New-York tribune., 1906-10-31
THE VAR IN LONDON.
Its Issues Humorously Summed Up
by Andrezo Lang.
From The Illustrated London News.

From The Illustrated London News
When the Battle of the Books as the neu,s
tj"PeIS I can II, began. l happened to walk into
1Ite stuGy OF my friend and college companion,
Mr Arthur K. Hackman. He is perhaps at once
uIe most prolific and the least read of living
authors. From a popular song (Which was bIt-
lerIy unpopulaO TO treatise on THE Origin of
the Belief in the Existence of Space" from a
slApehhy novel TO tome on The Color Sense
jects. ~
He is member of the NJ. c. c., and of the
BRUSH Academy Of Letters; of the Royal and
Ancient, and of the RoXburghe Club; Of the
Anthropological Institute, and of the Pure Dry
Fly League. He writes three learned treatises
yearly, lives on literary hackwork, and thinks
that if he endured for a century he could de-
stroy three scientific faIacies and all of the
works Of the Press Of Pure Reason, or whatever
the thing is called.
Regarding Hacknan as a successor to Mr.
Chevy Slime in the position Of the most liter
ary fellow alive" I naturally asked him what
he thought about the feud between "The Times
and the publishers and booksellers and authors
q don't myself know what the authors think
about it,
said HaCkman. What do you think about the
suppressed postscript Of Mary's letter to Bah
ington?" Il cont know the parties I answered.
Are they relations of yours?"
Hackman merely snorted. and 7 continued to
press him about the great economico-literary
question.
1t comes to this does it not ," said my friend
that The Times wants to sell bear OF new
books, to dump them down at loss. for the
i
Times "a thing Imagination boggles atO. and
obtain more advertisements? The result
should be that for every person who takes in
The Times customer leaves the retail book
seller, that, if the scheme prove ideally sue
cessful the retail bookseller will perish OF in
anitiOn-Or, if a person OF unusual energy and
intelligence may survive as a clerk in The
Times Book Store Is not that right?"
q think so" said l.
We'll" said Hackman. that appears TO me
TO he a policy adored by Free Traders and the
mass Of our intelligent voters. On the other
Times if they strike against The Times and
picket and threat ten, and bully any 'sCabs and
'nacklegs' in their trade Who supply The Times
with them, and mus. he in the right"
so it seems TO me- replied
Then both parties 70 the dispute in the
full current of the Zeitgeist: both are right
as the world wags, though they are in direct
opposition to each other The affair is what Mr.
the Confession of Westminster; we have a recon-
Citation Of contradictories. and I suppose that
all concerned are Antinomians. Now. about that
postscript. I think Phellips wrote It ="
oh. bother your postscript" cried. Cant
YOU he practical, Are you the side of The
Times or of the publishers?" Well said Hack
man. 4 feel like the small boy who was umpir-
ing when the bowler did not deliver the ball,
but put down the wicket of the batsman when
he followed up and Vent out OF his ground.
The small umpire said, I know it's out but
I caLs il beasty low form, and l say Not out"
In the same way, I suppose that the policy of
the Times is within the rules of the game as
al present played but, morally. I agree with
the small boy 1t is not cricket 1t is like Cam
bridge bowling wides TO prevent Oxford's fol-
low-on And Cambridge was licked. II was
G. Q. Smiths year, 1896
Then If you were a publisher you would go
with the rest of them?"
M country. right wrong" said HaCkman.
Il do net know whether I should he right or
not the ethics Of the matter are misty. but I
should stick the flag"
But" went on Hackman, refectively The
row IS not the fault Of the publishers or OF the
booksellers or Of The Times alone The fault Is
with the public mainly, and partly with the
authors" Il don't understand / said Why.
the public are like the father OF Cathos and
Madelon." How your mind does run on girls "
I said who are Cathos and Madeon?" The
literary daughters of the illiterate Gorgibus IN
play by Moliere," said Hackman. They de-
ecribed their father as terriblement enfonce dams
Ia matiere, UP to the neck in the mud Of ma
teriaI interests. The public, like Gorg1bus does
not care a sou for the things of the intellect
They don't want new books that are not novels,
or tattle about politicians and actors. They
siu,nlv will not buy new books about things of
real inheritance" by things Of real mpor-
tance nv Arthur. you mean history. and an
thropology and Bomeric criticism. and totems,
and The subIilninal =" Yes cried Hack
man eaqerlv. Have YOU seen that goose Jas
trow, on The SuhconscioCs" Here he jumped
up to get the book, new one.
IA x said !, that Is q hook Did YOU
buv it2" NO" said Hackman. * was sent 70
me for review Would you have bought il with
your own money if it had not been sent?'' Not
if | could have got it in any other way Say,
fro,,, a circulating library?" Il do not use cir
culating libraries" said Hackman. bar the Lon
don I library The others keep you waiting for
ever Z the book you want is not novel, or
tattle and then don't send it."
Then, Arthur you are no better than the
rest Of the public You funk buying q new
book even IL 1t is one OF your own silly old
subjects" Look round you" said Hackman
''circumspice"' ~ did look round. Books were
all n yer the place The shelves were double
lined with books. and there were shelves on
every available inch Of wall space. All the
tables and chairs were piled with books. Hack
man opened drawers; they were choked with
books-joily dull books they all were. I'm a
poor man" said Hackman "I live in a small
house The books you see are books I must
have and though I buy a book when I
need IT, and can't get II in any other way you
sec why l do not buy many. But richer men
huy none and that is at the bottom Of the
mischief"
IT IS like this the noveIists say" went
on FIacllnan THE public won't buy new
books They get the trash they like from
circulating libraries. which deliberately starve
the demand for what is not trash. Consequently
now books of merit are bought only by a tiny
circle OF people who must have them. Conse-
quently these people have 10 pay high price
TO recoup the publisher Consequently. the pub
lie cry that they do not buy books because books