The Washington herald., 1920-07-21
In the Linel;ght.
By George Perry Morris.
LIberla Proeperinw.

acts ~ consul general. has arrived
home for . furlough. We came to
the pccuniary aid of this African
protege Of the nation during the
war. and. according to Mr.. johnson.
|it was . wise investment. Exports
are Increasing; the government 10
stable, which 10 more than can be
said for many regions adjacent to
Liberia; and our tuteiaGe makes for
better standards Of education and
morale. Noteworthy IL the omission
from all oficial comments on the
future of Liberia of any suggestion
that negroes now resident in the
United States will migrate there.
Such OF them as are satisfed with
conditions in this country are far
more likely to take the advice OF
"The Crisis" and 90 to Latin
countries.
The Coming Of Sir James Barry.
Barrie, the story writer and play
wright, IL due to arrive in the early
autumn as a supervisor OF the 'hlm-
ing of Peter Pan" The wonder
is that he ever allowed himself to
he dubbed a Sir" 1t is so in
coneruous. But then why did
Honest John" Morley let him
self get betitled. and James Bryce
also? Well do I recall Barrie's first
visit to this country. accompanying
w. Robertson Nicoll Of The Brit
ish Weekly" and THE Bookman."
who had first given Barrie literary
rrrstige They resolutely kept away
from publishers, authors clubs, and
the like. In fact they spent most
of their time in the country with
George w. Cable at Northampton.
IAN artist in prose for whom both
Barrie and Nicolls had affinities.
They looked Smith College over,
travelled down to Boston incognito.
visited at least one editorial sanctum
and then went on to New York and
4 rom thence home. Barrie in those
days had not come into the huge
fortune that he now finds II difficult
TO spend. a fortune based mainly
on play royalties. He was a simple
story teller. shy. hating publicity,
and much concerned with his art.
10 a considerable extent this is still
true. He gives away very large
sums in secret ways to worthy
causes. He continues to produce
plays that strike the spiritual. mys-
tical, elfish note. He has not been
commercialized by his wealth, never
,theless, since he Is more 'in" the
world than he was when in his
youth. he also is more "of" 1t.
The Cycle of Hudson River
Patroons.
Louis Gordon Hammersley has
just acquired Cruger Island in the
Hudson River, adjacent to the large
estate he owns at Annandale, which
includes the former home of Gen.
John Livingston. BY this purchase
his total holdings in the region
cover four square miles. No reader
OF colonial history and the first days
OF the nation can have failed to be
impressed with the distinct type of
society which the PATRONS of the
Hudson River and Mohawk River
valleys built up. 1t was radically
different from that of New England
on the north and Maryland. Virginia
and the States farther south. though
akin to the latter in it's modified
feudal form. Time has seen the dis
person of most of the large hold
ings of the old Empire State fam
lilies, who were country gentlemen
most of the year and residents Of
their Manhattan town houess win
ters. Now we are witnessing a re-
versal of the process. The era OF
large holdings is coming in again.
Vincent Astor Is typical of the sort
of new PATRONS" that the Hudson
Valley region is producing, 1t is
process that eliminates the small
farmer: often turns him into a
supervisor for the new owner. and
sets up in such villages as exist
within the manor precisely those So
cial distinctions that English rural
life has seen for centuries.
New York is not unique in this
respect. There are historic towns
within fifty miles OF Boston where
a like process is creating social
stratitications of the same kinc.
Descendants of farmer democrats.
who have made fortunes in trade or
the professions now are sociaf
county magnates. consider them
selves to be of the gentry" foster
imported sports; and carefully In
spect the social credentials of West
ern millionaires who endeavor TO
get standing within the charmed
circle. AS for the "embattled farm
ers" of MiddleseX and Essex. who
fired the shots heard round the
world" they now consent to see
their old homesteads razed. their
acres turned into golf links and
their meeting houses" transformed
into churches of the Anglican type
While they. with the profits of their
sales of ancestral acres, move into
the towns and become coupon cut
ters