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He Chuckles Over Mencken's "Homeric
Nod" To the Editor or The Evening Sun—Sir: Allow me two or three observations on the interesting letter of "Philologus" in yesterday's Evening Sun.
First—It was to be expected that someone would bring up that second-century tradition of Papias about the "Logia," but, to use a Gilbertian expression, that "has nothing to do with the case." The "Logia" was not our Gospel of Matthew—although it may well have been one of the sources. Mr. Mencken was not reviewing a version of the Hebrew "Logia," but a translation of Westcott and Hort's Greek text of Matthew.
Second—It is quite possible that the instances cited may have been mere lapses of the pen, such as would be lightly passed over in the case of most writers, but in view of Mr. Mencken's air of omniscience and infallibility his habit of denouncing all and singular who differ with him, and especially his offensive (though limited and well-worn) vocabulary of abusive epithet, the ordinary reader may be pardoned for an occasional chuckle over such Homeric nods.
Third—Nobody denies Mr. Mencken's abilities in certain directio."'. but in view of his well-known attitudi toward the Bible and toward all wh accept the Bible as a divine revelation, his selection for this particular task seems surprising, to say the least. Charms E. Mackean.
Is Self-Control Murder? To the Editor or The Evening Sun—Sir:
In a letter by "Self-Control" in the Forum December 10 is this: "Birth control is an excellent idea, etc." I would like to ask Mr. "Self-Control," Does he consider the lynching on the Eastern Shore an excellent idea? Then I would like to know why he considers birth control an excellent idea, for birth control is as much murder as the lynching last week.
Here we have a perfectly civilized man in one of the leading papers of the country stating that murder, just because it may be of a different form, is an excellent idea. Again the old Question arises. "What is tb* old world coming to?" E. X. L.
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