Judge — January 1938 — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALBANIAN LEGATION WASHINGTON Dear Mr. Newman: I like the idea of celebrcting JUDGE's 57th birth- day. There is a definite touch of philistinism, not to say superstition, in the importance generally. attributed -to round numbers; and if you were celebrating IJUDGE's 50th or 60th. birthday, I would have received the commonplace news with a yawn. But the originality of celebrating a 57th py is worthy of JUDGE end has at once awakened my interest. . Cf the lovable trio of leading huvmoristic reviews in America, PUCK end the old LIFE cre no more;. but luckily for.those of us poor mortals who wish now and then to escape boredom, JUDGE is-still alive. And if there is anything in het theory, JUDGE has survived because it was the ittest. Humor is a form of clessic literature. It can boast of having as its illustrious founder none other than Socrates, who, says Plato, was "serious in a joculer. wey" (spudazei ‘paizon).’ Behind the smiles ofthe-humorist, there is often more seriousness than in all the pompous. speeches of the professor or the politician. As a matter of fact, I believe thet humorists are the only serious people left in the world. . The lack of sense of ‘humor, the inability to laugh or smile, are often.a sign of wickedness. I suspect that a certain passage in the fifth act of The Iferchant of Venice has been altered, and should read as follows. Lorenzo én Jessica chat end laugh like two young lovers, listening: to @ gay, sprightly music in the distance, whereupon Lorenzo says: » The man that hath no laughter in himself Nor is not mov'd with bits of clever wit Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted. And now, I wish JUDGE many happy returns of the day, arid I hope it will prosper and live to celebrate the 99th year of its foundation. © Sincerely, Fs te | Koni Faik Konitza comicbooks.com