Evening star., 1931-12-14
BY ROGER BATCHELDER.

N Tunney, New York millionaire,
Y writer and business man, sat at
a luncheon table in the Har-
ward Club and pondered life.
1t had been good to him, said the
former heavyweight ring champion of
the world and should be even better
as the years roll on.
His book. a long cherished idea, will
be before the public in the Spring,
"and it will either 60 big or fall as
fiat as a pancake" Gene says. 1t will
be the story of Tunneys career. and
he Is proud that publishers thought it
good enough to accept without the
usual revisions.
Literature will continue to be his
lifeWork, now that the prize ring is a
memory, Tunney asserts. He will al
ways read and study, and he will write
when the urge comes.
But there will be no fiction from
my PEN" he said philosophically, be
cause have decided I haven't enough
imagination. There may be books on
travel or essays, however"
TunneyS office is in a sumptuous
Park avenue suite. the rest of which
Is used by company of which Sam
Pryor, who introduced Tunney to the
girl who became Genes wife, Is head.
Office Days Are Full.
It IS a pleasant room. The walls are
covered with etchings, wood cuts and
Autographs. There is only one photo
graph on Tunney's desk. That is a
group picture of Tunney. George Ber-
nard Shaw and Prof. A. w. Meyer who
saved Mrs. Tunney's life by an opera
ton in 1929. The photograph is auto
graphed by Shaw and Prof. Meyer.
Tunneys secretary had been busy.
Letters had been opened and stacked
neatly for his scrutiny, and those he
had dictated were ready for his sigma
ture.
While Tunney would prefer to use his
workshop" for writing. or for the trans
action of the financial affairs that are
inevitable to one with his income, he
replies to all letters of sensible nature,
and spends good part of the day at
dictation.
There comes constant stream Of
requests for Tunney's appearance at one
function or another. 1t may be an
invitation to a prize fight from friend
of the old days, the suggestion that a
talk by him at war veterans meeting
would be appreciated or request for
his company at some theater party or
other social affair.
You asked what did with my spare
time" said the former champion, "and
I think this may explain it: have my
personal and private matters to attend
to, but can not ignore the great num-
Der Of public and semipublic appeals.
Il gave my best in the ring, and the
public gave me moral and financial
support. While should like very much
to drop out of the picture, have found
that, in fairness to many friends, can
not do so.
Frankly, I accept very few Of the
invitations I receive. If I go to a
theater and dinner afterward I am
ances, who want to chat for a moment
Naturally, I can't refuse. And if I
lunch in any public place, meal that
might take half an hour is necessarily
lengthened possibly to two hours.
Il like people and like to talk with
them, but there should be at least 48
hours in my day. It is good to find
that, even though I have left the lime
light, the old friendships remain"
Tunney is q striking figure along
Fifth avenue. His appearance has not
changed since his ring retirement and
every one seems to notice him. A po-
uceman on traffic duty recognizes him
with a nod and a grin; people nudge
each other as he passes.
I'm used to it, Tunney said, land
1t doesn't bother me now"
Interested in Etchings.
At luncheon Tunney saw Arthur
Harlow, connoisseur on etchings, and
invited him to the table. It developed
that the former pugilist recently had
ordered as complete collection as
could be gathered Of the Paris scenes
Of T. r. Simon.
Capt. Karl Won Luckner, German sea
raider during the war, greeted Tunney.
The conversation verged toward Shaw
and 1t was suggested that the English
man was caustic and satirical in an at
tempt to stimulate newspaper publicity.
THAT is ridiculous" protested Tun-
ney. Shaw has his convictions and
has been unique in expressing them"
He told Of his friendship with Shaw,
strsssiEz the o,nt that even ip Q per.