New-York tribune., 1922-06-18
Sinclair the Prosecuted
-str pooE or LIFE py Up,on sinclair vi
published by Jrfon Sinclair ~
By John Macy

-R. SINCLAIR nas published
u an open letter 20 the literary
vi editors Of several newsra-
4 per.. including The Tribune,
in which he says that the hrst volume
of his Book o. Life published last
year By Macmillan. has been ignored.
he suggests that the newspapers are
boyeot,ins him because Of his attack
m the American press in The Brass
Check" Immediately after reading
Mr.. Sinciair's letter asked the liter
arv editor OF The Tribune for the new
and enlarged edition Of The Book Of
Life"
Mr. Rascoc replied that no copy had
been received In the Office, and he su-
thorized ne 20 buy one and charge It
20 The Tribune. That seemed fair
enough. did not buy the book but
wrote 70 Mr.. Sinclair. and received as
promptly as tho mails can travel be-
tween New York and California
charming reply. which made ne un-
harrv only because learned that
bad missed b. few hours the pleas
sr- 81 seeing him in New York. There
are many matters should Ike TO dis
eass with him.
Meanwhile the review copy Of "The
Book % Life" reached TIE Tribune. !
shall examine &c presently. But first Il
Is Sitting 20 take space on this page 20
discuss Mr.. Sinelair's individual case
sgainst literary editors and consider
the general questions he raises about
the functions o. reviewers. His state
nent that "out OF some FIVE hundred
papers which regularly give space 70
book reviews only four noticed the
frst volume OF "The Book Of Life" Is
uuquestionRbly true. For Mr. Sinclair
70 honest. lie never wiifully misrepre-
rents He makes mistakes. like the
rest % US. and his reasoning Is some
times fsllacious; he often misinterprets
the motives OF human beings. and 30
he fails 20 understand the world which
ss novelist he tries TO portray and as
philosopher and propaganda he hopes
10 reform.
OF THE literary editors who ignored
" the first part Of The Book Of
Life" feel sure, without being able 20
prove It by putting them on the witness
ttand, that not six were Influenced
ppe way or the other By "The Brass
Check had occasion 20 study "Ths
Brass Check" with selfish zeal and a
strong predispostion io is favor. for
] hoped to lift material from It for my
article on Journalism in the book called
Civilization in the United States"
IN the course Of my investigations l
discussed Mr.. sinclair's book with
many newspaper men. both radical and
conservative. The opinion had
formed Of the book was shared by
almost every man with whom talked,
that II is messy piece Of work,
thrown together with 10 sense Of rela-
ti~e values, no Discrimination between
important evidence and trivial snee-
dotes, q poorly organized, Intellectual
book.
found several men, both cynical
veterans and young men yearning for
better things, whose quarrel with Mr..
Sinclair was not that he had attacked
thNr profession, or rather the "sys-
TEN" that eorrupts their profession,
tut that he had not handled his mate
rial skillfully and had left himself ex-
posed on all sides 10 the return FIRE Of
my editorial writer who felt like TAX
:ng shot az him.
As an Inclined 20 defend literary
editors and employers % literary
editors, I will make IL clear az this
roint that an not one Of the pros
porous kept ladies Of tho press trying
70 protect our house from the raids Of
reformers and anti-viee crusaders.
was discharged from the post Of
literary editor of "The Boston Herald
At the behest % the advertising de.
par.mcut. The editor-in-ehief con'
fessed 20 no that bis request for my
"reignation" was ono Of the most
cowardly things he had ever done
! be knows better than what the rest
of them were. have never published
this BIT Of autobiography before, and
! do So now only because II is pertinent
and helps 20 make this discussion clear
and because 20 IS in accord with Mr.
.Sinclair's habit Of making everything
personal. It is bad habit The
Brass Check" is an inchoately perfect
example NJ the futi'ity OF trying tc
make public evidence ont Of private
grievances. II you arc going 10 show
your wounds 10 the people you must
be sure that you are as interesting a
PERSON as Coriolanus and that your
oicatr.ccs arc large. not mere scratches
Mr. S.nciair's sense Of proportion is
detective. and that defect seriously
damages his work. both his fction and
his philosophy. lie seems 10 be suffer
inC from some sort Of persecution COM
plcx. or, not 10 bother with those big
dubious words, from a plain case Of
o. 81 .