Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-23

ers who need the stimuli OF froducf
Of mind with mind, OF inter
change OF thought. and OF that plens
ant intercourse which results whe
men OF a craft gather together.
TO this suggestion the Springfield
Daily Republican answers.
As things now arc in America
an author may about as well live
i'm one place as another. II is con-
vcnicnt FOR business reasons to be
not too far away from ones pub
Usher and the publisher will very
likely be i'm New York, but most
business can be transacted by
mail. and most kinds of writing
can be done wherever one hap
pens 20 &c. The work of New
York publishers and editors con-
sists largely in handling the lit
erary wares which are sent TO
them from cities and small towns
In all parts of the country. They
are pu tho look out for new stuff':
the people who write are ne less
alert for the new styles as regis
tered in New YurR. Thus city and
country react upon each other and
the result is much greater uni
formity thar might in theory be
expected from such a dccentrali-
zation. Just ms identical styles
from Paris are circulated in all
parts of the country by the fash
ion magazines, SO identical liter
airy fashinos are So widely diffused
that they arc quickly adopted by
writer's everywhere, anC no pro-
VinCial development gets far.
ON the other band the authors
themselves, being 81 widely scat
tered. come into much less fire.
aucnt contact than Is the case in
Europe, and are not exposed 10
such vigorous sacntal currents as
circulate in capitals like London
ana Paris, where not only authors
bat painters. sculptors. architects,
musicia,s, scientists, philosophers
AMI pttellvctual workers OF an kinds
couEr, gate. putting literature all
ways on its mcttle to hole its
own IN this electric atmosphere.
For the lack of this kind Of inter-
course being in sufficiently close
touch with the market and its re-
quircncuts docs not fully Cum,en-
safe II this extent Air. Gals
worthy is no doubt right Int every
country develops iu accordance
with its own traditions. ami there
Is little chance of q Capitalization
~ the scattered intellectual forces
5f tho United States. Nor would
such 2 tendenCE 30 1nmixcC gain,
though the al, aataEe of i in cer-
tain respects is unuuestioaable.
IL Is quite noticeable that Mr Cats
orthy ovcrluoSs the mock bohemia u
rcenvich Village; hut few tears vii
Z shee or that account except ~
~ itching palmed prnrrietors of such
.aceg a. The ReI Rose, The Glory
oie. ana The Hens Nest, where
4 and art are dispensed together
,r about 30 cents a serving.
Mr.. Gals~erthy would have an
merican literary centre because of
le reactions Of the country IL it.
III wo do not believe that America
isses such a place. The literary Lon
- II England. the literary Paris Of
rance, has little effect upon the rest
those respective countries. Yet
,ch has strong Influence on the
riters themselves who eongrogafe
thin the sacred precincts, 1t is
writer's who suffer because
9 have nr literary capital.
However. We do not believe that
merica will ever have such capi-
]. That requires certain air Of
,tronage from royalty. or rather.
on the state. IN London. the King
England encourages letters. 10
after how little he may he interested
scribbling; but it is a good thing
have writers uphold the accepted
der Of things. In France there is
. Academy. established by Napoleon,
lo certainly knew how to rally to his
q all men capable of expressing
aas.
Now Just how would such a liter
y capital work in the United states?
N you imagins any outstanding, ram
a backboned novelist permitting
mself TO be patronized by a l,resi-
NJ who a few months ago was
lal town politician. placed in the
AZ Of power 10y stroke of luck
course not The chances are that
2 writer would be ten times as in
ligent as the president.
We don't believe that We will ever
We any literary capital" Even if
had 1t under Presidential patron
every four years violent cases OF
litical itch would break out among
novclists, and they would divide
. two camps. The best that
can do for these writer's Of ours
to let them gather once or twice a
At IN New York City to honor some
low scribe's birthday. After that.
them disperse to their respective