The Press: Howland

Every state in the Union has a specialty, a featured output or possession, which is the twig upon which that bright bird, sectional pride, may sit to preen its feathers. To Oregon its apples, Texas its longhorns, Kansas its jayhawks; the wheat-farms of Minnesota, the sandlots of Florida, the mammy-songs of Alabama and the golden whales of California. And Indiana, the lilac and honeysuckle state of Indiana, whose breeze is thick with fancies as its gardens are with bees—Indiana is the nursery of writers. So many are the literary people who have come from Indiana that when last week the Indiana Club of Manhattan wanted to give a dinner to Hewitt H. (“Indiana”) Howland, new editor of the Century Magazine, it was decided to limit the guests to those well-known Indianian push-pens whose names begin with H.

Very pleased, very amiable, was Editor Howland. He had left his state under compulsion but left it, to be sure, for an enviable position at the head of a famed magazine, whose previous editor, Glenn Frank, has passed on to the much-trumpeted presidency at the University of Wisconsin.* “When I was younger,” he said, “I vowed that I would dedicate my life to Indiana. . . . Now I know there’s nothing the matter with Indiana. . . . I have come to New York determined to like it. . . .”

With him at the table sat Mrs. Lois Pierce Hughes, literary lady; Joseph K. Hart, associate editor of the Survey; Will D. Howe, associate editor of Scribner’s Magazine; and other H’s. When called upon to speak, they all made expected remarks to the effect that, although Indiana’s pastures are rich, its meadows clovery and enchanted, the pen is mightier than the sward. Will H. Hays apologized for his absence by letter.

* Editor Frank was offered the Wisconsin presidency after it had been refused by Roscoe Pound, Dean of the Harvard Law School (TIME, Feb. 2). Jokesters said: “Is a franc to be considered as valuable as a pound?” Other Jokesters made quips about offering the presidency to Robert Dollar (shipping man), to Percy Marks (educator), to Harpo, Groucho, Zeppo and Chico Marx, actors (see p. 17).