The New York herald., 1922-03-26

FIGHT OF ROUGH GUY
MIXED UP IN ETHICS
Henry Smiths Sarcasm Over
Hirshfield's Criticism Is
Thick rs Marble.
SEES IGNORANCE OF ART
Commissioner Can Tell Craig's
Aid How to Get Model for
Hard Boiled Egg.
SEES IGNORANCE OF ART

Henry Smith. Deputy Comptroller and
stanch ally of Frederick MacMonnies,
sculptor of "Civic Virtue" of which
the celebrated Rough Guy is the central
figure. standing as he does with his
brogans upon the brisket of one who
is obviously no lady. slapped back at
Davy Hirshfield. Commissioner of Ac-
counts. yesterday, slapped back hard.
Henry Smith is regarded as a very
vigorous person by his friends and en-
joys a vocabulary which con get rough
when the muffler is cut out.
The whole controversy over the Rough
Guy has bored and annoyed Henry
Smith to the point of evaporation, but.
as he admitted privately, there are
eight or ten laws against doing what
he would like to do and he has to take
most Of ii out in conversation. hitting
with adjectives and things instead OF
with his hand or-foot.
On Friday. in possibly. careless
moment, Davy Hirshfield, running to
the Mayors whistle. made what is pos
sibly a tactical mistake by including
the name and deeds of Henry Smith in
his comment on men and a-tairs for
the day. Mr.. Hirshficld went so far
as to make what they call on the
Bowery a crack at Henry Smith. say
ing that the controversy over the Rough
Guy should be confined to people who
never had. and haven't now. finan-
cia interest in the statue. and recalling
that it was when Smith was Park
Commissioner in 1909 that he made the
contract with MacMonnies. Subse-
quently. Hrshfield continued, Smith be-
came attorney for MacMonnies. He,
Hirshfield. did not think that Smith
had acted quite ethically.
When the news of this Hirshfieldian
outgiving was waited to the office of
the Deputy Comptroller that individual
hit the ceiling. The things he said about
Davy! Rich, race and racy, but largely
unprintable in this family newspaper.
However, the reporter managed to giean
and garner these comments. hot from
the indignation of Henry Smith:
IT certainly will not dignity with any
personal attention the mouthings OF so
low minded a man as the so-called Com
missioner OF Accounts, but / cannot re-
frain from smile at the learned his
torical gentleman commenting upon
ethics. So far as the statue is concerned
it speaks for itself in the matter of its
artistic quality. and the fact that it was
duly contracted for and duly approved
So far as my having any pecuniary in
terest in the statue or in Mr.. MacMon-
MES Is concerned. have just as much In
them as I have In the honorable and
learned Commissioner of Accounts. and
IL had an yin him would sell It very
cheap"
Just like that. And when the crisp
Bsyllables reached Davy Hirshfield he
opined that there was more than one
rough guy around town. and that II
MacMonnies ever wanted new design
for a hard boiled egg he might do worse
than get Henry Smith to pose for him.
So the celebrated controversy over the
rough guy expands and grows In daily
diversion. The next really important
episode is set for April 5. when is to be
held the further hearing on the point of
whether womanhood Is or is not de-
graded by the statue.