Evening star., 1938-02-20
LADY ASTOR'S SET
Political Purpose Is To Make Eneland's
Foreign Policy More Favorable to
Germany, Cockburn Says

u
this paragraph from the Liver.
pool Echo. and surely 1t must be taken
to represent the all-time high-low In
something or other. Note, please, II
you will.
with the help Of Christmas pud.
dings the Oxford University Pacifist
Association are seeking to induce
kinder feelings between the opposing
factions In Spain. A pudding and Q
letter have been sent to Gen. Franco,
care Of the Duke of Alba and Ber-
wick. The letter read: In view %
the approaching season Of good will,
we are sending to you q Christmas
pudding as . token of our sincere
wishes that Spain's troubles may
speedily be ended in q spirit fitting
to that season."
It's hard to believe, the reviewer
admits; but there it unquestionably Is.
Two amusing incidents Of censor
ship are also quoted in the Current
History-one European and one South
American. The first is noted In the
English New Statesman and Nation.
1t concerns no less q parsonage than
Mickey Mouse.
It. appears that Reuters chief
Balkan correspondent, Hubert D. Har-
rison, was dismissed from Yugoslavia
by order Of Prince Paul, all because of
Mickey.
In his dead set against the demo-
cratic paper Politika the censor banned
q Mickey Mouse comic strip by Walt
Disney" says the New Statesman's
comment. THE last picture had just
reached the point in the story where
the uncle Of Prince Mickey Mouse,
who was acting as Regent, started a
military conspiracy against the over
popular prince. Harrison cabled this
abroad. The neurotic Prince Paul
read into this cable an attack on
himself, and Harrison was expelled"
The paragraph continues that Prince
Pauls shattered nerves were soothed
by the expulsion of one of the few
newspaper men in Belgrade who has
refused to knuckle under to the ter
rorism Of this regime" And all for
little Mickey!
The other instance of the censor's
careful art concerns no less popular
an American folk character than Tom
Sawyer.
In the Red scare which recently
swept Brazil like a whirlwind," says
Current History, Mark 1wain's novel
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has
been one Of many victims The novel
has been indicted as q bearer Of red
poison.
1T is curious" adds the article.
"how many nations and how many
libraries have found Mark Twain's
works dangerous or offensive.
The book 'Huckleberry Finn was for
hidden in the public library at Con-
cord. Mass, when it was first pub
lished, and Is years later 1t was
elected from the Denver library, and
barely escaped a similar fate in the
Brooklyn Public Library as late as
1905.
AT the same time, ironically enough.
Twain's works were popular under the
Tzars and are just as popular now
under the Soviets, which have filmed
Tom Sawyer as hrst-rate anti-slavery
propaganda"
One supposes that the sternly con-
scieptious Soviets cannot enjoy any
thing unless they excuse themselves
for the lapse by labelling the source
Of pleasure propaganda. But just
why the land of freedom needs anti
slavery propaganda, and just where
they found any Of it in tom Sawyer
must remain mysteries. They work
so hard at being free, those Russians!
WAsHneToN's own Early Birds
Breakfast Club is the subject of
an article In this months Bachelor.
the author being Fred z. Kunkel. The
club. 1t says. was organised about
four years ago Ito show Sinclair Lewis
he was all wrong about this Babbit
business" And it continues:
q. the sole purpose Of the clubs
existence and the sole aim Of the
club is just fellowship. But the idea
has thoroughly grated itself on the
minds and hearts of its members.
most of whom are serious minded
business men Frequently MEM
bers say to each other that the Early
Birds Breakfast Club is the best
organization they belong to. not re-
quiring q great deal of them, not
constantly having the 'gimmies.'
The article contains q description
OF club meetings, requirements for
membership, and 50 on, and seems
to be in an approving mood through
out its discussion.
IF YOU want to know how that In
elegant but ubiquitous expression
Ito get his goat" came into our Ian
guage, the process is indicated In an
article by H. L.. Mencken. called
American English" appearing in tie
February issue Of Better English.
Mr.. Mencken first pokes q little
fun at an English explanation Of the
phrase which, he says, was published
in the London Morning Post In Jan.
uary. 1885. Among the Harlem
Negroes" ran the Posts article, ac-
cording to Mr.. Mencken, "'it is the
custom for each household to keep q
goat to act as general scavenger. Oc-
casionally one man will steal another's
goat, and the household debris then
accumulates to the general annoy
ance.' The truth is" comments Mr..
Mencken, that to get his goat seems
to be Of French origin, and In the
form Of 'prendre 50 chevre' has been
traced back to the year 1885,"