. Eliot of Harvard university. OF
course, started the excitement by align
ing some "a innocent volumes of more
or less puritanieal training on the field
of strife. and since the war trumpet
sounded its challenge those books have
had to meet almost universal attack
led in chief by those who fight under
the banner of the Bible. Shakespeare
and Homer.
The literary army of the west will
not defend the Eliot FIVE feet of printed
matter. The department of English
of Stanford university yesterday trained
its heavy artillery on the isolate shelf.
joining the bookish dragons of the
University of California The light
sharpshoeting of Miss Miriam Michel
sons wit was aimed at the volumes
yesterday and the clever cavalry
charges Of Samuel NJ. Shortridge's and
Joseph d. Grants preferences were di-
reeted toward the center. Even the
engineers extended their lines around
DR.. Eliot's precarious position yester-
day. H. NJ. Mccartney. assistant to the
chief engineer OF the Western Pacific
and well known book collector, moved
with considerable vehemence on the
redoubt of the Harvard classics"
The west wants to hear from Har-
ward and learn why DR.. Eliot omitted
the Bible and Shakespeare from the list
of books he considered essential for a
liberal education" Stanford university
is incredulous and would almost doubt
the authenticity of the published list
because the. Bible and the dramas OF
the poet OF Avon are not there. Others
take the list as published without ques-
tioning the accuracy OF the telegraph,
but do question the selection of DIR.
Eliot.
Miss Miriam Nicholson, author OF In
the Bishops Carriage" Anthony Over
man" and other popular novels and
periodical contributions, said yesterday
in discussing the list: Does any one
ever read list of books of this sort?
In fact, would rather recommend than
read all the books on that list.
Il would rather read the Sermon on
the Mount, which is not in the list, than
Thomas a Kempis' Imitation Of
Christ which is. would rather read
Winwood Reade's Martyrdom of Man,
which 1 know, than Marlow's Dr.
Faustus. which have not read: Ham
let's soliloquy. which I have read. than
Tennysons Beckett, which 1 haven't
read; Henry Esmond, which 1 have
read, than Webster's Duchess OF
Malfi. which 1 haven't read. I'd rather
have Huxley than Browne. Middlemarch
than Beaumont. and Fletcher's plays
and Taine and Macaulay than John
Woolman."
Samuel NJ. Shortridge could not sup
press his elequence when asked for an
opinion on the list. After studying
DIR. Eliots explanation and his list OF
books for some moments, the attorney
declared emphatically:N
sDr. Eliot says that a reading, with
rereadings and memorizing, OF his sug-
gested list of books will give any man
the essentials of a liberal education
How can it be said that any list Of
books will give any man the essentials
OF a liberal education which omits
the myriad minded whose
works are in themselves worth a whole
library; Demosthenes, the most perfect
orator OF the ancient world, whose
words are the very voice Of nature and
could be uttered effectively in forum or
on rostrum today; our own Webster.
the Godlike Daniel, Defender of the
Constitution, whose works every man
must be familiar with who lays any
claim to any kind of liberal educa-
ton; the bible. which has had and has
a greater influence on men and nations