Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-10

Dear Sir: I have often thought
would like to write and tell you how
much / enjoy reading your articles:
Your recent one on our sophisticated
age was very interesting reading. You
endeavor to minimize the evil, apropos
the people of this country. Whether
you are right there am not so sure
as on more than one occasion l have
heard the United States described as
being the youngest and the most
sophisticated of all nations.
"You can quote the orgies of the
past, in defense of the present, If you
wish. But in the former case-in your
mind-these were the exception to the
rule? Do I get you right? In other
words. YOU believe that the manners and
morals of the Victorian age, in a gen.
eral sense, we're superior to those of the
present.
II think so. too. Why not write an
article on the value of sentiment
proper sentiment-which is the founda-
ton of all morality? Can sentiment ex-
list in a hard-boiled community? If all
the women grow selfish, and material
istic, what is going to hold the Nation
together? Very truly yours, A. F.
X X X
There was a humorous drawing in the
Saturday Evening Post recently show
ing "jazz baby" and an old fashioned
girl, and the latter was saying to the
former, There are still thousands Of us
left" To which the flapper replied,
Eyes, but we get all of the publicity
The same thing holds true of the
country at large. The hard boiled por-
ton of any community invariably makes
the most noise. and leads one to be-
Ioo& SC noy1f
on similar modes of self-eXpression.
Those who are selfish and ultra-lna-
terialistic put up such racket about
it that the unwary observer might think
no other sort of person existed in the
broad confines of this land.
There is actually in existence cult
of critics, notably in New York, who
have put up such a powwow of pub
licity in favor of stark realism in writ
ing that they have made thousands Of
writer's afraid of morality.
These SophiSticateS and would-be
sophisticates have pretty near got the
whole country to thinking that no novel
should contain plainly spoken moral"
Morality, as such. Is something to flee
from, something to be ashamed of, if
we are to heed this self-appointed
group.
Where there is so much smoke. how
ever. there must be some fire. He who
forever is lambasting some one for being
moral shows a very sensitive disposition
about something or other.
Can it be that these hard-boiled per-
sons, in the back of their own minds
and hearts, realize full well that the
aversGye human being is hopelessly
moral in mental and spiritual struc-
ture?
Can 1t be possible that they are
ashamed of themselves, through some
queer kink of mentality, based on en-
vironment, and therefore are led on to
put up tremendous holler?
The very thing they are yelling so
insistently against is the very thing
that their real dispositions would push
them into, not for their salvation in
another world but simply for the sake
of their salvation in this.
They hold back from it, forsooth,
because they are afraid to be natural,
just as many bachelor who disclaims
the loudest against women secretly is
a timid fellow who longs to be married
happily.
X X X
We must, therefore, answer our cor
respondent in this wise:
Yes, sentiment can and does exist,