Cracker Barrel

In the gently rolling hills of Southern Connecticut, within an hour or two's easy ride from any Manhattan bar, lies the greatest concentration of literary and intellectual celebrities and near-celebrities in the U. S. Some live there all year round, others appear in the summer. Tilling of the soil is widespread; as a topic of conversation it is universal. It was inevitable that one day from this bucolic Parnassus should come forth an urbane country weekly. This week it came forth: the Connecticut Nutmeg, an 8-page tabloid with no pictures except two large nutmegs on either side of the masthead.

Editors and owners of the Nutmeg are ten: American Newspaper Guild President Heywood Broun, music critic and composer Deems Taylor, publicist Stanley Hoflund High, cinema editor Colvin Brown, distiller James Joseph ("Gene") Tunney, novelists John Erskine (The Private Life of Helen of Troy) and Ursula Parrott (Ex-Wife), journalist Quentin Reynolds, advertising executive Jack Pegler (brother of Westbrook), literary agent George T. Bye. Saluting its neighbors, the Nutmeg announced: "We have no policy. . . . The Nutmeg is our cracker barrel. There will always be a seat for you on a nail keg. We promise to supply at least two problems where you had only one before."

To George Bye, a professional at handling writers, fell the job of actually getting out the Nutmeg. First issue revealed that the Nutmeg will be highly departmentalized. Columnist Broun will write Nature Notes. Stanley High's Americana starts off as a gossip column. Ursula Parrott's column. This and That, suggests baked grapefruit as a change from soup and shellfish cocktails. John Erskine's regular department will be Men's Furnishings ("The belt question grows acute. . . ."), but for the first issue Mr. Erskine also contributes an editorial on relief and a timely piece on "A Central School for Poundridge." Uncommonly elegant sportswriting comes from sports editor Gene Tunney, author of the section on Boxing in America in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Mr. Tunney on the forthcoming Louis-Schmeling fight: "Schmeling really has no physical fortification which should prove impervious against the champion's attack, though he can absorb lots of punishment."

The editors expect they will soon need a reporter. The appearance of a paid editorial employe will provide Nutmegman Broun with a delicate problem. As Guild President, he might logically be expected to urge the reporter to join the C. I. O. But Labor Leader Broun would also be the reporter's employer and if he did so he would violate the National Labor Relations Act. In the New York World-Telegram recently Cartoonist Will B. Johnstone limned this dilemma.

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