Evening star., 1926-05-13

Awards OF the Pulitzer prize com.
mittee for literary aud journalistic
achievements are discussed with un'
usual vigor ,his year. stimulus com
ing from Sinclair Lewis refusal TO
accent the 81, 600 prize for his book.
"Arrowsmlth."
A continued tendency 10 depart
from a strict Interpretation vi the
terms prescribed by Joseph Pulitzer
in establishing the prizes" is observed
bv the Springfield Republican. which
is of the opinion that lin encouraging
this tendency the advisory board or
the Pulitzer School Is establishing d
precedent, presumably with the sane.
tion of the Pulitzer heirs. which Will
make the prizes increasingly valuable
in stimulating artistic and scholarly
u,Dduction," The Republican also ex-
presses satisfaction that the literary
awards for the past three or four
wears have increasingly represented
broad judgment and critical insight.
In criticizing Mr.. Lewis attitude to-
ward the award for his novel. lhe
brooklyn Eagle comedies that IF ne
seriously believes the Pulitzer prize
means the stuitifica alton Of American
traitor to his conscience and integrity
IL he accepted the award" But the
Eagle holds that his claim that an
other generation Of writers might
strive for prizes rather than for liter
arv merit Is an indictment or the hon
esty Of his younger brethren. Euro
pean authorship" 1t continues, cher
ishes no such fear concerning the
Nobel prize for literature" The Co.
lumbus Ohio State Journal agrees that
mo superior literary production was
ever done In conscious competition Tor
prize, and all good writers know 1t.
The beauty Of the Pulitzer prize sys-
tem," adds the Ohio state Journal. lis
that there Is no conscious competition
for the honors or II there Is the con-
scious competitors probably never
win"
"If only Mr. Lewis had not called
the French Academy to witness!' ex'
claims the Boston Transcript. DE
spite the honor and dignity Of this In
stitution, and despite the earnestness
with which many French writers
have striven for it's recognition" con
tinues the Transcript. every one
knows that the course of literature in
Fra nee. In actual practice. has never
been so controlled by the academy's
decisions as Mr.. Lewis declares the
course of letters In America will be
by the Pulitzer jury" The Milwaukee
journal supports the same view, de.
claring that 'Other authors, even
greater authors, have not needed to
refuse awards because they had never
u thought of trying for prizes, but
only to do good"
"rhe bare truth of the matter" In
the opinion Of the Lynchburg News.
lis that the conditions of the award
are of no moment. How many of
them were fulfilled by 'Arrowsmith'
How many writer's, whether con-
sciously or unconsciously striving for
the award, or Indifferent Or hostile,
carefully studied the conditions of the
award before writing their novels?
How many knew what they were
Much more sympathetic with Mr..
Lewis point of view is the Charlotte
Observer, which declares he is the
first writer who has taken the trouble
to give thought to the influences
which the Pulitzer prize Is intended to
promote. ."Our observation" the Oh.
server adds, lis that it has sought out
instances Of sectional abasement in
Southern publications. Lewis appears
to have developed keen powers of
analysis, for neither book nor paper
production has been judged from the
standard of literary. merit, but the
measure has been rather in obedience
to whatever code of good form may
chance to be popular at the mo.
ment. :
n y
The wide distribution Of prizes to
various parts # the United States I'm.
pressee the Jamestown Evening Jour.