The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-22
SENATOR LODGE IS
f. ANXIOUS ABOUT
IMMORTALITY
WOULD INCORPORATE HIMSELF
AND OTHERS OF ART AND LIT.
ERATuRe AS AN AMERICAN
ACADEMY OF IMMoRTALs.
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.

WASHINGTON. Jan. Z.-Senalor
Lodge has received a blow. Mr.. Lodge
burgers for immortality. To that
eternal end he asked congress to In
corporate himself and certain other
high muck-amucks OF art and htera-
ture as an American academy or im'
hnortals. 10! the name OF Abou Ben
Roosevelt headed the list. The im'
mortals would be willing. so Mr.. Lodge
averred. TO act as consulting engineers
on questions artistic and literary for
the good OF the government.
The senate reported coldly against
The national incorporation of Mr..
Lodge apd those others. but said they
Knight be given papers by the District
of Columbia. Which Is as though one
were told that he could not be gradu'
hted by Harvard college. but might
be by a district school Wherefore the
blow.
Likewise the senate struck out all
suggestion OF consulting Mr.. Lodge
hnd those other deathless ones on any
subject. The last was adding insult 20
Injury. Is it wonder that Mr.. Lodge
feels hurt?
An hours honest reflection, how.
ever, should comfort Mr.. Lodge HIS
attempt to scale the skies by means
rf national Incorporation would
have been a failure even though II
had been consented 10 by the senate.
Immortality is not TO be reached by
mere congressional enactment Only
those who are immortal shall have i'm
mortality.
Also Mr. Lodge should not so hurry
10 be great Greatness Is doubtful
blessing. Being great is like being in
the top OF a tree-it commonly takes
all OF ones strength To hang on. Be.
sides there's the danger OF a fall
No man does much after he becomes
great That is because To stay great
takes all his time Mr. Lodge should
rot clutch at greatness, snatch at Inn
mortality. It's too much like clutch
ing at the Twentieth Century Limited
JAS II goes whizzing by in its flight
Were Mr.. Lodge TO fasten, he would
scarce survive the yank No: unless
one be naturally aboard the train one
had better not mingle with such peril
ous matters. He would be wiser who
stood safely back from the track.
10000 Words a Week.
Same optimists write me letters that
would require reams in their reply
Considering that, as go tearing along
this vale of tears in pursuit OF the
daily corned beef and cabbage. | am
writing almost 10000 words a week. 10
send such letter Is, i'm the first place.
about as pleasantly intelligent as il
would be. to stroll around To letter
oarriers home OF an evening and in.
kite him out for walk. However.
I've no objection to answering letters
when II counts as part OF the days
work and ! get paid for IT,
One OF my correspondents wanted
TO know about Senator Rayner. Pc.
officially he was a German production
and In Speaker Crisps time came 70
the house from Maryland He is bill.
GUS dark. heavy, smooth violent
Demosthenes, he makes more use OF
lis arms than his tongue in his ora
tory. Were you to .handcuff him he
couldn't say word
Also, he is more uproarious than elo.
quent, more vigorous than clear. He
will expend more physical strength in
talking half an hour than would be
needed TO cur two cords OF hickory
wood. He was at one time the gen
eral agent of the Rothschilds for the
United States. and assume he Is yet.
cannot conceive OF Mr.. Rayner do