The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-09
16 The American Short Story
Il. Bibliographical Notes
I G y1o~
..31isinforn,ing Gernaany.'

..Afisinf0rnling Germany.
A writer in the New York Times
Book Review Of February 20, 1911,
under the sensational caption "Misin-
Smith to task for various oHenses
both small and great.
The small errors named are hat
that Gertrude Anterior is
now Mrs. George G. Riggs twhereas
that is the matrimonial name of Kate
Douglas WiEgin). and that o.. Henry
is said to have set forth his philoso-
ply IN a play called The World and
the Door This piece, says the
Times, which is totally in error, is
not a play, bat a short story. II Dr.
Smith has fallen into error OF detail,
let this error be noted for what IL
is worth. 1t is interesting to note IN
passing that the Times Review. at the
foot Of the column which bore the
legend ~"MisinfOrming Germany,
made precisely two errors In naming
Or. Smiths Berlin publishers.
But the Times Book Review writer
reserves these instances picked al
most at random for a mere parting
shot. He spends his heavy ammunI-
ton on what he is pleased to call a
sectional rather n q nationai spirit
Of criticism.
The specific allegations are as fol-
lows:
90 That DR.. Smith has hardly
made an effort to penetrate hat gro
tesqueness which forms an undoubt-
ed part of our national linealnent in
order to bring out the redeeming kerr
mel Of faith and aspiration and cour-
age which even European critics have
recognized
ca That DR.. Smith mas failed to
tell his Berlin audiences VIA we
Americans have done for ourselves
in the field Of letters, what possibly
we have given to others in the same
field, Of invention and of inspiration.
and what we have achieved of this
kind as a Nation, without regard to
national divisions or dissensions." In
view alleges:
stead Of doing this, the Times Re
80 That instead, Or. Smith seems
to have used his mission to hand in a
brief on behalf of Southern culture,
as distinct from NOrthern-lack Of
culture. Throughout his book the
| spirit Of criticism displayed is section
al rather than national. Only grudg-
ingly is credit granted to whatever
the Northern States may have 0 n
tributed Of literary value. while, on
the other hand, u~nreseryed, not to say
CAdSSt q d1cu, tIiUutc Is SlNSA I dIy-
thing and everything ~traceable to
Southern origins" In support Of thi:
grave charge, the writer cites or al
leoes the following: (a) hat DR.
Smith ~exaggerates the Importance Of
Joel Chandler Harris; (b) that he
places "~lnisleading emphasis on the
work OF John Fox. Jr., Mary John
ston, and Owen Wister: (c) that he
practically ignores William Dear
Howells and utterly ignores both
Frank Norris and Robert Herrick:
cd that he speaks slightingly Of the
Concord grow Of thinkers and writ,
ers, inc heaps open ridicule on the
figure Of Amos Bronson Alcott; (e)
that h Virginia professor gives ar
Inadequate account OF American
Transcendentalism and implies h a Il
was made in GERMANY (f) that DR.
Smith is grossly unjust to Walt Whit.
man.
A Notice Which is Not a Review.
The fact is that the Times Review
notice is a piece Of hasty, superficial
and sensational hackwork utterly I'm
worthy of the Times or Of any othe.
great newspaper. "Misinformins
Germany" is a classic of a type which
is too common-the yellow book no
tice.
The Times writer, who ought surel,
to nave looked out for the reputation
Of the very popular and Influential
Times Book Review. even if he wa
not concerned about the truth, is ap
parently unable to understand tina
differences Of opinion may exis
among reasonable men. He even dis
plays a profound and desperate ig
norance of DR.. Smiths purpose an,
viewpoint. The Times Review notice
which most distinctly is not a. review
is a tissue Of misstatements and in
nuendoes bound together with jus
enough facts and specious criticism 0
pseudO-criticisn, to give the Who'll
notice an appearance of soundness
Unfortunately for his purpoS-whic'
no doubt grew out Of Incidence an
sensation-hunting. not out Of deliber
ate unfairness-the New York Time
writer makes his narrowness and IN
3 tolerance obvious to every thoughtfI
reader.
Notinua1:cr a~S T:<o.o4u-o