The New York herald., 1922-05-13
WORLDS LEADERSHIP
COMING TO AMERICA
Dean of st. Paul's, London,
Says Britain's Primacy
Is Our Heritage.
ENTERING A NEW ERA
Atlantic Stage Now Being
Succeeded by the Pacific
Stage.
VICTORIAN AGE THE BEST
Useless to Deny Inevitable,
Says Inge, Answering Storm
Of DisapprOval.

Special Cable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1879, bv The New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
London, May IL. I
The fortunes Of Great Britain, with
the whole world as its stage, are near
ing the end, declared the Very Rev.
William Ralph Inge, dean Of St.
Paul's. in a lecture on the Victorian
age at Cambridge University. A
storm Of disapproval and Disagree
ment has been aroused by his state
ment. widely divergent quarters claim
ing that Great Britain is now in the
height Of Its power. and even more
glorious than 1t was in the Victorian
age.
Dean Inge challenged anybody to
find present day men comparable with
Gladstone, Darwin, Manning or Tenny-
son. and the Daily Cypress answered
with Lloyd George. Balfour. Wells and
kipling. It asked the world to Judge
which quartet is supreme.
Dean huge said: 1.-The Victorian age
was the eliminating point Of our (Brit-
ish) prosperity. Our great wealth, in
deed. continued to advance since the
catastrophe Of 1914. but there Is the
shadow of apprehension over every
thing"
Center Changes to America.
After asserting that the Victorian age
was the most wonderful century in
human history. and that England was
the most fortunately situated country
geographically. in the world, he said:
Then the Atlantic stage in world
commerce began. in which England was
in the most favorable position. The
Pacific stage, which is now beginning.
must inevitably give the prlnacy to
America. Henceforth we shall have to
compete with other nations on unprivt-
legged conditions. a
1T is useless to lament the inevitable,
but it's foolish to shut our eyes. 1 have
no doubt the Elizabethan and Victorian
ages will appear to historians of the
future as the twin peaks In which Eng
lish civilization eliminated. Tho twen-
tieth century will doubtless be full of
inerest-it may even develop some eic-
ments OF greatness. But as regards the
fortunes of this country. the signs are
that our work on a grand scale Is prob
ably ending. Where shall we be thirty
years hehce?"
Dean Inge said that during the Vic
torian age Great Britain was building
up new social order and solving en-
,Axrf R0Idan
age OF Greece, no age can boast OF 50
many magnificent human types as the
reign of Queen Victoria. We. perhaps,
being epigones ourselves, are more at
home among our fellow pigmies."
Lauds the Victorian Age.
He Iauded Victorian genius. Vic
torian religion and Victorian literature.
He said: Though the contradictions
and perplexities OF rapid transition were
felt more In religion than In any other
subject IL might be doubted whether or
ganized Christianity had ever been more
Influential in England than during the
Victorian age. before the growth of
towns threw all the church's machinery
out OF gear"
He said the Victorian novel was an
other bright star in the firmament OF
the reign. "Our nation has o great trs-
ditIon in fiction, and we shall be wise
to stick to It, instead of preferring the
corrupt following OF the French, whose
novelsts. in spite of their clever tech
nique. are frequently dull and usually
repulsive."
Dean Inge thought that England also
in fiction was in the trough OF the wave.
"The main cause of decay Is the per-
nicious habit OF writing hastily for
money" no asserted. He said that writ
ers were now making a mistake In turn
ing out so many books a year. just as a
shoemaker turns out boots.
Great novelists," he said. generally
have written rather too rapidly: but such
a cataract OF ink as these heroes OF the
circulating libraries spill is absolutely
inconsistent with even second rate work.
Literature flourishes best when II Is
half trade and half art. Here again the
Victorian age occupies the most favor
able part of the curve"
Speaking for all considerations. Dean
Inge declared: Europe has sacrificed
it's last fifty years OF primacy by an in
sane and suicidal struggle"