The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-01-14
PRIME MINISTER BALDWIN THANkS AMERICA FOR TOBACCO AND BOOKS.

 AMERICA FOR TOBACCO AND BOOKS. Speaking at inc Thanksgiving dinner of the American Society in London last Thanksgiving Day. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin of Great Britain declared thai he had personal reasons for joining the Americans in giving thanks He then offered his personal thanksgiving for Am erican tobacco and books
 MT Baldwin detailed.
 Let me remind you of this. If there had been America there would have been no tobacco true history og tobacco would be the history oi lb- erty In England and America. it was tobacco that planted a nation in Am erica Virginia was founded on tobacco
 Virginia Heaven bless it-is the only country in the world which has had tobacco as its currency. ] have nly own deep cause for joining you to- day in your thanksgiving; today l believe the tobacco smoke comes from Virginia
 In a slightly more serious vein, the Prime Minister tnen launched into tribute to American literature He had good word to say of both earlier American books and modern giving spec al praise to living writers and the breadth and clarity Of tler treatment of history and other matters Among his specifications were: Another thing in which have cause for thanksgiving is the interpre- tation of America that comes to us in your books should like to say word or two about this bond have always cherished among the books ! have loved many Ameiean books of all periods. 1 know few more delightful books than Franklin's autobiography.
 Washington Irving WHO has preserv- ed for us of the most delightful pictures of an old English Christmas; Melville, who has painted in words of genius the treasures of the Pacific; Hawthorne. who has brought in close touch with the earliest days Of the Puritans Poe,. who first taught to write detective stories all honor 10 him. 1 live on them l5 American who kept ms awake with ''1.he Leavenworth Case when l was only fourteen Anna K. Greene. How I revelled in Mark Twan Bret Harte brought to us the romance oi the early years in the Far West.
 do want tonight to pay tribute from the old country to the modern American historical school They putting out great work
 Among the modern American writers of fiction who mentioned specifically by the Prime Minister Mary Johnston. Villa Gather, Sin clair Lewis Thornton Wilder and Edna Ferber. He praised highly Stephen Vincent Benets his tory of lhe American Civil War in verse, John Browns Body" He thought the Show Boat" and The Bridge of San Louis Rev. among the most remarkable" books he had read. He continued:
 Among these writers in America, think you getting dis tinctive note than I have seen, purely American, something that augurs well forerunner of a great literature. I rejoice iii that be- cause ] think the influence of the great literature either side of the Allan
 tie. with those shades of difference that must rom different environment and differing heredity may be far better means of Interpreting to the other than be achieved by politicians press
 IL would be difficult to conceive of higher praise from more eminent source than these tributes to the galaxy of really great writers that is being developed in the United States at the present time. Never before now has America had many stars oi the first magnitude in the literary Armament. That has been known on this side of tae water for sometime It is Encouraging, indeed, to have own judgment dersed by such capable and distinguished lover Of good books at MT Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of England.