Evening star., 1938-06-19
By M..C.R.

pleasant than the amount Of this cor.
respondence, = the fact that it, send
sfs are unanimous In approving her
opinion that Herr Ludwig's hook Is
no more than piece Of quasi Literary
opportunism. commercially INSPIRED
and badly executed. She takes the
liberty Of quoting the comments Of
some Of her readers here.
One young woman writes commend
ing the reviewers rating Of those
European writer's who 20 obviously feel
that the appreciation Of the American
public for their work deserves no
higher estimate than can be shown by
dollars and cents. "Your review Of
Ludwig,s new books was swell she
says. II thought It 30 refreshing to
have some one 60 for these CONNER
cial artists. especially the fashionable
repeaters. ." The reviewer u
indebted to this correspondent for
that closing phrase; henceforth, In
these columns. . term Of particular
opprobrium shall be fashionable re-
peater." It shall be used to designate
the writer who writes to catch the
market and trusts an established repu-
alton to cover up sloppy work and
cliche thinking. It seems likely to
appear fairly often.
Another reader sends In the follow
ing: II wish to thank you for the
restoration to me of something I
thought lost-a sense Of good tudg-
ment. Your review Of the impossible
Ludwig and his still more impossible
(ssh) subject was 80 very much to the
point cannot refrain from telling
you how much I appreciate it. I
read several chapters In that publica-
ton which I understand was estab-
lished for morons anyway and was 20
nauseated I did not continue. I
thought perhaps I was 20 pretudiced
I had lost . sense Of fairness toward
the writer. However, your review was
absolutely perfect and plus. . ."
Nov the reviewer, for her part,
appreciates the kindness Of this
reader In writing as she has. but Is
puzzled about the ssh" It Is . land
Of free speech, free press and liberty
Of conscience in which We live, is 1t
not7 Is 1t possible. then, that any one
need be hesitant about expressing an
honest opinion? The reviewer has
never encountered such hesitation
anywhere outside of Warrington and
she has found 1t in Washington chiefly
among Government employees. That
seems to her q thing worthy Of men
ton. The administration, q the world
knows, has set its face very severely
against interference by employers In
the personal liberties Of workmen.
Can 1t be that. then. that its own ON
cials, It's own representatives, would
engage In such. forbidden conduct?
Oh, no-and . thousand times no.
Perish the very horrid thought.
On the other hand, it might be
interesting to hear what the Govern
ment workers themselves have to say.
The National Labor Relations Board,
one Is told, considers the testimony Of
the employe very tenderly -.
Well, another correspondent, Miss
Caroline B. Stephen, president Of the
Temple School, writes as follows on
the subject:
This Is just to thank you for your
reviews Of current books In The Eve
ming Star. You are unique In every
respect-sncere. honest, fortnight.
do not know Of any column that
read with more interest than yours.
please accept my congratulations
for your review Of Ludwig's biography
Of Roosevelt. Shall I buy the book?
No."
This correspondent, it would seem,
got the sist Of the review very nicely
Another, Dr.. A. Owen Penney. writes:
please accept my sincere and joyful
thanks for expressing 80 very CON-
PLETELY my personal reaction to
Emil Ludwig's biography u Roosevelt
"And may add, thank God for
an honest critic"
In general 1t would seem that the
public is already recognising that Herr
Ludwig, in this, his most ambitious
aria, sang sour. And yet the reviewer
Is by no means certain that the fate
Of the book will be the ignominy which
it deserves. She suspects that the
stratesists who planned the publica-
ton were right In believing that the
popularity Of the subject would over
ride the fabby folly Of the treatment.
It would not surprise her to see "Roose-
welt" on the best-seller lists for some
weeks to come.
As FOR the complimentary words
included in the above letters, the
reviewer publishes them first Of all
for the sake Of handing herself .
public bouquet. What really Is more
delightful? But, having duly famed
the fame Of her conceit, she would
like to point out that there may pos
sibly be some significance in the re-
verse reading Of the compliments
that Is to say that when readers praise
any one critic for honesty they do %
because they feel that criticism In the
main today Is not honest. And in this
opinion the reviewer to some degree
concsus. She feels that criticism at
present IL quite generally either not
honest or not expert and that It does
not furnish the public with the hard,
explicit guidance which the public
has . right to expect Of it.
The condition probably comes about
from the queer pendulum like manner
In which literary fashions move. A
outfit to 90 to . party and forget her
broken heart. One puts down the
book convinced that II the party u
sufaciently exciting she'll make out all
right.-K. v. c.
LIVING ABROAD: The Adventures