Show I Amusing Satirical Satiric Study Offered in Lewis' Lewis Man Who A I Knew new Coolidge I y Cal Isn't Flashy but Hes He's Safe Expounds Lowell Schmaltz Friend of Babbitt BabbittS S By HELEN GARRITY Sinclair Lewis has received many covert of late by critics who ho profess to be wearied of his exercises In banality Their l lyrl- lyrl rl ml ical al ecstasies es over Babbitt and Main Iain Street calmed to mere superlatives superlatives su superlatives su- su with Arrowsmith and ArrowsmIth and then same came me Gantry Business Businessmen men who had been smarting under I the satirical portray portra of George F. F of oC Zenith Zenith best best little old burg in inthe Inthe inthe the U. U S. S A. A eagerly A. eagerly joined the outraged pulpit In denouncing this man who Jeered at God and his humble servants No doubt they wondered vaguely vaguel along with the rest of the faithful faithful- just why the Biblical bolt of lightning hurled by an Irate Jehovah did not net In Inthe Inthe Inthe the Immortal words ds strike him dead This Is a nettling problem proNe and the only solution I can see is that perhaps the Creator of Mr Lewi s i ihas has a sense of humor at least He has permitted the brilliant satirists satirist's satirists satirist's satir satin insight to go unclouded and has allowed him to publish another another another an an- other extremely entertaining Volume volume volume vol vol- ume ume called The Man Who Vho Knew Coolidge And as for reprimanding reprimand reprimand- ing critics critic there is need to be wary to wary to hide their disapproval behind be behind behind be- be hind ambiguous phrase forms for gleaming through the endless platitudes platitudes platitudes plat plat- of Mr Lowell Schmaltz Schmaltz- friend of Babbitt and constructive constructive construe construe- tive citizen is it the writers writer's ironic wit more subtle and more devastating devastating devastating devas devas- tating than ever before AIRS VIEWS I 1 Mr Schmaltz's smoking car conversa conversation conversation con con- versa is priceless Says Lowell Yes sir Cal is the president president president dent for lor real honest hOllest to God Cod Americans Amen Ameri cans ans like us Theres There's lots of folks that pan him but what are they You can bet your our sweet life he lie isn't popular with the tue bums or or or highbrows or c cynics or cynics or the Iaz lazy boob of a workman that wants fifteen bucks bucksa a day for doing nothing His outline of the virtues of our f chie-f executive Is both interestIng interest- interest In Ing and Instructive I I can re remember remember re- re member justs just's well wen as If It was WitS yesterday yesterday yes yes- Cal and arid m me happened to come out of the same class to together together to- to gether he continues And I Isaid said Well its it's going to be a It cold winter and he lie came cams right back Yep Didn't waste aSte a lot of time arguing and discussing He KNEW And another time I never could get along any any too good goodin in Latin My talent you rou might say Js is more along practical lines linet I asked Cal Cal we we happened to be going into class together and 1 I him Say what's the Latin for tor defy Dont know he said No beating around the bush and pretending and four flushing but coming right out with It it bang That's the kind of a man he is Is you take It from one who KNOWS KNOWS' him himl I IThe The father of Mr Schmaltz Schmaltz- and a fine tine upstanding cultured gentleman of the old school he was too a man of A I standing In his community too in fact the leading corn and feed teed merchant in nil all his section of Fall Fan River unfortunately died In the Dec December Decem Decem- mbel m- m her ber of young Lowells Lowell's freshman year at college thus making it necessary for him to conclude his venture Into higher learning But ButI I got a lot of value out of even that comparatively short time at Amherst Mr Mi- Schmaltz confides confides- the fellows at the tue Kiwanis club tell teU me that they can see certain educational advantages in the qualIty quality quality ity of such uch speeches spee-ches or motions as asI asI asI I may be he called upon to deliver dellver atthe at atthe the club and welcomes to the speakers AN ARTISTIC SOUL But do not think that Mr Schmaltz is is' is unaesthetic or of beauty He Is In the theoffice theoffice theoffice office supply business but since his eloquence Is Incomparable listen to a form of art you ou may may have overlooked Maybe you think Im I'm getting kind of wooz woozy but to tonie me the beauties beauties beauties beau beau- ties of modern filing systems which enable a man to instantly and without the least loss of time or effort find a letter on oil which perhaps per per- haps l depends the closing of an Important imp important im im- Im- Im p deal Is In its practical wa way to say nothing of the physical appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap of t modern up to date filing flUng cabinets no longer mere wooden boxes b but whether ther in steel or wood the finest ex example ex- ex ample of ot the cabinetmakers' cabinetmakers art and imitating perfectly the rarest woods to to me 1 I often orten say these thes filing systems are re in every way as as' beautiful beautiful beau beau- as the poets poet's song as ns the flush on on the maidens maiden's cheek when she first hears hears' the first whispered words of ot love Jove or the soft chirp of Sinclair Lewis Lewi I the mother bird birl at chirping to her Yes sir you bet your sweet life they are and arid you can laugh all you ou want to Some Sonic amusing to say nothing of e enlightening footnotes further en enliven enliven en- en liven Iven the book bool Here we learn that Ja Jack lc k Dempsey was waS' a famous acton actor actor ac ac- ac- ac tor ton Queen Marie a n lady formerly a queen Gene Tunney a Ua celebrated celebrated cele cele- athlete much influenced by byGe Ge George rge Bernard Shaw and so on The book Is a perfect depiction of uninspired mediocrity Its very accuracy is responsible for Its humorous appeal The genius of ofLe Le Lewis Leis does not caricature his caricature his power is more deadly deadly lie he lets ets his characters which are the tue exact counterparts of thousands of ot Americans Amer Anier- damn themselves hopelessly with their own own ideas Really The Tue TheMan TheMan Man Who Knew Coolidge Is one of the most amusing characters captured In fiction Harcourt Brace Co New York |