Renaud's World

Staccato footfalls beat a brisk tattoo through the city room of the New York World, down the long rows of worn old desks. A big, vociferous typhoon with red hair, blue shirt, trim tailored suit, swept with a round-the-world stride through the office, greeted a dozen reporters by their first names and vanished through a far door, leaving a strange quiet 'behind him. Herbert Bayard Swope, Executive Editor of the World and genius of its flying columns for eight years, was leaving his job.

Then in through the door that took the typhoon wafted a mild breeze, smiling slightly, somewhat unfamiliar but with an apparent calm assurance: quick-eyed, with greying hair, quietly energetic, deedy. Ralph E. Renaud, until recently managing editor of the New York Evening Post, went to work at the desk of the departed whirlwind. His duties were to be the same but his title was Managing Editor, not Executive Editor. It was expected that Publisher Ralph Pulitzer would not give Renaud so free a hand as he had given Swope.

It was a change to which newspaperdom had been looking forward with curiosity and not without anxiety, for weeks. Some said that with Swope gone the World would feel like a face with all its teeth pulled. A light would be extinguished that nobody else could kindle. There was only one Swope, etc. etc.

When it was announced that Renaud had been selected, curiosity and anxiety changed to wonderment. In personality, experience, attitudes, Renaud was reputed an exact antithesis to Swope.

Men who had worked with him declared that Renaud was violently anti-Al Smith, while Swope's lusty voice has long spouted praises of that hapless warrior. Renaud, it was said, had never been able to forget, let alone forgive, the Germans. Swope on the other hand is critical of jingo patriotism. And in religious matters, Renaud was described as uncompromisingly Protestant. The Swopian World's news columns were always wide open to the Catholics.

To these little points Editor Renaud was sharp in retort. "It's absurd to think I have any religious prejudice. I have none. I was bred a Unitarian, but belong to no church. As for the Germans, yes, during the war I was against Germany. I was a loyal American. But since then I've held no animus. And I did vote for Hoover. But if Mr. Pulitzer were hiring a managing editor on account of his vote, I expect he wouldn't have hired me. . . ."

Quite seriously: "I'm going to the World as managing editor. A managing editor should be impartial. I imagine I was chosen for the job because I know newspaper work."

Frisco. Whatever effect his opinions might have on the color of the World's columns, voluntary or involuntary, it was agreed that in all the technicalities of the job Renaud was well equipped to succeed his vociferous predecessor.

It was in California, following his graduation from Leland Stanford University in 1903, that Renaud got his early newspaper training. For nine years he worked on San Francisco dailies, becoming dramatic critic for the Bulletin and the Chronicle. In 1912 he went to New York with a letter of introduction from Will Irwin and got a job on the oldtime Globe.

In any duel at anagrams or ask-me-another the betting would be in favor of Swope, who takes a fierce joy in games of omniscience. But Renaud might confidently give Swope a half-column handicap in a contest of humor. He edited the college humorous magazine, Chapparal, in his undergraduate days and is reputed no small wit. During an absence of Don Marquis from the Evening Post, Ralph Renaud conducted his funny column and made it just as funny. The most famed Renaud epigram: "It's not the heat, it's ihe stupidity."

Renaud knows his theatre, a sphere which the World has long sought to reflect with brilliance. Fifteen years ago, while freelancing in .New York, he wrote an article for Harper's on the thesis that there were "Too Many Theaters." In gathering his material he had occasion to interview E. F. Albee, famed theatrical operator. The upshot of their talk was that Renaud went to Philadelphia for a while as manager of the Chestnut Street Opera House. He tried his hand at writing plays. Several were produced, including Betty Behave (Jane Cowl).

In 1916 Renaud went back to newspaper work, on the copy desk of the Tribune. His rise was step by step--head of the desk, telegraph editor, news editor, night editor, assistant managing editor. Ten years later he went to the Evening Post as managing editor.

Item: Editor Renaud now and then turns a deft stanza of melodious poetry.

Farewells. Old and new members of the World staff gave Editor Swope a farewell dinner at the Hardware Club on Broadway. Strong men were on the point of bursting into tears when Alexander Woollcott, famed dramatic critic once with the World, relieved the situation with some good stories. A volume of some 160 letters from staff members was presented.

Said Swope: "I have no plans. But I'll have an office uptown and the door will be open always for World men." With characteristic brutal frankness he added: "I don't know anything about Mr. Renaud. But I do feel some regret that no one was taken from the staff to be managing editor."

William Preston Beazell, who became assistant managing editor when Swope was made executive editor of the World, remains at his desk in the front office Two resignations from the staff were announced, but neither was on account of the departure of Executive Editor Swope.