DRAMATISTS’ DUEL

Evening Star, Issue 22990, 22 June 1938, Page 2

DRAMATISTS’ DUEL

PARISIAN ENCOUNTER ' FAMOUS MEN INVOLVED Henry Bernstein and Edouard Bourdet, two of the brightest luminaries in the French literary world, are committed to a duel within the next 24hours, said a message from Paris to the ‘ Chicago Tribune ’ on May 18. After sharp letters, in which they called each other liars, and worse, each appointed two seconds, who met in the French tradition to decide whether the situation called for a duel. Both Bernstein and Bourdet are playwrights, the latter also being administrator of the French national theatre, the Comedie Francaise. Several of Bernstein’s dramas have been produced on New York’s Broadway. He has fought eight duels in the last few years, while Bourdet never haa fought one. Bernstein’s seconds are Charles Mere, president of the National Society of Authors, and Reno Prejelan, a wellknown swordsman. Bourdet’s are Pierre Benoit, of the French Academy, and Paul Morand, the author, also well known.

Bernstein, and Bourdet have quarrelled frequently in the past, and recently Bernstein withdrew his play, < Judith,’ from the Comedie Francaise, accusing Bourdet of deliberately having sabotaged his dramas by presenting them after insufficient rehearsal.

Bourdet threatened to sue for scenery, costumes, and the time spent in rehearsing ‘ Judith.’ An exchange of letters, followed, in which Bernstein challenged Bourdet. The last big duel in France was in. 1937, when Serge Vebr. a well-known writer, wounded M. Michelson in a sword encounter. In 10 big duels since 1923 four have been with swords and six With weakcalibre pistols. BERNSTEIN REHEARSES. Henry Bernstein, dramatist, _ rehearsed atop his bouse for his ninth duel, to be fought at dawn to-morrow on a field of honour near, Paris, said a message on the following day. Each writer will defend his honour with an epee (a triangular, pointed sword without a cutting edge). The encounter, it was said, will be on a private estate, but its location was not disclosed. Though French law'prohibits duels, the police usually wink at them. They seldom do more than inform the duellists after a contest that the law has been violated. Seconds for the writers agreed to-day that a duel was called for. and set the time and place. Naming: Bernstein the injured party, they allowed him to choose the weapons. As a veteran of eight duels dating to 1911, Bernstein has a record of being, wounded twice. He inflicted wounds on Leon Bailby, a Rightist editor, Leon Daudet and Maurice Pnjo, royalist editors. He is 62 years old. Bourdet is 51 years old. , FOUR-MINUTE FIGHT. Edouard Bourdet, of the Comedio Francaise, lost his first duel to-day, a four-minute affair with Henry Bernstein, reported a third cablegram on May 20. In the glare of a noontide sun (since both overslept and missed a scheduled appointment at dawn) they lunged and jabbed at one another with epees until Bourdet was pinked in the right arm. Then, in strict conformance to the duelling code, Jean Joseph Benaud exerted' his authority as director of the encounter and declared that honour had been satisfied. He overruled Bourdet s demand that the fight should' continue, since he was not seriously hurt. “This is only a , theatrical .duel I shouted Bourdet. . The two antagonists tramped away without shaking hands, their quarrel .apparently unsettled. Tho duel took place in the FauchotMagnou estate, near Neuilly, a Pan* suburb. Such encounters are illegal, but the antagonists and their seconds were not stopped. A lone policeman met them at the estate’s gate and told theiti he had orders against their entering They pushed him aside. When the duellists had gone away a number of policemen appeared and looked about the duelling ground. Then they, too, went away. , Though they are bound under tne duelling code to drop their immediate controversy, Paris acquaintances of Bernstein and Bourdet predicted a new disagreement.