The Washington herald., 1919-05-31

New York. May s0.-Again has
Haywood Broun. Park Rows jack
of-all-trades and master OF them all.
shown his versatility. Broun's FIRST
agent. Then he was annexed to the
Tribune as sporting editor when
that paper several years ago awak-
ened from its long sleep and sprang
| to life.
He ran over to Harvard between
seasons and copped a diploma for
pIaywriting at the dramatic school
while the Giants were resting. He
became one, ofsthe most widely quot
| ed baseball reporters, and when
| Hector Turnbull was lured to the
movies from the Tribune's dramatic
! chair. Broun was given the job. He
was cussed and discussed, and one
| actor sued him but lost the case.
But his reviews were the brightest
| spots in the Rialto life.
Tiring of sitting in every night
at Broadway's Death Watch. Eroun
went to Europe and became a war
I
is advertising his new job. He
! has become editor of the Tribune's
book review page. Book reviews
are in nearly all the papers. ana l
could never understand until ] had
| read Broun's reviews. He makes
the book review page as snappy as
the sport page and just as high
browfsh.
He packs the same old punch in
the field of letters that he did when
he described how Speaker smote
the pill for the circuit, and how
George NJ. Cohan' had them pulling
up their seats at Punxsutawney.
Some book reviewer, III say.
There are times when New York
book reviews are we'll written by
veteran literary men such as Mr..
lie Gallienne and Mr.. Huneker and
a few others-but most OF them are
only read by the publishing house
p.css agent who searches them for
a snappy line to advertise the book.
Outside of New York many news
papers have long ago popped up
their book reviews. but not until
Haywood Bronu got on the job was
n book review anything but inane-
a paIaverous blurb in the great city.
The average New York book re-
viewer is a pathetic figure in jour-
nalistic life. He is generally little
man with a pointed beard and a bald
head All his life he has been =
literary hack-readinG manuscripts
novelizing popular plays for cheap
magazines and dramatizing trashy
novels for Bowery producers. Now
and then he puts over Sunday story
that buys a new suit. In his old
age he lives A precarious existence
completely disillusioned and devoid or
ambition.
The life or Broadway is tearing
with little incongruities. There. for
instance. is 4 bootblack in the Fitz-
gerald building who wears a pearl
gray derby and a mourning band on
the sleeve of the snappiest two-toned
rsuit one might find the length of the
street. Thep there is a bright-faced
young man who is the sole force OF
one of those hole-in-the-wall orange
juice places. and at the curb in front
he has an imported French automo-
bile with silver settings and a few
platinum knick-knacks.
Gold-tipped cocktail glass tied
about with a ribbon of pink. and set
ting under a glass case in the draw
inG-room. will be the 1870 substitute
for the old-fa shioned wax what-nots
that rested serenely on the parlor
manteI right under the turkey wing
duster. \ New York hotel announces
an Objects des Art auction at which
will be sold the cutglass drinking
Goblets. silver and Cold-rimmed cock
tail and liquor glasses that have
touched the lips OF many famous
beauties and have ornamented the
banquet table of scores of world
celebrities The collection OF stems
and seidels that formed the wall deco
rations in many grills will not be
sold-not until the mild brew beer
question is settled The motel men
believe the mild brew will live.