The New Age, June 4 1914

Not a whole lot to comment on in this issue because it is so focused on labor issues, which are fascinating, but change slowly. I've dealt with many of the issues raised  in prior posts. This issue is notable, perhaps, for being another that is all about one topic, though The New Age is always about labor.

Quick notes:

P. Selver reviews Max Nordau's criticism of French literature favorably--I know Nordau only through Degeneration, for which Selver calls me (and everyone else) out: "I took down Mr. Max Nordau's "Zeitgentissische Franzosen,”  which was published about thirteen years ago. These critical studies of contemporary French writers form a volume of much greater value than the better-known and, accordingly, worse-written "Degeneration." (109).

"E. A. B.", the new American critic, writes on O. Henry, Brett Harte, and Ambrose Bierce. He places O. Henry and Harte below Bierce--they are hacks, Bierce is unread but has merit. E.A.B. predicts that Bierce will be a new Poe in that Europe will have to teach America how to read him.

Arthur F. Thorn's odd short story "Stamps" is about the National Insurance Act--a portrait of three women working at the stamp desk of a post office. I'm afraid I'm not sure how to read it exactly: the fiance of one of the women, clearly ill, comes in to get his company's health insurance stamps for the week. That, though, seems like a good thing? But The New Age hates the insurance act. Maybe it's just how pathetic the fiance is?

Alice Morning (Beatrice Hastings) continues a series of stories/travelogue about Paris. In this week's edition, she narrowly escapes getting run over by a car.

C.E. Bechofer attacks "The Everyman," a competitor journal, by satirizing their style in "Pastiche."

In correspondence, a writer signed "B" attacks Yone Noguchi, who has been cropping up from time to time throughout the journals. The attack accuses him of being a treacly "Jap" and a bad writer. It's irritating how fast "B" can switch tracks.

All for now...