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TO OUR READERS
Published in the International New York, New York, U.S.A. (page 97)
Beginning with this number the editorship of The International and the management of The International Monthly, Inc., passes into the hands of Dr. Lindley M. Keasbey, formerly Professor of Political Science in the University of Texas. Mr. George Sylvester Viereck will continue to contribute from time to time articles on literary topics. The present number was completed before the new arrangement went into effect. Prof. Keasbey will sustain the high literary traditions of The International maintained under its various editorships from the day of its first inception under the title of Moods by Mr. Russell Herts. War or Peace, The International will foster the humanities. We call attention of our readers to Prof. Keasbey's announcement of his editorial policies. The International Monthly, Inc.
Multifarious activities make it impossible for me to give The International the attention it merits. I gladly relinquish the blue pencil and stylus to the vital and generous personality of its new editor, Prof. Lindley M. Keasbey. The torch that passes out of my hands will flame brighter in his. Wherever my advice or co-operation may be needed, they will be loyally given. I confidently expect the same from our readers. George Sylvester Viereck.
OUR POLICY. The editorship of The International have passed over into our hands. The policy of the magazine will remain the same. The International has been, is now, and for some time shall be (just how long depends upon our success, or perhaps better, our ability to survive)—AN AMERICAN MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, LITERATURE, ART, AND EVENTS OF CURRENT INTEREST— a magazine edited formerly by an established poet, a magazine to be edited in the future by a dismissed professor. Established poets are few, dismissed professors are many—they're becoming as plentiful as blackberries these days. So if there is anything in the quantitative theory, we ought to be able to survive. But it's quality chiefly that counts. So we are going to rest our case (and measure our success maybe) upon the qualitative standard. For when all is said, civilization itself, including politics, literature, art, events of current interest and all the rest, is nothing more or less than the measurement of human qualities in quantitative terms.
But international politics are so hopelessly confused. How can such equivocal qualities be measured in quantitative terms? The old standards are all obsolete. Nor is one able to rise "above the battle" and take a bird's-eye view of the existing situation—aviators succeed in doing so, but philosophers are sure to fail. With a lateral stretch of our imagination, may we not, however, look out over the battle lines and project ourselves into the era beyond the war? Such at all events is our editorial desire and such is to be our editorial plan—to produce an American magazine dealing with international politics beyond the war.
To Literature and Art we are going to add Music and the Drama. They are already included, be it said, as a perusal of recent issues will show; so this is merely a matter of emphasis.
The keynote of our policy in these respects is contained in our caption: An American Magazine of International Literature and Art. American art and literature are far more insular than international. We propose to emphasize the continental note, not in the narrower European connotation, but in the broader world-all acceptation of the term. Anglo-Saxonism is very well, in its way, but there ought to be other notes sounded in the literary and artistic scale, the Slavic and Romanic, the Scandinavian and Teutonic, the Asiatic, and even the African withal. These and other elements are included within our literary and artistic constitution, therefore they should find expression, we opine. But as in international politics, so in literature and art, American continentalism will constitute the keynote of our policy, not North American continentalism exclusively, but Pan-American continentalism, including the art and literature of our Spanish-American colleagues on the south.
Concerning events of current interest, the question comes up as to what these events actually are. Americans are mostly from Missouri, or as the New England phrase goes: "Do tell; I want to know!" Events of current interest are accordingly simply what the newspapers elect to record. Very good, but these events so recorded are only consequences after all, whereas we, as scientists, are primarily interested in the antecedents thereof—remember The International is to be edited henceforth by a dismissed professor. Thus our policy in this respect will be rather to explain rather than simply put forth. This we shall do by calling attention scientifically to the geographic and ethnic conditions and considering the economic antecedents of the interesting events that occur.
A word in conclusion, our trinity is distorted, topsy-turvy, indeed. With so much falsehood, all this ugliness, and hate, too, prevailing in the world, we are going to try—and we hope you will help us—to set our trinity upright, by telling the truth, appreciating beauty, and stimulating love in the world.
Lindley M. Keasbey, Editor of The International and President of The International Monthly Inc. |