The Washington times., 1931-11-03

his royalties. Some American publishers counting
on copyright confusion after the war, were paying
Schnitzer not of those dollars, which represented
each, vast in Austrian currency.
Obscenity at Court
He was angry, but he was one of the most courteous
in the world. He seemed to be standing, when ne
came n at a writing desk in of the room; he
short, and, think, did most of his writing erect
He had fine and hospitable presence the beard and
the structure of the face recalling that of Anatole
France.
He spoke of the prosecution directed against the pub
Usher of of his books, trial at which had been
an awkward witness, and outraged at the almost
obscene questions which the prosecution had asked
(The question was so framed that made three
of seduction, totally separate in the book occur smu
taneously.) I felt that might as we'll ascrlbe
pornography to child to angel to Schntzler
He shrugged his shoulders over the still existing ban
his play "Regen, which in ten carries love-
making through the entire cycle of Viepnese society,"
We Americans, it appears odd.
The Sad Danube
The second time we met we went to the opening of
an operetta by Lehar the composer of "The Merry
Widow" The old theater had certain charm the
music was not distinguished the production not
only inexpensive but dull The only impressive thing
was the respect paid Schnitzer by the audience After
the show went to Sachers, the famous restaurant
of Vienna. 1t was almost deserted.
Schnitzler looked about the which he had
often described as the center of laughter and humane
pleasures, and said "Venna is dead CITY, But only
until the next In the next shall remain
neutral and make money from both sides.' 1t was in
credibIy bitter in tone and when seemed surprised
Schntzler only added that that ali the peace treaty
had left to Austria to do It had taken away all oppor
tunity for commerce and industry leaving a capital
without a country.
Minor Masterpieces
lie hoolrc ritT dnrn Tho last
few years, and he became prosperous; L believe his
opinion of American business methods more favor
able to at the end The stories which had printed
in the Dial in 1922 repubshed in collections, or
as separate little novels five years later and recognized
as miniature masterpieces. "Anato (lagrany miscaed
"The Affairs of AnatorO produced again as
play, and sounded little hollow; but the studies in the
psychology of love remained interesting Schnitzer man.
aged to the ntuitons of Freud without burdening
his novels with the methods and termnology of FHeud
and he did it with more original insight, with far
greater decacy than Monar did in his plays.
Pornography for Profit
The thought of Schnitzer being placed in the dock
writer of smutty literature is offensve and there
is thing perhaps more offensive still: the profess
sion of publishing pornography. At the moment two
books both of them of tremendous power both written
by men of genius, barred from this country. Both
of them have been prated and published with dele
tons for bootleg sale. One of the authors Is dead
books, left almost nothing to his widow the altogether
proper sale of his book to Americans abroad, might
bring in small revenue which is lost because of the
version published here The other writer entitled to
the fruits of his labor, and does not receive them.
And will not ever, believe that the American pirate
publishers of these books doing it for the sake of
literature They making money out of the scandal,
and that is dirty business.
In the past few weeks a dozen shops have sprung
up (perhaps taking the place of raided cordial and
cider shops displaying erotc literature in their win
dows Every book attacked by the various censors and
societies for the suppression of vice. ultimately finds
place in the show-window. The classics are there and
erotica of the cheapest kind
Cain and Loss
i find these displays rather dspleasing; are the
clusters of youths and old around the windows,
trying to read forbidd en- line two any better.
Every time judicial decision sets book free for cir
culaton something has been gained by every in
telligent man; and every time little shop to sell
erotlca is opened, something in freedom is mperled