The sun., 1916-11-17
Colonel Addresses 700 Men,
bcrs and Guests of National
Academy.
DEGREES POOR IMITATORS
"A Nation Not Proud to Fight
for Just Cause Always
1gnOblc."

me,nbers ana guests OF the american
Academy and the National Institute Of
Arts and Letters at the Rltx-Carlton yes
,.rday. Judging from the vigorous nod
ding of Prof. Gustaye Lanson Of the
University of Paris. TO whom the Colonel
of,en turned for confederation OF his
critical culogy OF French achievement
and patriotism. Mr.. Roosevelt would not
and II hard TO join the faculty OF NJ.
Lanson's institution II he sought honors
IN still another field.
The ex-President talked of National
ism In Literature and Art" Rarely did
he say anything reminding his hearers
of his activities before November Z.
He did express his distaste for the
"cubist school in patriotism" and laid
that a nation not proud n willing to
frht for a Just cause will always be
isnoble." But mainly his address wa
a decrying of imitation and n plea for
originality and national flavor.
American work." he said. must
smack Of our own soil. mental and moral
no less than spiritual. or 1t will have
little OF permanent value"
Praises Three American Books.
He commended three books published
By Americans In the last three years as
being stamped with what he called the
national spirit. They are, with his char
acterizations:
"Bade's study OF the Old Testament
very much the ablest n most remark
able Biblical study produced anywhere
In any country In recent years; Owen
wister's 'Pentecost Of Calamity which
every American should read, and Gus
tavus Oehllnger's Their True Faith and
Allegiance which should be read by
every man who Is a naturalixed citizen
and to which, IL any man fails foolhard-
lily to subscribe, this country Is not the
place for him to live"
William NJ. Sloane. chancellor of the
academy. presided over the meeting in
the absence Of the president. william
Dean Howells, who Is In the South for
his health. Prof. Sloane announced tina
. woman had given $4,000 to assist the
academy in Its labors to preserve the
beauty Of the English tongue and enrich
its vocabulary. II Is to be used mot
for rewarding the expert but for guild
Ing the striving artist by the suggestion
Of principles and standards"
Society stu without . Home.
Our material condition has not
changed" Prof. Sloane added. We are
still without a home and our endowment
10 far from sufficient. But We feel no dis
may that benefactors are as yet sympa-
thetically inquisitive rather than &C.
lively generous"
Prof. Lanson. a guest OF honor, was
introduced AS "a master Of criticism
His topic was THE Function OF Foreign
Influences in the Development OF French
Literature" He spoke In French. HI
said that the civilizing virtue OF French
literature was due to the fact that the
French never rejected any form of truth
and beauty as foreign to their race.
The company saluted Col. Roosevelt
by rising when Prof. Sloane introduced
him as "a man OF letters in public life. -
The Colonel instantly captivated Prof
Lanson by remarking: There are no,
q few Of us who admired william James
without clearly understanding him un,
Ill VI. Emile Boutroux translated him for
Us"
There Is only one thing worse thar
stolid refusal to accept what Is great and
beautiful from outside" Mr.. Roosevelt,
continued. "and that il servilely to copy
II. VI. Lanson must permit me to say
that even the greatest authors do not
shine at their best when they are nearest
!" N'Is ihk u LoIclkH HlhsttT piece. lHt
great good that is done by the reception
and assimilation Of a foreign culture Is
In the effect on the mind of the person
assimilating II. sc that he can use II In
doing productive work in accordance
with the genius Of his own country.
u can't forbear saying. IN the pres
ence ~ NJ. LansOn. a word as to the deb
We all owe France for the French ex.
ample. especially at this moment Al
one Of our own beloved Americans, Johr
Burroughs. who is here present with u,
To-day. has said. Strength comes before
beauty and valor before grace II
France had only been a literary and
artistic country we should not now have
the feeling that We nave as we rise tc
our feet when French heroism Is men
TONED. tApplause.)
, How France Helps Humanity.
There IL another example for US IN
france, Our guest has correctly said
MAT the Frenchman Is not bound by
iocal ideas II he IL national he Is con
tent To be "A Frenchman n nothing
. else. And yet 1t would be we'll for u,
here. when we grow a little melancholy
/ as 10 the time taken by the melting poi
70 turn out a puv'y American product
toremember that, vast though this coun'
- 't At' lhAldl y Ilot ois
whl' greater In our country than In thu
population Of France"
All this was applauded. There were
n''h hahdclapping and laughter whef
me Colonel, remarking that France ha'
helped humanity by remaining French
added
There Is no more hopeless creature
irom the standpoint OF humanity. thar
the individual who calls himself a COS
mopolitan,' who spreads himself out owe
me whole world. with the result that h
spreads himself so hin that he Gomez
through in large spots"
by devotion to ones own country hu
! manly was hest helped. he went on
] saying Il prize the friendship OF tn
man who cares for his family more thai
ne cares for me. II he doesn't care 70
ms 'a'nsly any more than he cares 10
me ! know he cares for me very n.tle.
~ Aoh0Oves US in the United State
tot TO he content with repeating on
Htfrr scale the history OF commercia
ma''I,dlism OF the great Phnnician com
moN"' i,ths. This means that here II
America II Ne 10 not develop a seriou
az and literature Of our own we shsl
nav a warned national life. Most Ger
'altIy | do not mean that art and litera
lnre are worth developing unless the,
a." hult on a national eife that l
s,F"nn aud great In other ways. miles
u'N ar" an expression for that alo q
,H' sOul which must also come Defor
beauty
\ II a nation Is not proudly willing an
Il ape 70 night for "A just cause, for tn
yves Of its citizens. for the nonor OF II
max even for the rescue of some OF
y pressed foreign nationality. then such
nation viii always he IN ignobls natioI
Aha Nc whether oI not It achieve tn
HOflll prOkperiiN OF those who AT