New-York tribune., 1919-10-11
Hugh Walpole Here
Brilliant English Author
An Enthusiastic Visitor

Hugh Walpole said he had come to
America to have good time and to
see the country. He frankly acknow-
lodged that he was lecturing merely
because it was one of the most de-
lightful ways Of travelling about and
besides" he said, with wide and
infectious smile, III rather want to
publicly correct the impression Amcr-
cans seem to have Of me. They rather
tend to think I'm a bit oldsh and ter
rible serious, and Pm not, you know,
really"
No. he's not, really. He's tall and
big and blond and young amazingly
young to have attained the literary
merit which is justly his. He gives one
the impression of having just come in
from vigorous tennis match with a
victor's wreath bit awry on his
blond head and himself somewhat
breathy. But if he is bit inarticu-
late IN expressing his liking for things
American, he is fairly exploding with
IDEAS literary.
He doesn. exactly want to form a
literary society of British and Amer
lean authors, but he strenuously de-
slres TO see the potential writer's o.
the two countries in closer intimacy
Feeling that they now know each othe.
only through their books, he wou,
have them get together and exchang,
ideas and metaph orically hold hands
across the sea.
have more or less the same likes and
dlsllkes as yourselves. Take, for in
stance, the book that is being most
talked OF in acknowledgements Maug-
hams The Moon and Sixpence.'
find i is hailed as one Of the greatest
achlevelncnts OF The year b. you Amer
leans"
How about Blasco lbancz ." asked.
'Well,' Mr.. WalDole admitted. 1.-THE
-Four Horsemen Of Ike .'rcc1,ypar'
didn't go very we'll IN Err.a4. You
on; but we had it aftec jse e4la:st.ce
and when English people N.cle fighting
shy Of anything dealing with the war
Personally, I feel that it was some
what overratcd.
Gas for war books in general, they
simply don't go at home. In fact, the
writer over there is in bit Of
bad way. If he writes Of anything
before the war, people turn up their
noses and think the authors old fash
Toned. He can't write Of the war be-
cause no one will read it, and we are
still too near the war to write Of any
thing since it,"
Frank Swinnerton is making a name
Tor himself in England, according to
MIR. Walpole, who expressed surprise
that the books succeeding "Nocturne"
met with small success over here. How
ever, he said that the fate of Ernest
Poole had been similar in England.
"The Harbor' had created conside rable
of q ripple, but Pooe's succeeding
novels had disappointed his British
followers
Naturally, the Daisy Ashford con-
troversy came up during the conver-
sation, and Mr.. Walpole emphatically
declared that "Thc Young Visiters''
was actually written by a girl nine
years old and that the girls name was
and is Daisy Ashford.
ut is my pleasure" said Mr.. Wal
pole, "to know Miss Ashford She was
completely surprised by the huge sale
Of her book. She is woman now
about thirty, enjoying pleasures she
had never expected to have. After
finding ones excitement in a trip now
and then to London, it is bit start
ling to find a fortune at ones com l.
mand. with all the vista of pleasures
which it opens up" N. NJ.