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Hokitika Guardian, 4 October 1923, Page 2

Tin-: new President of the l .S.A. is beginning to draw attention t<> himself, as he must soon emerge out into the open, and be * 4 llit 1 live wire'' one would expect of him. A New York correspondent wiiting on the subject, just after the swearing in ol the new I Deside n t says, some indication ot the policy lie will pursue a- I’lesideut may possibly be gained from Air ( oulidge’s campaign nddiesses. 11 is utterances on tile League ol Nations’ issue show that he was opposed then to the idea ol American isolation, and it is believed that bis attitude has not i h inged now. •‘Ever since this nation was established." h 0 said in a. speech in I’m Hand. Maine, in September, 1920. “it has never been isolated. All the earth has turned to that vision if lm| c not- isolated. but independent, tree, rendering service to till mankind, not on compulsion but by response to the national conscience. The Hepuhliean party resents the imputation that it seeks, to do any less than render that servi e now. I believe humanity would welcome the creation of an intermit iona.

association for eoiilevem-c and a World Court, whose verdicts upon jui'ici'd questions this country, in common with

all nations, would be willing to u] hold. The decisions of this Court or the recommendations of such a conference could be accepted without saerdb" on our pait. or asking any other Dower to sacrifice, one iota of its nntioiialjlx.” “A world relationship exists,” be said later on in this speech. ‘lt did mil come into being as the result of any proposed treaty: it will not be changed by any great and solemn referendum. That relationship is not founded on a major force. Prussia made that mistake. It is founded on a ((impelling reason. Its herald i- not, a clunking sabre, hut Ike still, small voice. To the establishment ->!' that relationship through the recognition of teciproeal rights and duties, the HePiiblican party. '■>' its liisimy. us policy, its candidate, stands pledg-

,»d. ’Phis i< the wav with national iiononr, with independence to a world i cnee. ft was a dramatic scene '» f ;

wits suddenly conjured up in the Plymouth farm-house after 2 o’clock in the morning of August 3. where 'he oath of office was administered to be new Prcsh'l-nt by his father. John Calvin Cnolidgo. in the home where the sou had run about as a little boy, in the days when lie used to (iso in the brook and tide to tho mill on a stick of corn. Sturdy and active, despite bis 78 years, the father stood at a ..ale parlour table and read the oath, while bis son repeated it alter him. their faces thrown into hold relic! by the light of an old-fashioned kerosene lamp on the table. Having uttered the last word of the proscribed oath, the soil, will hand slill uplifted, added with deep feeling the winds 'So help me. God I” Afrs Cnolidgo stood near by, and the only other spectators of the historic scene were a ( ongressmai), a newspaperman, one or two officials, and a few neighbours. Meanwhile newspaper men hud been coming from all quarters, and neighbours who still called the new President “Cal”, trooped in to greet him. For most men to whom this change of destiny had eome there would have boon no more sleep that night. But. all this finny over, and imperturbable rs ever, Calvin Ooolidge. who had just become the ruler of 110.090,(100 people, went back to bed and slept till daylight.

Tub mystery of the creation of words., remarks an exchange, is as great as is that of their undying [tower, once created. AU words, however trumpotlongucd. however base, are hut varied combinations of the same few symbols; much as from the limited strings oi a piano can he garnered an almost infinite array of permutations. Indeed, a language is singularly akin to a musical instrument; it can. and does, enable the jierformer to jiroduce from its few elementary notes the most harmonious cords and the most distressing dissonances—the noble symphony, the sensuous waltz, the raucous and disturbing jazz. The fount of letters is common to all; but one will shape from it the assassin’s dagger ol lampoon, another the golden arrow of song. A Keats will create a thing of beauty and a joy tor ever; and with the sellsamo tools a Wycherley will fashion an obscene jest. From this little hand of elemental symbols has evolved the greatest tiling, perhap., in all history, the literature oi the English tongue. At once the highest gift that humanity can own, and the lowest, with powers alike of depravity the most awful, and of nobility the most- inspiring words are the most wonderful, the most mysterious, and the most potent factor in the sum of our civilisation. Without them we w’ould he as nothing; with them we may he almost gods, or altogether demons. It is no wonder then, that if of the making of hooks in general there he no end, it is inescapable that oi the making of those books in particular which deal with words and their history- there must be a continuous stream. These books are dictionaries, and than dictionaries there are, perhaps, no more valuable nor fascinating volumes available for our perusal. It is said of a contain Scot that being asked what he thought of a volume of this nature, 7,'hich he had been observed to lie read-

ing with some curiosity, he replied that he found “the stories verra interestin’, but unco' short.” The jest is not altogether n jest. There is a preat truth in the criticism of that Scotsman. The stories which any dictioiiaiv ran tell to loose who read with eyes to their brains are alive with interest. All dictionaries are alike in this regard, and though these may he a great difference between that of Doctor Johnson and the vast project -now approaching completion—of the Oxford Dictionary, that difference —-omitting for the moment any consideration of the item of technical terminology, which is so greatly overdone, a feature of our modern lexicons —is one of degree and not of principle. It is remarkable, considering the difficulties with which he had to contend, that Johnson was able to produce lii> dictionary at all. lliat he did it so well is one of the most remarkable facts in the history if outmother tongue.