The Ypsilanti daily press., 1945-03-14
Observations
Mencken's Witty
Letters Will be
Printed in Book

A collection OF Il. l. Mencken
letters is being made into book
The correspondent OF the Sage Of
Baltimore. as Mencken the satirlst
is called. are being asked to send
copies of their letters from him to
the publisher OF the forthcoming
book. wish ] had kept my Memo
ken letters.
over a long friendship have
received many gay little notes
from Henry. He is a genius a.
letter-writng Just as he WAS at
establishing a new school of de-
bunking thought for the young in
telligentsia some years ago.
In spite Of the fact that Menckeu
received probably the largest fan
mail Of any American literary man,
he himself always answered every
letter he received No form an
swers
No dictatIon to a secretary for
Meucken. He sat down a. his type
writer and wrote few lines.
sprightly and thoughtful 20 every
body who lad taken the trouble
10 write 10 him
To me when my. first daughter
was born Mencken wrote the per.
feet letter Of congratulations
L hear you have a daughter Ny
deepest felicitation May she be
IA, until she is six and beautiful
until she is Co."
Undoubtedly an intense and
sometimes brusdue fellow IN his
literary life. personally Nencken
IL amlable and polite in the old
school manner But never. never
dull
Henry eulIvensd a casual after
dinner group not long ago by offer
ing a prize for the most ungram-
Inatical sentence anyone present
rad ever heard. The first.prize
winner was II I'd knov'c you
wanted 70 went, + a-seed You got
10 gone
Second-prize winner. which I
liked best, vas Il never seen
ncthln' unique-er'
wish | could believe that this
war will bring about some good !
wish I could believe that all the
suffering and numbering and de
strucuon will bring any kind Of
Improvement TO the world
Some bigger and faster air
planes-yes Other such GIN
cracks. But a fine faith in any
thing On the contrary. Unless
YOU have swallowed the starry
eyed propaganda OF the tomtom
beaters up Of war you can fore
see only confusion and misery as
reward for our latest attempt TO
save the world.
Thoughtful. honest men in this
country and in England say they
are prepared TO see Russia com
pletely overrun Europe And the
Joke Of the Soviet conquest is that
the United States and England
have helped provide the tools for
the overrunning Germany, these
intellectuals believe. Is finished.
Nothing 70 fear from her for gen
citations after this war But Rus
sis-there is another story.
To make you feel still happier
here is another prediction ] hear
whispered in small conversation
groups THE jig is about UP for
the white race There have long
been more colored peoples than
white peoples. Today's fighting in
many areas amounts TO a civil war
Every time a German kills an Ally
or vice versa the number OF white
people Is cut.
What with taxes and unemplov
rent." one dreadful pessimist said
yesterday. this big. wonderful
United States is doomed for dis
aster We not only will not have
saved the world. when this war Is
over. we will have lost ourselves
And" continued the pesslmist. the
American people won't know for
30 years what has happened to
them They'll go on believing they
can run mankind until rs too late
10 help themselves
On this CHEEKY note leave Won.