Evening star., 1938-08-28
Bv MIC. r.


the stands As the reviewer
types these words. They are the
Forum and Century, the American
Mercury and the Commentator. II
you can get yourself into a mood
to be provoked there Is some provoca- =
tive material in them for you. It does
take little doing, however.
The reviewer found her own at
tention engaged by chance phrases
which occurred here and there in the
various articles, rather than by the
articles themselves. For, after all, one
knows pretty well what one will find
in any of the three. The Mercury Is
for intelligent believers in democ-
racy, the Commentator is for the same
class, with q simultaneous appeal to
the somewhat less intelligent, and the
Forum and Century is high-minded
gibble -gabble. None OF them is apt
to surprise any reader by its general
content. The facts which they an
nounce will sometimes be interest
ing and useful, but the nature Of the
facts is pretty we'll predetermined.
And so the reviewer, going over this
familiar terrain, has allowed herself
to look at its superficial coverings
rather than at its geological structure.
IN THE Mercury's leading article
(called "Stalin Is Russias Worst
Car" and written by William Henry
Chamberlain) occurs q phrase, then,
which is provocative if you are In
the mood to be provoked 1t is in a
quotation. Mr.. Chamberlain does not
name the author but describes him
as "one of the stanchest word painters
of idyllic conditions in the Soviet
Union" This word painter is ex-
planning his reasons for suddenly fall
ing silent on Soviet perfection. He
says, according to Mr.. Chamberlain:
Il haven't been talking much about
Russia during the last two years
You see, China and Spain are more in
demand ="
1t was the more in demand" which
caught the reviewers pardonably IRON
ic attention. No one, indeed, can
know better than a reviewer just what
those words imply. But any one, with
a little thought, can see what they con-
note concerning the sincerity of the
professionally radical writer. China
and Spain are more in demand
Think that over little What does il
mean, actually?
The choice of words is, with great
naivete, that Of the seller of goods;
that of the man OF merchandise; tina,
OF the hawker of gadgets. We may
take it, therefore, that when the
speaker uttered the phrase he was
talking about the sale of his own
wares. He meant that he could more
easily sell horror stories about the
Chinese and Spanish wars than ra-
diant praises OF the Soviet para
disc. And, it is reasonable to as
sumo he also meant that his Chinese
and Spanish stories fetched him Q
better rate.
For, if the writings of "idealists" are
thus subject to the law of supply ano
demand, it is only sensible to as.
sumo that other principles of econom'
les apply to them as we'll and that the
prices ascend and descend as thu
subject matter is deemed to appea
to the public. Idealists-these fel'
lows? Idealists-they? Let any one o
the so families which they 30 abhol
offer such a writer . snug berth at
say-seventy- five hundred q year
Watch the neck-ierking speed OF hi'
conversion. His rigl1t-about-face viii
evade eyesight. 1t will be instantan
eous.
THIS train Of thought in the review
er's mind, curiously enough, foune
almost word for word expression in ar
article which she subsequently read ir
the Commentator. 1t is called "The
Morals Of Conservatism" and is by
George E Sokolsky. Mr.. Sokolsk!
says. speaking Of Spain:
I'VE are constantly bombarded with
commands to take position as to the
virtues of the contending forces in tina,
country. 1t Is difficult for me to un'
derstand why I, for one, should ht
obligated to form conclusion with re-
gard to q situation concerning which
none OF the facts are accurately avail
able. Spain is 50 remote from my
consciousness that it is quite possible
for me to read about events there with.
out a tremor Of emotion. In fact, fint
the news from Spain distressingl.
boresome, not half as important as tht
news from steubenville. Ohio. O
Knoxville, Tenn.
II feel under no moral obligation tx
be pro- or anti-Franco, or even to bt
familiar with the arguments on either
side. I sense, by historical perspective
that when the fighting is over in Spain
neither the personalities nor the issue!
will be what they are today. I car
wait to see what there is to see wher
is happens-because nothing that car
happen in Spain or that can come ou
of Spain can possibly affect the courst
of events in this country or the charac.
ter of my life.
Us that q narrow point of view:
Not at all. The human mind must b'
selective or human interests become 81
diversified as to be trivial. >"
That is about the first sensible writ.
ing on the subject of SPANS sorrowI
which the reviewer has come across
and she has resd many, many articles
and also many books. The hard fac
about all this writing is that article!
sell for cash and that articles with Z
particular slant find a ready market ir
certain periodicals.. The Spanish war
in America, has been a writer's wal
almost altogether. The reviewer ha!
read thousands upon thousands Of i'm
passioned words in ink on the sub
ject; she has yet to meet citizen Of
the United States who was even mildly
interested. And she has gone out o.
her way to flnd such citizens, too.
But, with certain periodicals. Spair
is ''in demand" And so we have 9
whole legion Of auacks, hacks ane
tyros, sweating out phony dithyrambs
imploring America to take a stand.
That is the way they earn their livings
No wonder they hate, with a bittel