New-York tribune., 1920-03-15

Commenting on some recent remarks
of ours about George AIDES "Hand-
Made Fables" Berton Braley writes:
81 wonder if it has occurred to you
that there may be just as much to lab
at IN the extravagances and cccentrici-
ties Of the radicals as in the reactions
of the reactionaries. 1t has always
seemed to me that AIDE is catholic in his
choice of subjects for rdicule. The
mossback and the red-eyed apostle of
upset are all alike to him for this pur-
pose; he pinks and frequently perfor-
ates both or either with a rapicr of
sapent slang. Snug satisfaction and
hystcric humbug are targets to be
punctured with equal junction. Of YOU
can puncture with unction-anv how.
he does.)
II should call Ade an old-fashioned
American. Which doesn't mean that he
is old-fashioned in his mind or his
humor, but is possessed of the quiet tol-
erance that disguises. but does not par
alyze, spirit OF idealism and deep
abiding belief in justice and fair play.
Not the 120 per cent Americanism that
Is just now weltering in suspicion of
the rest Of the world and blind panic.
such as evidenced at Albany, nor the
shrill idealism of certain little groups
of furious thinkers. He is that seem
ingly rare but actually frequent per-
son-the moderate and the liberal.
GAS such, he satirizes life about him
and does it better, it appears to me.
than anybody writing to-day. / think
the weakness and bias of your criticism
lie In your assumption that d man isn't
real satlrist unless he happens to lay
lance in rest against your pet abom-
nations. Assuming for the sake Of
argument that AIDE is orthodox. which
| can't concede otherwise, orthodoxy
satirizing heterodoxy may be as i'm
portant and valuable for human happi-
ness as the reverse. But your true
satlrist is free lance-and it's thus
| would catalogue Ade."
Ihere are so many points of fact in
dispute between US and Mr. Braley that
we could make adequate answer only
by citing great number of passages
from AIDES fables, and at the moment
we haven't even Hand Made Fables"
at hand. 1t is true, as Mr. Braley saws.
that "satirizing heterodoxy may be as
important and as valuable for human
happiness as the reverse" but it is not
nearly as valuable for America in the
year 1870. At time when the country
Is buslly engaged in burning heretics
we can see no purpose in satirizinp
them as we'll. It's not cricket, or, YOU
might say, it's cricket on the hearth.
OF course. we do not DENY that AIDE
is hugely amusing. But. personally, we
fall to find in Ade that tonic quality
which we expect in satire. A perfect
BIT of satire should be little disturb
ing, like cocktail. 1t should contain
that ferment which makes one want to
icao better life Or worse one; at
any rate, different one. The true
satlrlst comes from Sinai and brinos
revelation 1t seems 10 US that Ade
devotes himself largely to iustifvjnc
those prejudices which are distinctly
national, and thus when he stabs there
IS so little sting that one may be in
cilned to wonder whether it is indeed
a rapler or hypodermic needle which
ne IS welding. When he saws in one
OF his recent fables that no traveller
ever remembers anything of Rome ex-
cept the fact that he paid 81 day
Tor his room and had to walk down the
hallway to get bath, he is fattering
the huge complacency Of that large
portion of America which enioys the
confirmation of its belief that after al
there is no place in. the world half 80
hne as Factoryvifle, Pa.
Lest somebody rise to say that If
we don't like America why don't we
60 back whers We came from. thereby