Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-06

Public oficials who were duped into
sounding high praises for the mythical
pioneer, Hugo N. Frye" by group of
Cornell students provided the public
with much merriment. Amused COM
ment on the eulogies which were
promptly forthcoming on the supposed
anniversary of the college mems straw
to the hoaxed, and predicts less gener-
Gus response to such requests in the
future.
"I,et no one question the alertness,
the brilliant presence Of mind OF our
statesmen, their ability to meet any
situation, to rise to any emergency"
says the Hartford Courant, as 1t takes
note of the fact that "magnanimously
the statesmen paused from the labor OF
navigating the ship OF state" in making
their replies. The Ithaca Journal-News
suggests that "the boys had their little
joke at the expense of the politicians.
and it wasn't q bad one" adding that
perhaps these particular gentlemen
will take more time for the reading OF
their mail in the future"
Greater care in the future Is forecast
by the Morgantown Dominion News,
with the thought that although the
victims of the hoax are not likely to
suffer, one must pity their secretaries,
who probably composed the messages as
mere routine, just like hundreds OF
others during the course of the year"
The Lynchburg News, quoting the stu
dent committee to the effect that Frye
has never received the honors due
him. suggests that "he has them now" "
and concludes. What matters 1t that
he never existed?"
Another point of view is represented
by the st. Paul Pioneer Press. in the
suggestion: After all, the hoax might
be turned back upon the hoaxers by
challenging them to prove that there
was no Hugo N. Frye and that he did
not entertain views from which Repub-
licanism might have grown. The time
may yet come when the historic halls
of Cornell will provide niche for his
statue and a bronze tablet to the $50,
year-old memory of this hypothetical
gentleman" The Worcester Telegram
holds that "he is as real as q lot OF
other founders in politics"
THE two bad boys" remarks the New
orleans Morning Tribune, may be re-
buked or something by the university
or somebody" but that paper thanks
them for q needed smoker" The New
York Sun AYERS that "the Ithacans did
we'll to blow away the mists of antiquity
that so often surround national hero
in the twilight of fable" The Memphis
Commercial Appeal gives the advice to
the Cornell Sun. under whose auspices
the celebration was held: do not be
discouraged. Scientific scholarship Is
quite often a matter of trial and error.
Nothing attempted. nothing achieved.
At worst. the question of the birthplace
of the Republican party is back where
it was before the dinner was held"
ut is altogether likely" as the matter
is viewed by the Manchester Union,
that the victims of the hoax have
learned a lesson in the high desirability
of prudence in future responses to over
lures from the ingenious youth of our
institutions Of higher learning" The
incident appears to the Louisville Cour-
Ter Journal to point q moral on the
subject of the shallow and absurd pre-
tensions Of many partisans"
\ x
Protesting against any apology on the
part of the students, the Buffalo Eve
ming News comments on the Situation:
IF this act Of abnegation was required
by the university authorities. the situa
ton in the schools is very sad. The
country had good laugh out Of the
hoax, and for that the perpetrators de-
serve commentator, not censure''
"A great opportunity was missed" by
each of these public men, in the opinion
of the Omaha World-Herald, which ex-
plains IF any one had replied, Who
the heck was Hugo N. Fyre2 ! never
heard of him. his name would have
been honored throughout the land.
The Roanoke Times thinks the outcome |
would have been different If they had
been brave enough to reply that they
had never heard Of Hugo N. Frye and
douhfed whether any such person ever
NvedsE The Schenectady Gazette holds |