YANKEE LITERATURE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 17789, 11 February 1920, Page 11

YANKEE LITERATURE.

BOASTFUL AND VULGAR. PROTEST TO BOROUGH COUNCIL. The following striking letter was received by the Borough Council last night from Mr S. E. Warner: “As a subscriber to the Public Library, I protest against the large number of American books and magazines which are being placed there. The people of the U.S.A, are an exceedingly mixed lot, and many of them are bitter enomis of the British Empire and all that the word ‘British’ stands for. Because they have adopted the English language as a medium of speech it ,doefi not for a moment follow that thiey think English thoughts or admire English ways. I object to the spirit of many of these hooks and magazines—boastful, vulgar, sensational to the last degree. The spelling is offensive and trying. What is the sense of teaching one style—the correct English way-—in the schools, and then filling the library with literature containing mongrel English such as ’defense’ for defence, ‘center’ for centre, ‘theater’ for theatre, ‘traveler’ for traveller, and that horrid and typical Yankee word ‘gotten.’ The people of the U.S.A, have proved themselves false friends, treacherous allies, unscrupulous competitors, and I for one strongly object to the Public Library of Wanganui being filled with their books and magazines. Let us have Canadian, Australian, and British literature, and leave this alien stuff alone. It is full of apologies and whitewash for the lecherous Mormons, and of jealous comparisons of the British and American mercantile marine. These people have vulgarised the ‘pictures,’ and now seek to debase the King’s English. We are on the defensive against their Meat Trust, and in no way do we stand to gain by allowing their methods to permeate our communal life.” Cr Donaldson said he had a good deal of sympathy with the letter. The Mayor reminded the Council of the proverb that it was wise to learn even from their enemies. Cr Green hoped the matter would get serious consideration. He had rsad American literature that was second to nothing, but plenty of it was trash. The Mayor said there was a good deal of British trash too. One difficulty was that the English magazines “lifted” a lot of the American trash and altered the names. As a matter of fact, some of the New Zealand newspaiiers lifted stuff from the American publications. It was not the fault of the library if American stuff suited the public taste. Cr Donaldson said he did riot suggest that everything American should be cut out. but they did not want the library swamped with American stuff, particularly American novels. Th.e Mayor considered it could be left to the Library Committee to choose suitable literature, but they would haie to follow public taste to a certain extent. The matter was referred to the Library Committee.