New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-24
"Misinforming
A Nation"
most serious aspect Of the indie,
ment brought by Willard Hun,i,.

II -'~ asulCIs
ment brought by Willard Huntin,
ton Wright in his criticism Of IA.
Encyclopedia Britannica" in his yolur.
"Misinforming a Nation" lies in the a..
that it is an indictment of oursely.. =,
our slavish imitation of Europe and Of 90,
lack of true nationalism.
His savage attack upon the "Encyclo0.
dia Britannica" and his exposure" Of,
well-known English view of the uniy.r,
take on a particular meaning rather :,
those who have accepted it as an America,
textbook and who have ignored the ms,.
its of our own splendid encyclopedias.
But Wright, a most radical critic !,
art and letters, has performed dis,iue.
service in his critical examination Fo,
example:
In our slavish imitation of England -.
have de-Amercsnized ourselves to such Al,
extent that there has grown up in US q .yu,
cal British contempt for our own n,n,.
achievements.
The "Encyclopadia Britannica |, n.
main departments of culture, is Character.
lied by misstatements, inexcusable omissions,
rabid and patriotic prejudices. personal anil
mosities, blatant errors of fact scholasi.
ignorance, gross neglect OF non.Bri,i,h
culture, an astounding egotism and an IN.
disguised contempt for American progress.
The article on Democracy is confined Ia
the alleged democracies OF Greece and their
distinguished, if some time dead advocates
Walt Whitman, Mazzini, Abraham Lincol,
Tolstoy, Switzerland, New Zealand, Aus.rs.
la, Finland, Iceland, Oregon are unknown
quantities to this anonymous classics, The
author os the articles on Sociology is no.
very familiar with the American sociologisu
still less with the German, and not az al
with the French. The names Of H.nu
George, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels arc
omitted.
In the field of literature Wright discov.
ers even greater disparagement of things
American. While numerous hobbies o!
English extraction are given columns Of
laudation, no mention whatever is made Of
the following American writers: Edith
Wharton, David Graham Phillips, Ger.
trude Atherton, Winston Churchill, Owen
Wister, Ambrose Bierce, Theodore Dresser,
Margaret Deland, Jack London, Robert
Grant, Ellen Glasgow, Booth Harrington
and Robert Herrick.
Mr.. Wright continues his lament:
Mrs. Oliphant is given over column, more
space than is allouted 70 Anatole France,
Coppee or the Goncourts. George Meredith
is given SIX columns, more space than is &C.
corded Fiaubert, de Maupassant and lola
put together. Bulwer Lytton has two col.
umns, more space than is given Dostoieysky.
Anthony Hope has almost an equal amount
Of space with Turgenieff and more thn
William Dean Howells. Kiplng, Barrie
Mrs. Gaskell, Mrs. Humphry Ward and
Felicia Hemans are each accorded more
space thar either lola or Mark Twain.
Although no English playwright is too OBJ
scure for extensive euogy, if you desire
any information concerning the development
CT the American theatre. or wish 20 know
any details about David Belasco, Bronson
Howard, Charles Hoyt, Steele Mackaye, Az.
gustus Thomas, Clyde Fitch or Charles Rlein
you will have to go to a source other than
the Encyclopedia Britannica"
Turning to the biography Of Edgar Allan
Pee, we find that this writer receives only
a column and half, less space than is
gwen Austin Dobson, Coventry Pstmor or
W. f. Henley. And the biography itself IS
so inent that it is an affront 10 American
taste and an insult 70 American intelligence
Mr.. Wright bitterly resents the scans
treatment accorded Walt Whitman and
laughs at the biography of one DAVE
Hannay, IAN American who has long since
become a world figure in literature. Han
nays claim to fame is his trivial 'hlsto'!
of the Royal Navy"
In painting the "Britannica' is evident
" calculated to make French and Amen'
can painters and critics turn scarlet Win
rage. Mr.. Wright finds plenty of blosra'
phies of British sentimental painters, but
does not find any mention Of Cezanne. he
continues:
Robert Henri, Mary Cassatt, George EEL
I.ws. Twachtman, c. W. Hawthorne. G'set'
ems. Jerome Meyers, George Luks, SARGENT
Kendall Paul Dougherty, Allen Talcott aad
other American painters do not exist, a.
though their English contemporaries are $"
forth in state.
In music Mcdowell, Chadwick, NevIn'
Sousa and Buck are ignored. though
British music hall baladists are given
ample biographies. In medicine Simon
Flexner, H. S. Jennings, c. 5. Mln@
George Grille, Harvey Gushing and Other
American discoverers are ignored, whIN
the Queens physicians arc lauded extea'
sively. Luther Burbank, the American
the Frcnchman, are unknown
In connection with the steamboat, RooeI'
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