New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-02
Will Not Be Plebeian Form
of English, Professor
Tells Teachers
TO BE OUTGROWTH
OF ALL DIALECTS
Simple, HOmely Express
sion of Sturdy Thinking
To Be Foundation

The United States some day will
have a language Of It's own, according
to Professor Frederick NJ. Scott, Of the
University Of Michigan, who spoke on
the standards Of American Speech
before the National Council of Teach
ers Of English yesterday. This Ian
guage, the professor says, will not be
English, but American, and probably
a dialect enlarged into national speech
Literary superstition. an afiilction
from which the American public was
suffering, was described last night by
the Rev. DR.. Samuel NJ. Crothers, OF
Cambridge, Mass, at the banquet OF
the teachers in the Hotel Astor. Dr.
Crothers, who is an author and a
lecturer. said superstition had taken
such a potent grip on most persons
that they believed more readily what
they saw in print than what they eX-
perienced in everyday HE. ....
DR.. Crothers said this superstition
had spread so that men engaged In use
full occupations undertook TO renoer
wholly gratuitous service OUTSIDE their
own line by the printed word. In ad-
dition to conveying persons, from one
place TO another, street railway COM
panies, he said. addressed moral max
inns to passengers on p acards, admon-
ishing them not to push or crowd vi
spit on the floor.
"Tf literature is TO keep its place as a
ioy giver, the literary man must De
taught TO know his place" SAID "
Srofbers "He does not have to de-
scribe TO us things which we know )ust
as we'll as he does. and which we I'll
can see with our own eyes. >,
"Iiterature Is the real towards
castle. A man gifted with good power
of expression may say in book what
he would never dare to say lace to lace
to anv of US. The great masters OF III
orature have been men Of great per-
sonalitv. They talk TO us personally
through their works, and the test OF
hook lies in whether we would ike 10
meet the man who wrote it-whether
we would like to know him and talk 10
him and exchange ideas with him.
DR. Crothers urged teachers TO en-
courage Youngsters showing strength
and originality of expression, wnether
or not their English was of the best
quality.
versitv of the State of New YORK. au-
dressed the teachers briefly Professor
Edwin VI. Hopkins. of Lawrence, Man,
president of the council, presided
Professor Scott said that neither tne
d;oIects of New England nor DIXIE
lid he the narent Of this new Ian.
cnage Int rather all the dialects OF
tbe country. 1t might be, he ventured'
tbo LANGUAGE of Potash and PERL
THE stuff out of which great Ian
ouege is created" said Professor Scout,
s;s the simple, homely expression OF
sincere feeling and sturdy thinking.
American speech is not degraded or
nlebe;an form of British speech, o9t
q vicorous. hardy offshoot that is grad
nallv assuming form appropriate 10
our character and daily needs. =,
Professor william A. Nelson, OF
Harvard. said that the training OF the
memory of students became curse
when memory was allowed TO take Vhe
place Of real thinking. l
The afternoon session was devoteu
IN the reading of papers on methous
If teaching English in elementary
schools, high schools and colleges'
Claudia f. Crumpton, OF MonteVaiIoi
Ala; Dale Carnagey, OF TINS Guy anu
charles Newcomb. Of Ohio Wesleyan
frniversitv. delivered papers on the
teaching Of public speaking. $500,
The following directors were elected
Tor Tho coming year: Emma J. Brecki,
I ~, of California; James NJ.
Granger. of Farmville, Va; Clarence
S Sr~ St. Louis; Claudia +. CrumIp,-
t a'r Wontevallo, Ala; Bernard VI.
Gu Lawrence, Mass; Elizabeth
f 1or Philadelphia; Francis Jenkins
Co1uUn, Frederick NJ. Scott, UNI
'.orsitv Of Michigan; William DAVIS
Whitman College, Walla Walla, WASH;
, p Voble. Iowa State College.