The Washington times., 1931-09-01
True
NEW BOOKS AND OLD;
VIRTUE UNDER FIRE
AND DEFENDED
GILBERT SELDES-

few months ago thought I going to be the
single dscord the hymn of praise for the Boner books
Now that the third series has been issued by the Viking
Press Haywood Broun out of the chorus and
fuses to sing any Perhaps he feels do, that
they 10-cent humor paraded dollar books (you
can get 500 the greatest books in the world at about
81 each) Perhaps he simply does not find them funny
Some of the boners very old, very dull, few
give momentary smile. But l particularly struck
by remark, credited to schooboy and printed as
mistake 1t is the definition of "watered Stock as
follows: IF farmer wants to sell his cattle he gives
them great quantities of water This makes them weigh
and he gets more money!
Daniel Drew Recalled
If in these non-rura days people do not know that
this is exactly the definition of watered Stock they
at least refer to The Book of Daniel Drew, strange
half novel, half biography of singular figure of the
past century, who actually invented the of water
ing stockhe fed the animals salt to make them drink
and timed it so that they sold at maximum weight By
a nice coincidence Drew later involved in of
the shadiest transactions Wall Street experienced;
he sanctimonous ruthless and powerfully inter-
esting personality.
Arlington and Butler
Perhaps of the best of books is to
make think of old ones. About "The Colonel's
Daughter" was mystfed until some one told me that
Richard Abingdon, the author, considered Samuel
Butler great genius and "The Way of All Flesh"
the supreme English novel. Then the mystification
disappeared for not only the STYLE but the mind in
back of "The Colonel's Daughter" is pure Butler.
That means that the author stands outside and beats
his characters with whips whenever they raise their
heads and venture to talk about their morals, their
IDEALS their love their virtue. is the story of
ill-favored daughter of retired and impoverished
army man, girl who is built to bear children, but
whose face attracts She passes through lone
liness a partial seduction which shames and excites
her and an impassioned love for man who goes away
with some one else. She is left alone ugly and angry
her only function in life unfulfled because (you are
led to beeve) her social set insists upon legal
riage.
A Mean Destiny
Although the book reads easily enough, it is in
coherent with A1dingtons emotional chaos. He intro
duces smart and pretty girl at the beginning and
then off know at he
is holding her in for the dirty trick fate is 60
ing to play when she captures the who might
make the ugly ducking happy But you also feel that
the author is much to blame for the dirty trick
destiny ITSELF. The book is full of rancor against
off he had no philosophy, only one he has them
ALL Economics, sociology, psychoanalyss are mingled
like corrosive acids into which he dips the whole body
of England. The book is brutal, honest and angry.
It is published by Doubleday, Doran.
"The Way of All Flesh" is the work of more mature
mind of which maintains it's calm when it deals
with evils. The Rev. Theobald Pantfex is of the
meanest and most dsagreeabe characters in fiction yet
in the midst of showing how fouy he treated his son.
how close he to wrecking Ernests fe Butler de-
iberatey stops and in memorable chapter offers
defense Pleasure he says the safest test of virtue
Progress has been through the pleasures, rather
than through the extreme sharp virtues he continues
and insists that pleasure is safer guide than either
right duty
Good Word for Satan
The devil in fact writes Butler ironically, and yet
with kindness, when he dresses in angels clothes,
only be detected by experts. it is hardly safe to
be talking to angel at ALL and prudent people will
follow after pleasure homely but respect
able and the whole, much trustworthy guide"
you get tired of the naggng criticism written by
the Adingt9n the less solemn Sinclair Lewises,
if you think rat something surely remains to be said
the side of servave virtue what you do with such
defenders OF virtue the New York State Board of
Motion Picture Censors? Making fun of movie is
tiresome, chiefly because the critics do not attempt to
the motives of the and also because the
funnier than any fun about them can be-.
Their latest contribution is "In barring show
ing an infant at it's mothers breast the board ruled
that the breasts of civilized may not be shown"
Il quote the ruling from this weeks Nation) To me it
is battling sentence have read it doesn't
make sense backward sidewise it is kind of moral
lunacy.
Leaving out the motive, what does the board mean by
civilized? Are Laplanders civilized? Are Africans? Are
Javanese? Doesn't the board white European and
American women? And is the board prepared to prove
that we have monopoly of civilization? Also, what
quality in civilization makes the function of nursing
child improper if it is not improper in savages?
Bottle Babies Only
Over the studio doors shall see henceforth sign:
Bottle Babies Only The sentimentasts will protest,
because not mother) has told them that bot
81 L~lo