The Washington times., 1929-09-06

Cochran of the National Thea
ter, busy supervising the laying
of new carpets in the Z Street
auditorium, stopped long enough
yesterday to jingle the phone
and confirm Wednesdays an
nouncement in these columns
that "The First Page" will in
augurate the season at this tenn
pie of drama on Monday night
September Is.
It is a fair presumption that
this Ben Hecht-C Charlie Mac
Arthur melodrama of the Fourth
Estate will start the same vlo-
lent arguments here as else.
where over the authenticity OF
newspaper life as pictured in
the play. It's central character,
Hildy johnson, happens to be
wise-cracking, gin-g uzzl in &
great-I-am police headquarters
scribe who is also a swell re-
porter.
Many newspaper men resent
clarifying this sort of character
as typical of the profession.
Many others find a background
of truth in Hildy johnson, but
the dramatic incidents of the
plot rather preposterous.
have read the play and talked
with a score or more of jour-
nalistic compatriots who have
seen the performance in New
York city. The consensus of
opinion appeared to be that
regardless of whether Hildy
Johnson is a rotogravure print
of a real honest-to-God strug-
Cling scribe, its flowing stream
of excitement and asbestos-proof
dialogue will keep you chained
to the theater seat. In other
words, it's a downright absorb
ing piece of drama.
Quite a few active newspa-
per men in this town carry the
opinion that the chief qualifi-
cation for admission to the
Press Club is high hat and
polished malacca cane. AS one
who frequently enjoys the 65-
cent luncheons schemed out by
Julius, know the assumption is
wholly incorrect. Still not a few
of the embryo Menckens have
expressed the thought that a
good satirical drama could be
fashioned around the Washing
ton correspondents who affect
the grand manner and, whose
professional reputation, they
maintain, is sustained and
thriVes on departmental hand
outs Maybe it is juvenile envy.
Another very active member
of the Press Club was once
given to alluding to the Grid
iron Club as the epitome of
journalistic snobbery That was
in the days before he was
elected to membership. Now he
serves on the dinner committee
and proudly displays his Grid
iron pin. So it depends on the
point of view.
AS in every other line of busi-
ness, there are all kinds of the
human species in the roster of
the Fourth Estate. Both Play
wrights Hecht and Macarthur
are veterans of the headquar-
ters press room and they have
chosen a good police reporter
who was also a foul-mouthed
souse pot as the hero of their
play. l doubt much whether he
is typical of this present Vol
stead era, but men of this type
have carried fire line passes.
Yes indeed, some of them right
here in Washington.
AS to its story being far
fetched and preposterous dra-
mate adventure, let me turn over
an old notebook and recite a
few actual happenings covering
just an average career close to
the citv room and to a certain
police headquarters.
l. How Dave Shea, on just a
chance, hired a tug and diver
and went fishing on Sunday at
the bottom of Boston harbor
for the dismembered head of
Susan Geary, victim of a suit
case mystery. How he found
the CHASTITY exhibit in 10 minutes,
held it for IL hours of terrible
apprehension in his newspaper
office and finally turned it over
to the coroner without getting
his scoop.
2. How George MacLean, alert
police reporter, conceived the
idea of dressing up a husky
compatriot as fair damsel and
patrolling the vicinity of the
Washington elm in Cambridge,
waiting for Jack the Slugger,
who had been extremely active.
When a burly form rushed from
behind a tree and whacked Mr..
MacLean to sleep, his "fair"
companion was so handicapped
by skirts and furbelows that
the slugger escaped before either
scribe could get into running
stride.
3. How another police re-
porter in his cups encountered
a hoodO,, rtorc off;o;ol L. J:J.u