New-York tribune., 1912-03-10


! order still remains the principal ime'hou
| Of honoring literature in Germany anu
| among the Americans who have recei'eo
| it is the historian Bancroft; whiie an
| other foreign knight thereon Is Amodssa-
dor Bryce. at Washington. upon whom IL
has been bestowed since his present So
journ in the United States.
BJoRNsoN AND KING OSCAR.
In Scandinayis the relations of au-
thors 10 the sovereign have occasionally
been peculiar, and the late Bjornsterne
Bj6rnson. who died only eighteen
months ago had so violent quarrei
with King Oscar about literary matters
| that he actually challenged the monarch
| To n duel-the only case i'm modern. times
| of a ruler receiving cartel from one
of his subjects Bjornson had taken such
violent exception to Oscars criticism OF
one of his works, called "A Bankruptcy,
| that he demanded satisfaction OF him on
the field of honor. Oscar was very dem
| ocratic. This. however. was more than
he could stand, and for time Bjornson
| found il prudent to seek refuge abroad
Ere long, however. Oscar who was
kind hearted man and who realized that
Bj0rnson was one Of the literary glorles
| of his double kingdom, caused him TO De
informed that he could return to his
native land without any apprehension.
Some weeks later oscar, on the occa-
sion of ore of his periodical visits 10
Christ.ania, was serenaded by the lead
ing choral society of the city. society
exclusively masculine, and in which not
only students but also the most notable
business men and the local authorizes
we're represented. 1t was beauthui
night. The square In front OF the paiace
was densely packed. while the late King
the most stately and majestic monarch.
Of his lime, stood bareheaded on the bal
cony, listening to the singing. AT the
termination of the second song the King
raising his voice, called for one OF
Bjornson's most beautiful and most pop
ular songs. the rendering OF which
aroused indescribable enthusiasm, the
whole CROWD joining in, as did also the
monarch. while at the close Oscar re-
ceiyed the greatest ovation that ever fell
10 his share at Chrstiania during his
long reign over Norway.
On the following morning he sent TO
Bi0rnson the grand cross of the highly
prized Norwegian Order OF st. Olaf. with
|, a charming and fattering letter. calcu-
lated to efface the remembrance or all
past differences. 1t was a far more SEN
sible and altogether royal manner OF
granting satisfaction than that orig
inalIy demanded by the author OF his
sovereign. In the shape OF pistols Tor TWO
and coffee for four.
At one time-it was In the reign OF
King Frederick William IV-most OF the
German embassies abroad were held by
great writer's, such as Baron Bunsen, IN
London. and the historian Niebuhr. at
Rome. and within the last decade Alfonso
XIII has not only accorded the Order OF
the Golden Fleece, but even n seat IN
his Cabinet, to the great Spanish author
Echegaray wholly In recognition OF MS
eminence in literature. President TAFT
as have shown above. paid last week
uniouo tribute to the dean of American
literature, in the person Of William Dean
Howells. Perhaps the day may yet come
| when successful authorship pure and
simple will be regarded as constituting
here in America a special qualification
for Cabinet office. and even for the Sec
retaryship OF state. EA-AlIAOhE'