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I think that Lobdell is speaking not as an American but as a literary analyst. He is speaking particularly about style, not national origin. It is the 'preaching'; that is, the hoped for betterment of one's readers as opposed to telling a tale for sheer entertainment of the tale itself. I think you would agree that Tolkien had no intention of preaching to his audience, but telling a good story. This is what Lobdell meant by English versus non-English.
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