New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-24

u ff 't--+.es
in many relations Of life. But there
Wax only one MIR. Aston. Beatrice might
have said 10 him as she did 90 the
Prince: Your Grace is too costly for
everyday wear But he could afford
tie cost.
4 single instance win be anorrn. The
late Lord Salisbury. one of Che best
English friends We ever had. wished
20 confer "a pcerage Oh Mr. Aston so
long ago as 1902. The late hluS re-
fused Now Edward the Seventh was
almost as much man of the world
as # he We're not a King. Fut be had
Inherited from his German father GER
tain conceptions of social life which
were not IT. all respects LnGlsn; /
think he misunderstood Mr.. Astor's in
dependence. both Of nature and o. man
ucr. For that or some otnc- reason
they did not get on together, "nd so
Lord Saiisbury's proposal was rejected.
i'm the fourteen years that have since
elapsed Mr. AstOr's public services have
been many. Since the war they have
increased in number American as ]
am ! see no reason why IN this matter
We should not accept the English point
of view ] think Peerage hitting
recognition q Mr. Astor's long series
Of services 20 the State; of his chart
ties of his noble generosltcs; OF the
position he has created for himself IN
his English home; and of the man. lie
viii bring strength 10 the House OF
Lords: and new career Is open 10 him
for which he has unusual gifts and
capacities.
Mr. Henry James.
The Order Of Merit was founded by
the late King. and is not therefore Old
enough TO rouse the resentment OF
those who prefer that all history should
date from yesterday. The original
twelve have grown to twenty or more.
1ney are all men of distinction IN one
way or another; with, naturally, vary
ing degrees of merit. or Mr.. Henry
James there is this TO be said: he IS
u the right sense of the word,
"distugu she'd man o. letters. ne
word s favorite Of his; one which
think be likes as applied 20 himself; as
one distinguished from those about
him: unlike them; like only unto MN
self: writer who stands apart as well
as high. For such men, whether IN
Literature or outside Of IT., was this
order instituted. And il is Mr.. James's
Amcricanism which from the beginning
gave him this kind of distinction.
II were idle TO deny that England, and
an Europe, has added much to the
stock he brought with him from beyond
the Atlantic. Why should We deny II!
] will 20 back TO Matthew Arnold's
word d based as it has become on
German lips and echo Arnold's saving
that not otherwise than by culture does
any mans genius develop TO the iull. Mr.
James has been at least as much stu
dent as writer. From other writers
from life as q whole, he absorbs Wha1
belongs 10 him; what lie found and felt
essential to the completeness OF ms
Growth. don't like to repeat phrase
which has fallen into odium, but after
he had learned from America what
America had TO teach him he found I'm
Europe his spiritual and intellectual
home.
lie has not found or kept his place
in Literature without challenge. mere
is a whole school OF writers and think
ers. both in America and here. when
refuses 20 accept as a model, or even
as the right expression OF ms own
o,.alities. the later of Mr. Henry James's
three methods as writer. lhey can
him conoauial involved, un-kngish,
and much else. II does not much sig
nifv The mans genius Is what sig-
ni6es. SO far as style goes IL may
be said that delicate and curious
felicity in the choice Of words Is more
conspicuous than his felicity IN the
use of them for the purpose Of con
structing sentence. But Mr.. James
has a psychology Of his own, a cru
cal sense Of values, and creative
power which pretty well neutralize CIT
icism Of his methods: ,o,
What is important is that by common
cooeont- or by the consent Of the ~
dicious which is all that matters-he
riobtIv takes his place in the Order OF
Ncr,. And since there is nothing
fondai about this order. nothing
trsditional. nothing aristocratic, we
NAV we'll rejoice that such an honor
sbonld have come to Mr.. Henry James;
" ~'I AInorioao q. w. s.