Evening star., 1932-12-25

may be proper to inquire as 10 the
merits Of Mr.. Adams depreciation. Is
the F'olger Library Of any practical
value? Is 1t true that there Is q lack
Of interest in Shakespeare? These
questions, raised by Mr.. Adams. now
may be answered.
The library was dedicated on April
%. Since that date some $4,000 visi-
tors have been counted passing through
its doors. And these people have not
been tourists In panic hurry nor
trippers on a picnic holiday. They
have been men and women eminently
qualified to appreciate the treasures
which Henry Clay Folgsr laboriously
gathered during half century Of de-
votion to the Stratford bard who was
not of an age, but for all time" That
does not mean that they were silk
hated aristocrats or high-brow college
professors. They were of all classes
and all types. And they came III
obedience to an impulse founded in
cultural development, not in idle curl
osity They came to see "the most
beautiful small building In the world"
and to view part of one of the finest
literary collections to be seen anywhere
on earth. They knew perfectly we'll
that the library is Shakespeare shrine,
embodying his spirit and that Of his
generous American disciple. They
understood the purpose Of the building
just as they understand the purpose
of the Washington Monument and of
the Lincoln Memorial. Remembering
that Shakespeare is indelibly present
in the folk thought Of the United
States and that he meant much to both
Washington and Lincoln, there Is moth
ing at all unnatural in their appreci-
alton of the poet. On the contrary. as
Mr.. Adams suggests, neglect Of Shake
speare would be unnatural.
But is Shakespeare neglected in
America? What test OF his standing
would satisfy the doubter? Suppose a
count were made Of the number OF oc-
casions on which his name has been
mentioned in the New York Times dur
ing the past two years, would not that
be fair yardstick for his fame? In
the Times index since November, 1880,
there have been nfty-three articles or
news reports classified to his credit
Casual references to him in the same
period run into thousands. In the is
sue of one day recently he was quoted
OF otherwise cited fourteen times
Shakespeare Is constantly in the
press, in the movies, on the radio.
He Is included in the curriculums
Of grade schools, high schools, COL
leges and universities. His works are
In all public and in most private
Libraries. He is used by orators, clergy
men, teachers and lawyers. He fur
nishes themes for painters and sculp-
tors, not to mention plots for novelists
and playwrights. Americans literally
talk Shakespeare, unconsciously bor-
rowing from him for conversational
purposes day by day. Mr.. Hampden's
Hamlet" as Mr. Adams charged, may
have been neglected; but Shakespeare
has been the actors best friend for
more than three hundred years
Mr.. Adams was mistaken. But II his
Judgment had been correct, there would
have been all the greater need for the
Folger Library. Shakespeare is too
valuable to be lost. and Mr.. Folger
provided against the danger. The
library Is not a public institution In
the ordinary sense of the phrase. 1t
was built in aid Of scholars and its
treasures are for their use. Its in
huence will go out to the people through
the usual academic and literary chan
nels. The heart Of Shakespeare Is
housed in the marble temple which Mr..
Folger built for 1t, and the heart Is
beating and will continue to beat in
definitely as he planned.