Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-15
SPECIAL correspondence)


ONDON. inn. e-William Archer
invisorated no doubt by his re-
cont trip To America, Is having
fun with Mr.. Balfour After the
London press has accused the ex-
premier of being a liar. Archer comes
forward not to accuse hut to persuade
Balfour that he Is a liar. that his ut
terances "fall, for the moment, not
ably short of artistic mastery" Arch
er'e letter is the embodiment OF sweet
ness and light and refined population.
Before rcproving him. Archer pays Bal
four this complimentary speculation:
"a long tradition associates English
craftsmanship with accomplishment in
the field of literature; and that tradi-
tion you have worthlly maintained. II
You were unknown as a politician, you
would be known as n thinker and writ
er. You belong then to the guild OF
which / am humble mcmber-thc
guild Of men OF letters-and 1t is as
a man of letters that l venture to ad-
dress you"
hut still no dcsplcable one, Archer as
serts. is skill In the art OF rhetoric OF
persuasion, an art specially involved In
the composition of an election address.
Could anything equal the tact with
which Archer then suggests that dur
ing his election addresses Balfour is
liar
"Assuredly." he says, IT am not 80
simple as to set up truth as a measure
OF the validity OF a rhetorical utter
ance. The man who wants to sway tho
minds of other men, in so far as he Is
an artist. not morallst. Is Indifferent
as to whether any particular statement
tallies with prosaic reality. The rules
of art do not discountcnanco fiction as
such: but they absolutely prohibit any
indulgence In fiction which 10 one VIII
believe or which is certain to be found
out before its object is attained
corollary. almost as self-evldent. is also
worth noting: namely. that the true
artist VIII not waste his energies in
PLAYING upon the credulity of minds 80
enfe55lcd by fanatlcism that they are
ready to believe anything. The true
artist should never forget the distinc-
tion between veracity and verlsimlll-
tude"
ATTACK ANALYZDD.
In the light of these Fundamental. in
controvertible canons, Archer proceeds
to examine the following passage In
one of Balfour's addresses.
THE truth OF the matter Is that the
present attack on the house of lords is
but the elimination OF a longdrawn
conspiracy. The government came Into
office not to work the constitution of
the country but to destroy 1t. They
dcsire what is in effect a slngle-cham-
Der legislature"
Now. SIR" Is Archcr's comment. Il
suggest that the very first line Of this
paragraph is a fault in art Bernard
Shaw, an author whom l am told you
relish, has pointed out that the phrase.
The truth Is acts as q danger-signal
TO the wary reader bidding him to keep
his sccpticlsm on the alert. On this
question of verbal policy. however,
there may be two opinions. Perhaps
some minds are put of, rather than on.
their guard by the apparent candor of
such an asseveratlon. Do you think 1t
tudIcious. plausible-ln word artistic
to pretend that the Liberal government
has for four years been animated by no
other motive than the deliberately con-
ceived and elaborated design Of wreck
ing the house of lords and establishing
the house of commons as an unchecked
single chamber"
PREFERS LONDON IN FOG.
To a poet whose scenes are set In
mists. shadows. and gloom, Londor
must be fascinating. and Macterlinck
prefers London in fog to London IN
sunshine.
The Belgian dramatist Is Vsltihe