The Washington times., 1928-05-15
WASH
PlJBLGd
STUNT
BY Gene Tunney

EPECULATOR, n. r, May
Is Ever since the announce
nent leaked out last fall, that
/ was to lecture on Shake
speare to the Yale boys, .
lot Of my friends thought it
was just bit Of press agent
work, and they had the time
Of their lives kidding me about
it,
As matter of fact. this talk
wasn't supposed to receive any pub
1icity &c all, ana how the news
paDer boys caught on to the fact
Il stin mystery to Prof. Billy"
Phelps and myself.
@f course IL wasn't 4 publicity
stint. / merely delivered the little
discourse had promised Billy
would. because he's one Of my
best friends, and because I'm genu-
inely interested in Shakespeare and
believe that everyone should read
his works i
Since / started IN the boxing
game. I've heeu accustomed 10
appearing before crowds. and
have never had an attack Of
stage fright. But when rose
4 to my feet TO address al those
students and professors, Pm free
to confess that WINS badly
ratified for = few moments.
/ couldn't help fleeing that. In =
certain sense. stood there a. the
representative Of boxing. that /
had undertaken 4 rather difficult
task in attempting an analysis Of
Shakespeare before such an Assem-.
blage. and that had to convince
all these men that had 4 real
message to give them.
So, in a@flash.s1 mapped out my
entire campo ign just as I've done
80 often after feeling out an
opponent for round or two
Instead OF attempting to deliver
n ponderolis analytical discourse,
knew they were most interested In
my own personal reactions to the
Bard Of Avon--that Is. just how
Shakespeare had appealed to q
heavyweight boxer.
I was frank in admitting that
II took ten readings before
was able to say / thoroughly
understood all the hidden mean.
incs In the first SlsaIzespearian
play | ever read. "A Winters
Tale"
took the liberty of pointing out
= little lesson from this case-that
the only way to read Shakespeare
Is to read IL yourself, without the
assistance OF b teacher or tutor.
Things that you have to dig for,
I've found, are the best rennem-
berAd. When you have something
dianed mp for you on a silver plat
ter it isn't appreciated so much.
The same is just as true of the
things we get in life.
It's a fact that I've often won.
dered IL Shakespeare would have
been roofing for me to stay down,
or get up, in that last bout with
Dempsey.
1 know one thing about the Bard
OF. Avon-when he finished" his
characters they certainly stayed
uuSllSu.
Well. anyway, it was one of the
most delightful experiences I've ever
had in my lifer-and, as you may well
ina Sfne. I've had my share OF pleas
ant recolIections. The reception that
the Yale boys and faculty members
gave me after the talk was one that
III never forget.
I suppose some of the chalmers
picked up the newspapers the next
day and murmured, more In sorrow
than in anger: What's boxing come
tor
I suppose It's difficult for these
veterans, as well as for certain ele-
xneuts that don't know Of the great
change that's come over the game, to
reconcile themselves to the appear.
ance Of a heavyweight champion ad.
dressing college students on ntera-
ture.
To the amazed old timers I'd SIM
ply say that don't think my little
talk will hurt boxing much.
At least, ! hone. it.N0Il q -
4CopyFfght.s 1928, by the Con-
gFOesionai Club