The Washington herald., 1920-05-02

Nj Haywood Broun. the militant
critic CT the New York Tribune. has
started another war with the play
wrights whose compositions Mr..
Broun is nothing loath to lambast
Cosmo Hamilton is the latest author
to feel deeply the sting of Mr..
Broun'S diatribes. although the
irenic quarrel between Samuel Ship
man and Broun has become a Broad
way classic.
Hamilton is so perturbed that, in
q recent issue of the Authors League
Bulletin. he gave voice to his senti-
ments in = signed article entitled
The Higher Criticism" and written
ized as :he Daily Manner of Hay
seed Proun."
This article has given rise to con-
siderable discussion among the
leagues membership. resulting in
several authors throwing their hats
into the ring and giving vent to
their own views on dramatic criti-
cisms. Foremost among the lot Is
Montague Glass, who philosophers
on Hamilton's article in the April
issue Of the Bulletin in a short ar
ticls entitled. "on Slanging the
. Critics" In part 1t reads:
1T is as impolitic to argue with a
critic as arguing with a traffic po-
liceman. He can always hand you
q ticket the next time. The thing
to do Is to drive humbly on and tell
your wife what you could have said
TO him IL you had wanted to. OF
course, one realizes that Mr.. Cosmo
Hamilton doesn't care a whoop for
what Mr.. Haywood Broun will say
about his next play. II he did, he
would not have written what he did
in the Bulletin. One also infers from
the same Bulletin that he must have
cared for what Mr.. Broun said
about his plays. and, IL what Mr..
Broun said may be measured by
what Mr.. Hamilton said, Mr.. Broun
must have said something for which
Mr.. Hamilton must have cared more
than most playwrights would want
to admit
why. then should Mr.. Hamilton
expect when next Mr.. Broun stats
one of his plays. he is going to be
Indifferent to what Broun will say?
Does he hope that, in ministering to
his delicate susceptibility to dra-
matte criticism with the Bulletin ar
ticIe in question, he has overcome It
altogether? Or does he believe that
Mr.. Broun is so Jealous of his own
reputation for fairness that Mr..
Broun will review favorably all fu-
ture plays of Mr.. Hamilton's for fear
Mr.. Broun's readers will think he
has been biased by Mr.. Hamilton's
Bulletin article?
"Or isn't Mr.. Hamilton going to
read any more Of Mr.. Broun's criti-
'eisns?
-or isn't Mr.. Hamilton going to
write any more plays!
-or what?
MY own opinion is that Mr.. Ham
ilton is arguing with a traffic po-
lfceman. but from what I know Of
policemen, the next time Mr.. Hamil-
ton drives by. the policeman will
construe the traffic rules upon the
merits of Mr.. Hamiiton's driving and
say this even though that same
policeman occasionally hands me a
ticket too"
Cosmo Hamilton has answered the
Glass article in the following letter:
Ny extremely indiscreet and brutal
skit Of Mr.. Haywood Broun's man
ner Of criticism has drawn a COM
nunication from Mr.. Montague Glass,
whose questions seem to demand an
Bwers from me. / do care many
whoops for what Mr.. Haywood Bronnsl
may say about my next play. I did
care for what Mr.. Haywood Broun
said about my last play-very much
Indeed. I know very well that Mr.
Haywood Broun will not be in
huenced in any way by this skit
when he sits. in judgment on any
future work Of mine. Why should
he bel am going to write as many
more plays as ! can and i am going
I, TO continue to read what Mr.. Broun
may say about them. I would much
frefer Mr.. Broun TO like them be-
ause being as human as every
3ther man who hangs on to life by
fhe end OF a nib. I am put into
GOOD temper by favorable notices
s1weyeT unjust and sent into bias
,hemy by bad ones however true.
" skit was intended to be no more