The New York herald., 1922-12-03

and unfOrgetable incidents that took place
round number of years ago. She medi-
tates upon the great men that have lived
or memorializes the proud achievements
of better centuries. And in truth every
thing is to be said in favor of her ami
versary habit. The glory of a nation de-
pends TO large degree upon the glory Of
IT'S traditions. and national impiety is as
inimical to the spirit Of tradition as death
is to life. as illiteracy is to civilization
Small countries have many heroes. The
streets Of Lisbon and Copenhagen are
studded with monuments 20 flIustriOus
men-men who were never heard OF out
side Of the Portuguese and Danish capitals
This is one phase Of the anniversary
spirit; the other is that country which
has a marked number of reverses a coun-
try whose development has been exceed
.rgly irregular is always the country THAI
lakes the greatest delight in remembering
its chieftains Of the past. The progress of
Germany has been the most irregular of
any of the ex-great Powers Germanys
present status-her seemingly utter hope
lessness-is nothing new TO her Nor would
II be easy. on the other hand. to cite a
parallel to such prosperity as she enjoyed
during the fifty years Immediately pre-
ceding the world war. on this account she
is celebrating at present her past
And so far as her literary history is con-
eerned Germany has never had a year
richer in memories than this one Let any
one who doubts the accuracy of the con-
tention subtract the following dates. in
order, from 1922 and then reflect On Sep
tember p, 1922, Martin Luther completed
his translation of the New Testament and
bequeathed to his countrymen prose that
has made Goethe possible and Wilhelm
Busch amusing. Nietzsche an international
figure and Alfred Kerr annoying In 1872
Lessing published his Emilia GaIotti."
drama that has puzzled critics for a CEN
tury and a half TO know why it holds its
place on the stage. In the same year
Herder brought out his work on the origin
of languages and gave philologists some
thing to think about for the rest of time.
In the same year Goethe. then young
lawyer went to Wetzlar. not far from
Coblenz. and had the experiences he later
Incorporated in "werther's Sufferings."
story that Napoleon took with him on his
campaigns and that has added 10 the
slender funds of translators throughout
the entire world. 1t is even now being
done into Hebrew.
FIN 1922 Heinrich Heine brought out his
first volume of poems. and none greater
have been brought out since In the same
year Grillparzer completed his dramatic
trilogy entitled The Golden Fleece" and
eorroborated what Lord Byron had said
year before: "Grillparzeri A devil OF a
name to pronounce. but you might as well
learn how to do it. for you are going to
hear from that man" The same year saw
the completion of Ludwig Anzengrubers
"Kreuzelschreiber' (''His Sign'O, a play
that recalls Aristophaness "Lysistrata"
comedy that contains as much human ma
ture as any that ever came out of Vienna
at its best and wittiest and bit of Htera-
ture that will cease to draw when water
runs uphill and then runs down again.
And the same year 1872. saw the publica-
ton Of Nietzsche's first book. The Birth
Of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music" This
is not all; but country that can celebrate
even this much In a single season may be
excused. in part. if it smiles at the fallen
mark and seeks consolation in the realiza-
ton of the fact that greatness once was
hers
But the truth is-and IL is both discon-
certing and reassuring-Germany is cele-
brating by writing II is a day OF guam
uty production over there And Henrik
fbsens mopish thesis was never so true as
it is in November I922 OF those German