The Washington times., 1933-02-01

foreigner hasn't much of chance with quotas
low they and passenger rates still beyond the
reach of the starving.
New Thrills
Yet if we never want to be foreigners, it might be
good thing for us to have, for few moments, the
fresh eye of the visitor 1t is not only that would
get thrill at the sight of the Lake Shore or OF the
Battery or of Beacon Hill greater pleasure would
be in seeing the odd and the beautiful in the
sights and sounds of American cities. 1t boy on
bicycle with half moving attached) seems pic
turesque in the streets of Paris where he is only deliver
ing bread why shouldn't respendent 145 h. p. motor
equally attractive in the streets of New York,
when it is only delivering paper drinking cups?
Occasionally, natives fall into mood which lets
them see their country with eyes. friend of
mine reported that during the fog few days ago the
greensboro bridge looked like nocturne of the
Thames by Whistler. Nature initiates Art, as Whistler
told Wilde but what my friend meant that the
fog botted out the ugness of the bridge and made
beautiful only ne was so accustomed TO nnk tnat the
beautiful is foreign that he had to drag IN the Thames
Caught on the Street
Whether the street life" of American cities is pic
turesque I have no notion. I dislike the picturesque
too much to be good judge of it. But I am sure
there lot of fun to be had on the streets of our big
cities Louis sobol caught glimpse ,53 the .+oea other
and voting rollerskatng along Fifth Avenue;
should have given great deal to see it, especially as
I still do not know why human beings VINO can skate
ever bother to walk.
AS for conversation, the snooper with note book
have good time in subways on buses and at
street taVOrte encounter IN the past
months took place night after the theater when
I noticed that several yards ahead OF me was
giving loud lecture to the void. AS I approached,
he wavered in his stride recovered, and in metngy
earnest tones cried out, Listen to me-. sidestepped
pleading "Listen to me! Listen to me!' And as
outdistanced him heard in resentful yet sorrowng
accents "You listened to Hoover, didn't you? Why
won't you listen to me?' There's answer to that.
George M. Cohan
A bit of Eva La Gaiennes "Alice in Wonderland"
was broadcast the other day, and heard the Red
Queen swapping at Alice. picking up every word, de-
liberatey running logica-logca circles around the
poor girl I was struck by the similarity of this tech
latest play, "Pigeons and People,. There are plenty
of action and many comic situations, but the novelty
is in finding Mr. Cohan splitting hairs His point is
that people are straightforward and seldom know
what they are talking about. Like a lawyer cross
examining he convcts everybody, each by his or her
words
You see Mr.. Cohan, for instance doing few dance
steps: girl says "Want to dancer? and they step to-
geher few minutes later another character comes in,
wants know what is happening and you having seen
and heard everything quite believe the girl when she
says, "He asked me to dance and" when Cohan pops
two hours he drives people, including the audience,
nearly frantic by being exact. And, except for the
moments when he explains the moral of it ALL in terms
of politics and economics, he manages to get fun out
of their bewilderment is extraordinary stunt for
Cohan to be Shaw and Pirandello, with touch of
Lewis Carroll.