The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-21
NORTON'S WRITINGS
 LIKED IN LONDON Told of German Preparation
 for War LI T B R A RY GOSSIP Sergeant Will Not Paint Any More Portraits-Engrossed in Landscape Work at Present-Kipling's
 Claim Not Indorsed
LITERARY GOSSIP
By HAYDEN CHURCH

London. January S0.-(Special )-Roy
 Norton who wrote "The Vanishing Fleets,' and who is still just as Ameri- can as if he hadn't been living for the last half dozen years or so in most of the interesting countries of Europe, was talking to friend recently of some sig nificant things he had seen in his so- journ in Germany just before the war broke out-indicating that Germany was steadily and scientifically getting ready for Der Tag" "But you ought to write that out" said the friend. 'It isn't in my line,' said Roy. Its your duty" said the other. sOf course" replied Roy. If you put it that way. here goes-me be- ing a well known slave to duty" So he wrote it. and the staid old Con temporary Review promptly printed it. And now the novelist is somewhat taken aback by a request-accompanied by prof fer of pay-from a no less august body than the Oxford University Press, for the right to reprint the article as one of the now famous Oxford Pamphlets. Nor ton is one of the very few American writers who are almost as well known and popular in Europe as in America, his record of short stories printed on this side running to more than a hun dred, while his novels have met with exceptionally gratifying criticisms. Some of his travel articles have been trans lated into several languages, and he has been honored with a fellowship in the Royal Geographic society, although he seldom uses the distinguishing "F R. c. S." after his signature. Asked by the present writer to supply bit of infor- nation about himself. Norton replied as follows:
 "He may be taken as an example of how gullible many editors are by the fact that he Is probably the rottenest writer living who exists by abusing a typewriter"
 No Portraits for Sargent
 Rumor has been persistent of late that that perhaps greatest of portrait painters, John Singer Sargent, who has dwelt in London for so many years, contemplated quitting this metropolis for a time and returning to his native land. which is. of course, the United States, and that while there he would accept some par ticularly tempting commissions which have been offered him. In a note which I have just received from Sargent, how ever, he declares that he has mo plans about going to America" and adds, "and would not, in any case, take commits sions for portraits"
 As a matter of fact, Sargent has for sometime resolutely refused to paint por- traits, be the terms what they might preferring to confine himself to his new love, which is landscape painting, and to occasional studies in black and white. His famous oil portraits, with their sweeping, masterful brush strokes, look as if they must have been executed in one two sittings, but one of his intimate friends assures me that this is far from being the case, the sittings hav- f..~ But the result is well nigh perfection. In his crayon studes-such as those of Sir Herbert Tree, Kenneth Graham and w. B. Yeats-Sargent takes the same metic- ulous palms, Sir Herbert Tree having told a friend of mine that in making his study Sargent drew and re-drew the mouth 42 times.
 A truly astonishing statement made recently by Rudyard Kipling in one of his articles on the war has resulted in quite an uncommonly interesting symposium" in London evening Kipling's assertion was as follows: "rhe new yrtnies. are hu- morous because, for all our long faces, we are the only genuinely humorous race on earth"
 That is going some, is it not? No one seems to be quite sure whether Kipling, in the we" meant to include | the American end of the Anglo-Saxon race, but practically all of the well known writers of humor whom the Evenings News invited to comment l on Kiplings assertion seems to be in l agreement that, unless he did, this ] claim for the Trace" will not hold l water for moment. These writers. by the way, include F. Anstey, the au- tor of "vice Versa" Walter Emanuel | of Punch" E. V. Lucas, author of in- really funny "skits," while | humorous art is represented by George | Morrow. none of whom agrees with | Kipling, while the newspaper itself ob- | serves that we English are renowned 1 for taking our pleasures sadly; 1t takes | B surgical operation to get joke into | a Scotchmans head and the Irishman is | by repute, only funny when he doesn't | mean to be-
 Of the humorists' replies, perhaps that l of Walter Emanuel, who writes ''Punchs" famous ''Charivaria," is the l most entertaining. Emanuel says:
 T do not consider that the British | nation is a. humorous nation. though it | would think possible in our depressing l rain sodden climate.
 Although I have never been in the l United States, I should say that Amer i lea is nation of humorists, to judge | by the intense wit of its slang. which ! take to be current conversational coin | there.
 "Over here-speaking broadly-one has to ring bell before taking a joke, 1 or it will pass unnoticed. had an | example of this only the other day.
 T had occasion to go into an em- porium of fireproof safes. I was smok- ing a cigarette at the time. I hope you don't mind my smoking?' I said to | the shopman. Certainly not, sir,' he re- piled
 "Only I know you have to be cate full with all these safes about I said Oh, that's all right sir he said.
 F. Anstey's reply is characteristically opposite. He writls:
 "I do not suppose for a moment that 20 great genius and humorist as Mr. Rudyard Kipling can have intended his