New-York tribune., 1920-12-19
AS We We're Saying
By Haywood Broun

~ PEAKING Of Eugene O'NeiE.
- DR.. George Jean Nathan writes
3~ in The Smart Set: Having
written in the short play The
Emperor Jones' q first-rate and wholly
admirable study of the mechanics of
Ethiopian fear and terror, he has been
promptly announced by Professor
sProun, Of The Tribune, to be the su-
lperlor OF Dunsany. 'Dunsany's imagi-
tnative VEIN, states the Professor.
Eseems to Us thin. Not one of his fan
lsastic melodramas. we think, can stand
comparison with the more robust ro-
.raances of O'Neill, with such PLAYS as
TThe Emperor Jones" or Where the
#Cross Is Made"' But no, am wrong:
HONeill will not be, and is ut, deceived
fy such obscene jazz. 1t must give. him
Il good low chuckle, forsooth, when he
3'nlfs the sapient Brourss pronuncia-
Inento and recalls--I hope I violate 10
Eenfdence-that~he deliberately wrote
fWhere the Cross Is Made in a spirit
Z waggery: an experiment in treating
ls audie< &c and his critics as insane.
/ "O'Nei. is too fine and precious al
shrtist to be monkeyed with. He needs
gal the sympathy and encouragement.
that ais critics can give him, but it
nus, be intelligent sympathy and en-
stoHtagement. Hysterical praise will
'sne day (for such is the way of crit
.s) turn violently sour tail upon
FIN in an effort TO regain its personal
Fz1ilibrium and to support its own
IFsoteric wiggle- -waggle. And that day
|zay be one on which O'Neill will most
feed the assistance OF these very men
Of course, the answer is pishposh.
re have nothing to do with Q'Neill's
fope Of comfortable old age. We
Eve not thrifty enough to accept Dr.
Esthan's invitation to join him in saw
Fig few adjectives to protect O'Neill
Egaiast possibly rainy day. There
nothing appealing 70 a newspaper
seTlewer in the suggestion of averag-
ag opinions to stabilize criticism. AS
'er our equilibrium, that is the least Of
sEs concerns. We have turned somer-
ssaits before now, and we shall un-
lo'a5'edly do 80 again.
V1r hope is ever that when new
scfk Of extraordinary distinction turns
~ W saall be able to find in some OBJ
'esre pocket or tucked away in the
a'ang of coat superlative still un-
9zysnt. Bat perhaps that work will never
fsSme. It would be dreadful to die with
ISerds of praise still clinkiag in ones
Rreket amused. No man can take his
tsajecti7ss with him. OF what use
sopld they be in Heaven? Even the
fzudiest superlatiyes will seem triv-
Ia and !nsuhhoient then. Let O'Neill
fsVe them. We have half mind TO
Srow another handful at "The En-
'sror Jones"
Our notion is not 70 please the play
I1figas by nicely ascertaining the exact
AMOUNT Of encouragement which is his
ne /. ie more fun 10 push the bill
sside and cay Keep the change"
'ID@D1J ~ Gctb GoWu 10 tnS IhcI thdt
|ssrs On morning newspaper the
sprds VI to-day are gone Tomorrow, ex-
@pt such few az take On an air OF i'm
|asrtaiity BY being quoted in The
snsart Set. Since theirs In such a little
. = they may az well live 10 the full.
We hope each ssaso1 TO see at least
fhrs> plays which are the 2reatcst Of
Snslr generation.
There's always the possibility Of
snane@ hit. Years hence II may be that
tae Csorze Jean Nathan of the day
viii decide once for all that O'Neill In
os greater stature than Dpngany. After
al, ne have had our enthuslsgm for
sHs irishmsn. ~ migbt have died any
7ay but ws could not % on year after
7sas getting ezcItsd about Bsllanobia
Yd The various strange lspds of an
s'snt times when ne observed each