The Washington times., 1921-11-20
LONDON. Nov. 10.
AN q journalist. and q certain
nippancy into which / fear I


flippancy into which I fear
occasionally fall In chiefly duo
10 this fact:
The journalist, after all. has to
try to DO amusing. but the author
does not have to be amusing.
A far too kind and flattering critic
s Of my work recently. said with re-
greet that I sometimes behaved ike
Q red-nosed comedian. I wish
could be q public servant Of 80 val
liable type. I am bound to- say I
sometimes think 1t Is more modest
to try to be amusing than to assume.
that you are interesting.
After all. the red-nosed comedian
takes a certain amount Of trouble N
the public interest; he selects soma
pigment such as he feels will suit
his complexion. Still, there is IN
other attitude in art which may he
regarded as that of the man who IL
conscious that his nose is already
such a thing of beauty that he has
only to parade It in the street and
occasionally to. turn 1t up at other
people In order to be universally adj
mired. For my part, am content
with the red nose Of comedy.
In fact, although my opinions are
what many would hold to be rev
olutionary, have never felt alto
Rether comfortable under the Red
Flag as 1t Is at present carried.
because 1t is carried by such very
serious people.
1 do not altogether trust the mob
Of. indeed. there be mob) that Is
led by the Red Flag or by the en-
sign of the red tie which used to be
worn by Socialists in my youth.
but II ever l see mob OF English
men advancing behind the ensign
Of the red nose. then indeed / shall
know that at least democracy has
q democratic backing. 1t Is very,
common to see the suggestion that
laughter has its origin In some
form of cruelty or hostility TO
others, or pleasure at their distress
or pain. This is generally repeated
throughout the modern world, and
is very popular because It is de-
pressing. My old friend, Mrs. Bar
nett, has recently expressed herself
with some disapproval Of the rhyme,
about the COW jumping over the
moon; and 1t is very. touching to-
see tho way In which literary critics
rallied with one accord to the de-
Tense of 'Hey di1dle diddle." feel
ing a sort Of common enthusiasm
that here at last was q real great
masterpiece Of poetry which they
had not only always praised and
admired and raised for the emular
ton and admiration of the world.
but which they had even actually
read.
1t would require a good deal OF
psychology to contradict two facts
of which that rhyme is a simple
Illustration. 1t is certainly fact
that children laughed at that nur-
sery rhyme at a very early age,
and that the image of the COW
Jumping over the moon is simple
incongruity that amuses.
Another fact Is that 1t would be
very difficult, even for a modern
psychologist, to maintain that the
pleasure q child takes in that rhyme
n entirely based on the cruel delight
which O child would take In the COW
coming with q great thump to the
ground. Even in the somewhat
Immoral elopement Of the dish and
tho spoon 1t would be hard to main
tain that the infants entire pleasure
consisted In meditating on the lone
Illness and possible suicide OF the
Asserted fork. Although do not
admit the origin Of humor in cruelty.
there IL . perfectly abstract beauty
In the incongruous. which is some
what in the nature of art for arts
sake. 1.
COMMUNITY TROUSERS.
Few people seem to understand
ne fantastic when It Is used logi-
ealiy upon tho principle Of the re-
ductio ad absurdum-
For instance, q man says there
susht to be no private property of
any kind: that there are none Of the
things that men have that they
should not share. You then say to
him. 'Your proposal about a COM
munal toothbrush or communal
pair Of trousers" and he replies that
you are simply making a Jest Of the
discussion. The point to insist upon
II that ne is the man who has made
the absurd remark. He is tho man
who has made tho Joke. but the Diff
ference IL that can see the joke
and he can't.
Do not think give you that ex-
ample merely as indicating partisan
ship on general political or other