Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06

IA in conversation he never
W. takes a cigar out of the
tails. Ne either puffs
StrenuouSlv or waves
about as he grows interested in the
conversation. He has dark hair that
loops over mis- forehead Il rather round
face, very laxative eyes, a relaxed
way of throwing one leg over the
arm of the chair and an intense sense
of humor which reveals itself not in
outlaws but in very noticeable
twinkle in his eyes. He rises with
Chesterfieldian grace when ladies en-.
ter the room is perfect host and
impresses you especially as being al
together kindly in his nature. 1t is
hard to realize that Mr.. Hughes is not
only a famous novelist but also a
ghoul--a ghoul in the graveyard of
Americas great.
And his kit of tools with whiCh
he robs the graves of the great
horn-rimmed spectacles. perhaps a
couple of other sets of glasses, guam
titles OF writing paper. half dozen
fountain pens and an impressive ar
ray of books on every conceivable
subject strewn from his work desk
near the window all over the place
Whatever the new book of knowledge
Is, Mr.. Hughes is pretty certain to
have gotten hold of it and devOured
It from cover to cover, because Mr..
Hughes is one of the most widely READ
and informed men of his generation.
ION Washington's birthday YOU
came in for a good deal of criticism
because of your book on George
Washington. would like to ask you
whether you think there are other
characters in the past who need the
pruning knife of truth.
Greater Truth Needed.
II feel that there are many such
characters. replied Mr.. Hughes. I'm
fact. from George Washington on
down, our whole Valhalla of great
should be re-recorded in the light of
modern ways of writing history"
"Then you don't think much of
the old.fashioned hiStory-perhaps
least of old-fashioned biographies"
Queried.
"NIv main criticism of old-fashioned
history was that it always tried to
sell q man in the commercial sense,
crying up his good points and in
sisting that he was great. | didn't
try to sell George Washington. and
that is why I am considered irrever-
eut. | considered Washington already
sold and established. Of course he
was great. Everybody knows 1t. l
never disputed it. What l did was
TO record Washington in his own
words. So, in reality, when people
get mad at my book they are really
getting mad at George Washington.
And tho big historical problem OF our
times Is to begin recording great men
Of the past in their own words and
not in those of trucking biographers;
Modern history is a science. anu
all science has had hard battle 10
obtain popular consent to ten tne
truth. The progress of the world Is
to be measured by the myths and
legends that truth has exposed. To-
day we wouldn't stand fer physi-
clan to lie about disease or an engl-
neer to lie about the construction OF
a building so that it might fall down,
but we are still content to let emo
tional hero worshipers lie as much
as they please. so long as the lies are
flattering to the dead,
Says Facts Essential.
Modern history wants the facts,
tust as modern astronomy and MOD
ern geology have insisted on the proof
that the world was not the center or
the universe or that rain was due TO
evaporation and was not poured out
Of a window of heaven. The big chal-
lenge to our times is to tell the truth
about history, and a battle is brewing
between the myth lovers and the tact
lovers that may throw the world into
the throes of intellectual persecution
again. Old-fashioned history used to
make q personal selection of the facts.
Modern history insists on all the facts.
when write about unknown peo-
pie 1 like to find out their hidden no
bilities. When I write about old maids
of Keokuk, / like to tell the great
things they have done. Everybody
knows the little things they have
done. Conversely, when l write about
a big man, like to tell about the lit
tie things-everybody knows about
the big things. And there are many
little things about our great heroes OF
the past that should be brought to
light.
Old History Assailed.
"Old-fashioned history had no con-
science about suppressing the truth.
Old.fashioned history hated investiga.
ton and facts in the same way that
a robber hates a sheriff or a man with
a bogus diamond dislikes the society
Of lapidaries. Old-fashioned history
was the art of singing hymns of praise
about certain gentlemen-eVerythi
favorable was exaggerated and every
thing adverse eliminated. Under such
treatment our heroes of the past be-
came unreal fictions from whom the
blood of life and truth had been drain
ed of to make way for the embalm-
ing fluid of superlative praise"
But, Mr.. Hughes, answer me this
question. What about children who
Al TTen