Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 June 1909 — HALTS ADDRESS OF DR. JORDAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HALTS ADDRESS OF DR. JORDAN

Frenchman Angered When Land Is Called Decadent. Head of the Leland Stanford University and Bryn Mawr President Embarrassed by Behavior of Instructor In Literature—Scene Takes Place at Commencement Exercises of College While Educator From California Is Speaking on “War and Mankind." Bryn Mawr, Pa., June 4. —Resenting a statement made by President David Starr Jordan of Leland Stanford university, at the commencement exercises of Bryn Mawr college, Professor Lucien Foulet, instructor in French literature, left the building. President Jordan’s subject was “War and Mankind.” In the course of his remarks he said: “Spain, Italy and

France show the effect of their bloodItained ’battlefields. France by her own confession is a weak and decadent nation ” The statement was made with emphasis and Professor Jordan paused a moment to give at added, force. During the intensity there was a scraping of a chair heard on the back row of the platform, and in the next instant Professor Fculet appeared at the front of the stage with his face scarlet and visibly much agitated. Turing squarely in front cf the speaker, the professor raised his hand ominously and virtually yelling in his anger, screamed: "It is not so; France ie not decadent." There was a moment of suspense and then a murmur of various expressions. Professor Fouiet bowed low tc President Jordan, and then walked down the steps of the stage with great dignity and out of the building. Dr. Jordan was as surprised as was the audience and very much embarrassed He made a motion as if to ask for order, and then said: “If there are no more interruption* 1 will continue." Thera was intense silence after that until the speaker concluded his address. The incident, however, had the effect of throwing a damper upon ail the exercises, and the Californian, as well as M. Carey Thomas, president of the college, was plainly ill at ease.

DAVID STARR JORDAN.