Evening star., 1963-05-14
AICo3pp's
Hun1or Is
Serious
BY PAT SALTONSTALL
star Staff Writer

BY PAT SALTONSTALL
star staff Writer
One of the funniest men in
the funnies business singled out
for special praise yesterday two
cartoonists whose strips appear
regularly in The Washington
Star,
Cartoonist AL Capp in trib-
ute to the Voltaires and
Swifts Of today called the
creator of Beetle Bailey" one
OF the great pamphleteers Of
today at q Women's National
Democratic Club luncheon yes
terday.
In q rare, serious moment,
the man who dreamed UP ''Lil'
Abner ~Nand is known from
coast to coast, decried the an
onymity Of today's satirists like
Beetle Bailey's creator, Mort
Walker. or Walt Kelly, whose
Pogo" is also a regular in The
Star.
HumOrists at Best
IF we respected ourselves,
we'd know we produce better
humorists today than ever
BEFORE" said the featured
speaker. And he named as the
two greatest the unsung au-
thors Of two biting political
lampoons Of the two best
known Republican presidential
losers Of the last quarter
century.
Under o grinning likeness
Of Richard Nixon appeared
this memorable question:
would you buy q used car
from this mani" That was
the issue. he said: trust the
country to anyone, but play
1t carefully about anything
close and familiar.
Even more killing to a
presidential aspirant's hopes
was this in the Dewey-Tru-
man campaign: HE looks
like the little man on the
wedding cake"
Dewey jelled after that ...
we knew who he was, and In
stead Of him we'd take any
body, and we did," quipped
the cartoonist.
Obscure Art
elicfng with his own brand
Of satire at the culture cult,
Mr.. Capp answered one Of
the questions handed him be-
fore he began to speak: What
do you think Of $40 million
for an aquarium but not one
cent Of Federal monies for o
National Cultural Center?
This was all he needed to
be off and running in a hi
larious but harsh indictment
of the race to acquire cul-
ture, imposed by the taste
less who think that be-
cause it is obscure, it is art"
In q scathing attack on
last years tediously long ma
tion-wide telecast to raise
monies for the new National
Cultural Center, he said: IF
this emasculated garbage"
and "chi-chi art" is what the
Nation will get Tin its new
center for the performing
arts), then not q dime more
should be given. "even
Boston (his home) which
will contribute to anything"
won't give.
Congress, in its infinite
wisdom" has decided not to
give another cent until 1t Is
proven to the satisfaction Of
the Nation and their constit-
uents that meaningful art
will result, and that it win be
a true center of national cul-
ture.
Temple for Fish
AS for the aquarium, he
observed that Washington
has "a lot Of famous fish"
who should have q proper
temple" to- them. He noted
that Congress had appropri-
ated $l2 million for the Cul-
tnral Center site, adding acid
" that It was a Spartan"
move to make do" with $50
million instead Of the orig
inal SIS million for the orig
inal architectural plans.
Twitting his audience
about their great collective
problem" as indicated by the
questions sent in, he said the
greatest number wanted to
know: What did he think Of
Richard NixonJ new apart
ment?
Fine" he said. "It's inte-
grated .s-it's q good buy
$25,000 q room 5000, 900
for eight rooms points UP the
Nixons' frugality makes
you recall what the President
said In his inaugural address:
What can your country do
for you2' and almost
everyone In the apartment is
named Mrs. Rockefeller 80"
Also in the Nixon apart
ment you'll find all the peo-
pie who are running for any
thing, he continued - "or
away from anything" And
the biggest problem will be
who will run the elevator: ~.
Edgar Hoover win probably
take over I can't imagine
anyone else who could ham
die IT,"
P-