The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-03-30
EDGAR '. SMITH
 IS HONOR GUEST
 .ATCIVICDDNNER
Cohen Tells Of Ideals And Aims Of Loafers' Club
 In Address

Representatives of dozen, or more Birmingham social and. civic organiza- tions, members of the "Loafers' club, y and personal friends of Edgar Valen- tine Smith paid tribute to him as a Birmingham citizen and winner of the o. Henry award for the best short story published in America in 1923, at a banquet given in his honor Saturday night in the ballroom of the Tutwiler hotel. ta s
 In the absence of President D. B. Nc. Lendon, Mrs. Mary Eehols spoke as representative of the city commission The writers coloney of the city was rep. resented by Octayus Roy Cohen, @hc praised the guest of honor as a fellow. author and fellow-member of the Loaf ers's club, which was founded by Cohen himself and includes in it's membership most of the Birmingham writers who have attracted national attention Scenes from +The Prelude" the story that brought the A. Henry award to Birmingham and fame to its author, were read and interpreted by Bernard Szold, director of Birmingham's Little theatre. &
 Dr. John c. Dawson, president of Edgar Valentine Smiths alma mater, told how proud Howard college was of him as one of the leading American authors, and described the growth of the literary tradition in the south since the Civil war.
 Messages Read
 Messages of congratulation and felici- tation were read from Perkins Prewitt, associated with Smith as city editor of the Birmingham News, The BirmingI ham Furniture Dealers association, the Selma Student Writers club and other literary organizations. Crawford John son, president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, was toastmaster.
 Mrs. Echols spoke briefly, expressed her pleasure at being able to partici- pate in the celebration of Mir. Smiths success and praised sThe Prelude" as one of the most interesting stories she had read.
 She was followed by Mir. Cohen, whose subject was "The Loafers-And Others," permitting him to describe the development of Birmingham as one of the leading literary centers of America and prophecy that a new literature of the south was soon to be evolved with the winner of the 1923 o. Henry prize as one of it's founders.
 Everybody Interested
 Everybody feels that he or she can write fiction it is one of the arts that appeals to us all," he said. 'tOnly a comparatively few people think that they would be world-famous painters or sculptors or actors; but writing grips us all. Few people ever get far enough along in writing, however, to know how hard it really is to sit at a typewriter in Birmingham and make a person a thousand miles or more away cry-or laugh"
 Mfr. Cohen went on to describe the Loafers as small group of writers who take. the business seriously and are determined to make a success of it. He called attention to the fact that practically every member of the organt ization who has worked steadily and consistently has succeeded. This success, he attributed to the fact that the Bir- mingham colony of writers is not a migratory group, but people working to- gether to cultivate a greater interest in literature as a profession. He pre- dicted that in future Birmingham would be even better known for her writers than at present, and said within five or ten years many people would be- proud of their acquaintance with several members of the younger gen eration of Birmingham authors.
 Birmingham. although a young city, has long been known as a great com nercial and. industrial center" he said, 'but it needs just the sort of fame that Ed Smith is bringing to it."
 Urges Encouragement
 Dr. Dawson made a plea for greater encouragement to young writers, and urged the development of a new south ern literature. MT. Cohen was praised for the interest he has taken in this movement, not only as an author, but also as organizer of the Loafers' club.
 Alabama has rich background of culture and tradition and provides ample material for fiction writer's" he said. There has been tendency to overlook. our own state and so north for, these things" tg.., .: <, Mir. Smith, acknowledged the expres- sions of good, will from the others at the speakers table, and said he felt grateful to his Birmingham friends for their encouragement and apparent pleasure at his winning the award.
 Miss Rebecca BaSemore sang several solos, accompanied on the piano by Miss Frances Hunt, being called back for several, encores.