literatura española del viejo y del nuevo contiente como un conjunto, al que sirve de base la tradición medieval y clásica, y esta vista del conjunto es la que mejor puede dar la medida de la importancia que debe reunir en sí lo que en cada caso ha de darse a conocer o lo que ha de relegarse.

En fin, es preciso hacer comprender la vida española en lo que tiene de más general, y a la vez, en lo que tiene de específico en los principales pueblos de la gran familia, considerados dentro de una superior síntesis hispánica. Pero lo específico no debe llegar sino en escasa medida a la exposición de las modalidades más populares. Y volviendo al lenguaje, por ejemplo, creo que lo charro, lo chulo, lo gaucho, lo huaso o lo jarocho, servirán a lo más en una iniciación general, únicamente como notas de color que acaso no pueden ser elevadas a conceptos aprovechables. Materia de difícil penetración, sin duda vale más abandonarla, para que su vista no perturbe la del conjunto; el habla común culta, que cada vez se unifica más a uno y otro lado del Atlántico.

Muchas de estas normas eran realidades o aspiraciones que se tenían presentes en varias universidades norteamericanas y en excelentes libros destinados a la enseñanza en ellas, cuando hace ya bastantes años tuve afortunada ocasión de visitarlas. Desde entonces, muy apartado de esa vida, no conozco bien los progresos y rumbos últimos de la enseñanza del español en los Estados Unidos. Por eso empecé estas líneas deseando comunicar con ustedes, y las alargué desmesuradamente, sin advertir que no hacía sino soliloquiarme, como decía Lope de Vega. Debí haber sido más breve, pues mi único objeto era enviarles el testimonio del cariñoso interés con que los trabajos que ahí llevan ustedes a cabo son seguidos por cuantos queremos colaborar algo en el cultivo y estudio del hispanismo.

La Asociación que ustedes han formado tiene sobre sí la parte principal en la propagación del español entre las poblaciones de habla inglesa. Y si Reclus decía que de todas las naciones europeas los españoles, por haberse dilatado en territorios que llegarán un día a nutrir habitantes por centenares de millones, son los únicos que podrán tener la ambición de disputar a los ingleses y a los rusos la preponderancia futura en los movimientos étnicos de la humanidad, debemos entrever más bien, que en las venideras sociedades de puebios, la convivencia del hispano y el sajón que se reparten, con

América, uno de los hemisferios del planeta, traerá la asociación fraternal de sus dos idiomas, para mayor difusión de ambos por el resto del mundo. ¿Cómo, pues, no han de inspirar la más anhelosa atención los planes que ustedes traen entre manos, ahora que los Estados Unidos, donde todos los movimientos revisten proporciones grandiosas, parece que se inclinan a echar el peso de su grandeza en favor de la difusión del español como una de las principales lenguas. adoptivas?

Reciban ustedes, con los votos por el mejor éxito, la más ferviente simpatía de su amigo.

MADRID, Diciembre, 1917

R. MENÉNDEZ PIDAL

THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETING

The first annual meeting of The American Association of Teachers of Spanish was held in the Great Hall of The College of the City of New York, December 29, 1917. Though the day was one of the coldest and stormiest ever known in New York City, the meeting was attended by one hundred and thirty members, representing nearly every State in the Union. Teachers from elementary, junior high and senior high schools, from colleges and universities were present. A good many visitors also attended. Fine interest and good-fellowship characterized the formal and the informal gatherings of the day. The morning session was devoted to the following program:

Presiding, Mr. Lawrence A. Wilkins, Temporary President of the Association. Secretary, Dr. Alfred Coester.

MORNING SESSION

Beginning at 10 o'clock.

Address of Welcome by President Mezes of The College of the City of New York.

Spanish Folk-Songs: Bolera

Rondeña

Señorita María Paz Gainsborg

Señorita Lolita Cabrera Gainsborg at the piano.

La literatura contemporánea en la enseñanza del castellano.

Professor Federico de Onís, Columbia University.

Songs: Aria from Goyescas, Enrique Granados

A Granada, F. M. Alvarez

Señorita Gainsborg

The International Institute and Intellectual Life in Madrid Today.

Miss Susan D. Huntington, Director of the International Institute. Song: Lo que está de Dios, Canción Española, Poesía de Manuel del Palacio ; Música del Maestro F. A. Barbieri

Señorita Emilia Vergeri, Dramatic Soprano.

Señor Ricardo Nicosia, Maestro concertatore, at the piano.

