The New York herald., 1921-01-16
BY PANAME.

r TER great past lives forever in the
n present of living France. The
L i names of our poets and princes are
recalled daily as we read the signs upon the
street corners And by strange and beauti-
full paradox, the simple statement. Alex
ander Dumas pere died fifty years ago. at
Puys, near Dieppe." brings forth the PROOF
that in the worlds memory there is no death
for such as he
Neither the serious reviews nor the daily
papers have failed to signalize this semi
centenary by articles of all kinds. Some Oh
these are now printed for the first time;
the others justify quotation from works
already known Indeed no excuse is needed
for recalling the opinions Of his con-
temporaries upon this prodigious writer
who was certainly one of the lights OF the
last century. No Imagination was more
abounding, more fertile, more creative than
that which through nearly half century
poured out an unfailing stream Of novels,
tales and plays-the delight Of youth from
that day to this.
Who has not read 1.-THE Three Mus
keteers," "The Vicompte de Bragelonne."
Twenty Years After"-to go no further
down the golden list? And very likely one
secret of his appeal is the fact that he wrote
Dumas wrote it is very far from the grave
text books of the schools! Yet the past
owes more to writer's of romance for Its
recreations In the minds Of each new gen.
Grafton than scholars like to admit We
may accept their corrections Of Dumas with
our reason. But they cannot displace him
in our dreams.
Opinion offers to the public the most in
teresting original contributions letter Of
ale xrtItn Nod hafn
printed. This was written toward the end
of 1888. The liveliest portions, from which
I quote, refer to quarrel between the
elder Dumas and Victor Hugo. This is the
story in the sons own words:
my father had had in his hands an
article by Grarier de Cassagnac, which in
suited him from one end Of the Debdts to
the other. The article in proof was brought
to him by M. Desbordes- Valmore (the hus-
reader on the papers and 1t was corrected
in the hand Of Victor Hugo Debordes-
Valmore being under obligations to my
father had been so shocked by 1t that he
determined my father should know what he
had to face.
my father wrote to Hugo:
"My dear Hugo, they tell me that you
article by Granier de Cassagnac about me-
Is It true?'
at is true, my dear Dumas replied
Hugo, to modify certain too harsh express
sions A jewel of Jesuitical nafvete. 1t was
at the period when Hugo was taking COM
munion at Notre Dame before 1900 people.
All that did not forbid my having at my
house a copy of Marion Delorme with this
inscription: To my excellent. dear and
faithful friend. Alexander Dumas
In spite of their sharp words, these great
men understood and appreciated each other.
When the elder Dumas died, Hugo wrote the
most extravagant eulogy. which the GauIois
reprints at this time. Here are some para
graphs:
''The name of Alexander Dumas Is more
than French, It is European IT is more
than European, 1t Is universal. His plays
have been billed throughout the whole
world; his novels have been translated into
all tongues. Alexander Dumas Is one Of
those men that may be called the sewers
Of civilization. He gives health and we'll
being to the spirit by an indescribably gay
and vivid CLEAN; he fertilizes the SOUL the
mind the reasoning power; he creates a
thirst for reading; he overwhelms the hu-
man heart and he enriches it. What he
sows Is the French principle The French
E=------ IT