New-York tribune., 1920-10-10

LIN almost the same pleas
KN ure boy shows when he
gets his first air rifle, the
British have received the
news that the French Academy has
decided to admit the word gentle
man" to the official dictionary of
France. It hailed as a "graceful
compliment" "a tribute to our COM
radeship in arms" and various other
expressions of satisfaction. After
nearly forty years the Academy is
working among the "G's" in this die
tionary. which is the last word in
what IS available for literary use
The French have the word "gentil-
homme," ordinarily defined as noble
| man, but henceforth to be used in de-
scribing "a man who, without being
noble by race, has lofty sentiments
elegant manners and does noble acts"
The Academy definition of gentleman"
is "an English word, sometimes en-
ployed In French in the metaphorical
and moral sense Of the word gentil-
homme."
Perhaps no small part of The Brit
ish satisfaction with the Academy's
cision is due to the feeling that in
this age Of Bolshevism q group Of
gentlemen in foreign land have come
to the rescue Of word which suffered
much during the war. 1t is as if the
New York Stock Exchange sent res
olution supporting the British system
of coinage. To be known as gentle
man in 1914 meant something in Eng
land but that was in the days before
t. world was made safe for democ-
racy All kinds Of things happened
in the wer. Privates became colones
Butchers became millonaires. Pub
fishers became peers and peers felt
they were becoming paupers.
No military critic ever wrote about
Britain's gentleman power. Asquith
pledged "tho last man and the last
shilling" Lloyd George called "every
man to the colors' War literature
had few references about gentlemen.
it was either the men of the 51st, or
the "die-hards," or the devils" al
ways in the atfectionate tones Of the
Virginian. The war brought many
changes and there was much lamenting
the departure of not few of the old
established customs and precedents
For long time it seemed as if the
word gentleman had gone forever
Gentleman meant what 1t does in Amer
ica no more. Now it will mean some
thing more There is the famous cricket
match at Lords between the Gentle
men and the Players-amateurs and
professionals. Officers in the army are
"gentlemen." "Pro" golfers are not
"gentlemen.'
Says The Times st will be curious
result if the choice between 'gentil-
homme' and gentleman allows either
word to recover the connaton Of birth
which is disappearing from both. Not
withstanding the definition of the
Academy, it would be more in accor-
dance with the history of language
were the foreign introduction to ac-
oure the full meaning which the ma
tive word has lost. There is an actual
parallel in English. The foreign word
'sahib' is creeping into use with the
sociate professor of history in Goucher
College.
THE POSITION OF THE LABoRER IN
SYSTEM OF NATIONALIsM. BY
Edgar $. Furniss. Published by Hough h
ton MiNlin Company. Boston and New
York.
Problems and conditions Of labor in
England from 1860 to ITS. The work
IL one of the Hart, Schaffner & Marx
prize essays in economics.
MANUAL OF TROPICAL AND SUB
TROPICAL FRUITS. BY Wilson Pope
noe. Published by the Macmillan Com
pany. New York.
A detailed discussion of many val
liable but little known fruit products
Of the warmer zones.
LETTERS TO A YOUNG MAN on LOVE
AND HEALTH. BY Walter NJ GALL
chan. Published by Frederick a. Stokes
Company. New York.
Advice and instruction for young
men in the problems of sex.
RACHEL coMFoRrED. BY AIRS. Fred
Maturin, Published by Dodd. Mead &
Co, New York.
A mothers account Of her psychic
intercourse with her dead aon, with
prefatory remarks by the late W. r.
Stead and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.