The Teaching of Spanish Pronunciation.

Señor J. Moreno-Lacalle, United States Naval Academy. Song: La Madrileña, Canción Española por Francisco Hernández Señorita Emilia Vergeri.

Señor Ricardo Nicosia, at the piano.

Necesidad de la Creación de un Centro literario hispano en Nueva York. Señor Manuel González, Z., ex-Consul General of Costa Rica in

New York.

Piano Solo: El Pelele, Enrique Granados.

Señorita Lolita Cabrera Gainsborg.

The address of Professor Onís was so inspiring that it should be known and pondered by every one who teaches Spanish. It is hoped that a summary of it may be given in the May number of HISPANIA. Miss Huntington spoke most interestingly of the intellectual life of Madrid and of the International Institute. Mr. Moreno-Lacalle showed how he had adapted the Viëtor phonetic chart to instruction in Spanish and explained his method of teaching the pronunciation of Spanish. Mr. González spoke with unusual eloquence and power. It was a delight to hear him.

After a good luncheon served by the college caterer in the faculty dining-room, an informal social hour was passed in the Red Room from whose wide windows one sees stretched out before him a large part of the great city. Meanwhile the temporary Executive Council, seven of whom were present, held a session. This was followed by the business meeting of the Association.

The report of the temporary Secretary-Treasurer showed that the Association came to its first annual meeting with upwards of four hundred paid-up members and twelve life members. The next order of business was the consideration of the proposed constitution which was presented by Professor Fuentes. This was read article by article, discussed and adopted. As this instrument differs in many important respects from that printed in the Organization Number of HISPANIA, it is printed in this number.

In the absence of Professor Fitz-Gerald, Mr. E. S. Harrison presented the report of the Committee on Nominations. Mr. Archer M. Huntington of New York and Mr. Juan C. Cebrián were then elected Honorary Presidents. The following officers were elected for the next two years: President, Lawrence A. Wilkins, Board of Education, New York City; First Vice-President, Rudolph Schevill, University of California; Second Vice-President, Ventura Fuentes, The College of the City of New York; Third Vice-President, Charles Philip Wagner, University of Michigan; Secretary-Treasurer, Alfred Coester, Commercial High School, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Additional Members of the Executive Council, Clifford G. Allen, Leland Stanford Junior University; Charles P. Harrington, Culver Military Academy; Josephine W. Holt, John Marshall High School, Richmond, Va.; J. Warshaw, University of Missouri.

Mr. Wilkins, on assuming the office of President, made a plea for unity of effort and asked that "we do not lift up our heads too

high in the clouds of theory, that we keep our feet on the solid ground of fact and common sense and our hearts filled with enthusiasm." He said that our Association should make as its first aim that of helping the teacher of Spanish to become a better teacher of Spanish, no matter whether he be a college professor or a juniorhigh-school teacher; that we should work for the establishment of local chapters and an increase of membership; that our ideal should be one of mutual aid in a common cause; that HISPANIA is to be a practical magazine devoted to the above-mentioned purposes rather than an excessively learned and theoretical review; that the needs of the great body of secondary-school teachers would always be carefully observed; that the past had seen the waning usefulness ci some modern language journals because the societies conducting them had lost sight of those particular needs; that we have no quarrel with any other body of language teachers, but feel the need of our own organization.

The following motions were carried:

That the President be empowered as a committee of one to make with Columbia University, if possible, a joint arrangement for bringing to this country for the coming summer professors who customarily give summer courses in Madrid and have them give these courses under the auspices of Columbia University, The American Association of Teachers of Spanish, and the Centro de Estudios Históricos of Madrid.

That the President appoint a committee to make investigations and recommendations for the correlation and co-ordination of the teaching of Spanish in the high schools and the colleges, this committee to study particularly the question of the acceptance of Spanish on a par with French and German for entrance to college and to make a report in time that it may be printed in the issue of HISPANIA for May, 1918.

That the President appoint a committee, to report at the next annual meeting, on the kind and amount of realia to be recommended for use in courses in elementary Spanish.

That the President appoint a committee to select honorary members of the Association, in keeping with the revised and adopted reading of Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution, this committee to report at the next annual meeting.

That the President appoint a committee of three to report to the Executive Council as soon as possible on a design for a seal of the Association. These committees to be appointed by mail.

That the Secretary-Treasurer compose and send a telegram of greeting and gratitude to Mr. Juan C. Cebrián and a letter of similar import to Mr. Archer M. Huntington.