Books are a luxury
writer who has a real story telling gift, can
riter and His Daily Bread
even in these difficult times, by publishing
his books first in a newspaper or magazine
and then in book form, earn as much as
PLE HOUSE
their livelihood in some other fashion, at
will suffice for modest needs. Since the in¬
that moment they will stop writing, except
ational book review
flation left him without means, and since
when they have something to say. Litera¬
poks Abroad
his older works at present bring him little
ture will thus gain in quality.
or nothing, because very few persons buy
Sincerely,
LEON LEMONNIER.
capacity I receive a
books nowadays, he dare not get sick, and
uropan mail. Every
The disappearance of literature as a pro¬
must, like the undersigned, work on into
I have been learning
fession, then, and the relegation of the
his old age.
foreign press that
literary man to the amateur class. The
publishing company
Much worse than the situation of the
enterprising author of "Quarantième Etage
An old German pub¬
novelist is that of the dramatist. It is very
and various other books which sell widely
Have you any sug¬
possible, even likely, that a Heinrich von
in a dozen countries no doubt experiences
he American sale of
Kleist would go to his destruction if he
little direct inconvenience from the situa¬
timulated? Germans
were living today, especially since the the¬
tion, but he has given thought to it. He
tely stopped buying
says:
aters have gone to the devil again (wieder
some of the solidest
einmal nicht Gottes, sondern des Teufels
"The deplorable conditions under which
s in a burst of confi¬
sind). It is just as serious with the poets.
certain writers are forced to live certainly
time since his child¬
react unfortunately on their literary pro¬
ord a summer vaca¬
"This is how things are today. Since
duction.... Very few writers of reputa¬
hild deprivation com¬
they are steadily growing more desperate, it
tion are suffering serious distress. But
the French novelist
may be worse next month. Before the war
many authors of merit have no reputation.
na year or two ago
probably 60 per cent of our population
A distinction must be made among
famous Czech drama¬
were able to buy books and go to the the¬
the different European countries. A very
en charity. Books are
ater. Now not 5 per cent can do so. Who
important consideration is always the num¬
in central Europe
knows how it will be by another month?
ber of individuals who speak or read the
the making or the
"How can conditions be improved? The
language of the author. The situation is
living narrowly at
only thing I can suggest is to kill off every¬
relatively very favorable for writers in
body who favors our dragging our burden
English, where success means fortune.
siderable correspon¬
of political debt any longer.
When Germany was in a less miserable
have received from
Your friend,
situation than she is today the life of the
interesting comment,
GUSTAV FRENSSEN.
German artist was fairly comfortable, too,
with a name which
when he had crossed the threshold of
The wisest and kindest of living Austrian
roblem is less serious
fame. French writers, who are so fortunate
writers has concrete suggestions. Dr. Ar¬
some other countries,
as to be read not only by the 50,000,000
thur Schnitzler writes:
Authors couch is no
Europeans whose language is French but
"The shortest and simplest means
houghtful author of
in foreign countries, are also relatively
of helping the situation is by direct aid to
and of several books
favored. But the situation is deplorable for
the needy writers. More important and in
perplexities of the
the languages which are not widely used,
a higher sense would, of course, be a reform
te me a little while
like Dutch, Czech, Finnish, etc.
of the copyright law, or at least a care¬
With best regards,
ful observance of the existing law, which,
LUGDURTAIN.
probably not twenty
as you know, is not now the case. It is
the sale of their
But it is from Germany and Austria that
unfortunately true that spiritual property
of them pull through
the most touching letters come. Old Gustav
has never been put on the same plane
nalism.
I do
Fressen, known to two generations of
before the law as material property, and
the situation. There
Americans for his "Jörn Uhland
so it is constantly happening that direct
public to by books
Hilligente, writes bravely, if a little
infractions of existing law are not ade¬
them. If the state
caustically, from his Holstein village:
quately punished or not at all, so that the
certain writers, their
most disgraceful offenders against the regu¬
"There are in Germany a considerable
fer, for they will be¬
lations concerning spiritual property are
number of writers of reputation but with¬
the government and
allowed to go free, not merely unpunished,
out merit. They have gained their reputa¬
toward low propa-
but even as highly respected citizens. But
tion through the kindness of friends, critics
tion is for imagina¬
these things cannot be changed overnight,
and periodical, not through their works.
ready the case with
and even if they were changed there will
Some of these writers are having a very
be a profession and
always remain a certain number of writers
hard time in these trying days, but I am
The reason why so
who would have difficulty in earning a
inclined to think that it is just as well
are published is pre¬
living, if they were paid respectably.
that they should.
hors expect material
Cordially,
moment they earn
"The story writer of real merit, the
"ARTHUR SCHNITZLER.

-
.

Drawing by Alan Dunn
The alert and brillant young author of
Mit fremden Federn" and "Die Pest von
Lianora" is full of sympathy and good will.
He says:
Economic crises always it the writer
particularly hard. He belongs in the cate¬
gory of luxuries, with champagne manu¬
facturers, light ladies and hotel porters. No
one has any money now for any of these
categories. There is the additional diffi¬
culty that since the war we have an en¬
tirely new literature, and some of the most
distinguished personalities of pre-war litera¬
ture have been unable or unwilling to adapt
themselves to the new conditions, and are
as a result living in the direst need. Some
of them are literally starving. The only
way to help them is with money and more
money. Very truly,
ROBERT NEUMANN.
W. E. Süskind, whose psychological
masterpieces “Tordis, and Jugend have
made him famous, regards the problem as
very serious:
"The economic situation of writers in
Germany is extremly disquieting, and the
future is full of perplexity. I am not think¬
in simply of the general depression. Bad
as that is, another circumstance is largely
responsible for the fact that important
writers are in want today and the produc¬
tion of a really first class literature is be¬
coming more and more difficult. The point
at which the writer makes his living is
steadily changing. In the majority of cases
it is no longer the book, but the periodical,
and there the vicious law obtains, imposed
by the publishers, that the writer must
keep in mind that puzzling monster, the
popular taste. It follows inevitably that the
artistic and spiritual standard of the pro¬
duction is lowered, and I maintain that
there is today no first class writer in Ger¬
many who is economically able to write
entirely unhampered, just as his talent
prompts him. The economic enslavement
of the writer is no longer a prospect to be
feared. It is a fact.
With best wishes,
W. E. SUSKIND."
Readers who may be inclined to offer
financial assistance to German or Austrian
writers who are in financial straits may
make contacts with the Schutzverband
Deutscher Schriftsteller, Berlin W. 50,
Nürnbergerstrasse 8, or with the Schutz¬
verband Deutscher Schriftsteller in Oester¬
reich, Wien, Annagasse 5.