The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-17
GORKY's IMPRESSIONS,
The Russian Writer Evidently Resents
American Rcception.


Maxim Gorky. the ex-hobo poet of
Russia. whose recent arrival In this
country was attended with disclosures
and incidents which indicate that,
whatever may be the mental and lit
erary status of that worthy, his rating
as to morality il far below par, has at
last unburdened himself and given ut
terance to his impressions Of Amer.
ica."
For his own sake. and for the sake of
the Russian public movement which
Mr.. Gorky is supposed to represent
and which he came to this country to
exploit. Mr.. Gorky had much better
have kept his peace. He is dis
credited evangel. no matter what the
real excellence and worth of the prop
uganda he would spread. The fact
that he was accompanied to the United
States by woman not his wife, whom
he attempted to palm of on the Amer
lean people as his wife, and whom, in
fact. he did really succeed in introduce
ing into a number of respectable
American homes through misrepresen-
tation so gross. has wrecked Mr..
Gorky's standing and usefulness, at
least as far as conventional and purity
loving United States is concerned.
Still, from standpoint merely liter
airy and taking into consideration the
fact that Gorky has been regarded as
Il broad-minded man of travel and
experience. ahead of his generation in
Russia, some hope might have been en-
tertained that his views of this great
country and nation would be obtained
through intelligent eyes.
But not so. Gorky might have done
something unusual. s.. He might have
departed from the hackneyed custom
of foreigners who annually obtain "im-
pressions" of America He might have
made real, comprehensive inspection of
the country and been able to tell his
countrymen and the world something
definite and tangible about 1t.
On the contrary, however, he APP
pears to have been just as contracted
and circumscribed in his vision as the
veriest tyro Of tourist. And not
only that, he evidently cannot rally
from the feeling of rancor caused by
the frigidity of the reception accorded
him and his brazen travelling mate.
What Gorky as matter of fact has
done ia to write-and in most hostile,
bitter vein-his impressions" of the
lower east end of New York City as his
impressions Of the great nation and
people of the United States He seems
to have harbored the idea, possessed
by so many foreign visitors of note,
that New York Is all there is to the
United States anyway, and, having
seen New York City, one has seen all
there is to be seen. -
What a crude, slovenly error. The
dirty and squalid section of New York
into which Millionaire Stokes, Gorky
and other socialists make daily in
cursions is just about as typically
American as the steerage of an ocean
steamer that is bound for American
shores. In this lower east side district
there are thousands of fellow country
men Of GOrky who have learned
"all about America" by marching from
the Battery to their present homes.
So far as the ignorant foreigners are
concerned they might just as we'll be
in New Zealand or New Guinea.
America to them is only name. They
are as stupid as cattle without bovine
intelligence to seek good pasturage.
1t was among these alien unfortunates
that Gorky went to study American
institutions" and his Impressions are
anything but complimentary to our
land and its people.
1t is the habit of all foreigners of
intelligence who visit this country to
write their impressions" about it.
There would be nothing offensive I'm
this were these views founded upon
fair and broad investigation. But men
of the Gorky stamp naturally gravitate
to the slums, where they fairly revel
In the misery there found. AS all
Americans know, however, this is not
an honest view. 1t were just as fair
for an American visiting England TO
haunt the vicinity of Whitechapel and
then write down Impressions: of
England as for these prejudiced and
immoral foreigners to Judge America
by what is seen In part Of this
country that is almost a..replica of
lowest European conditions.
Gorky cOngraulates himself that he
has got even" with the American
people for their Punishment. of him and
his companion from all decent consid-
Grafton. He may take such satisfaction
as he may find in this reflection. AS
for the American people, however, they
are quite reconciled to themselves
and are not sorry that they repudiated
Gorky and all the foul theories he
stands for the moment he walked
down the gangplank on his visit of
unjust criticism and banal misrepre-
sentation.
From literary point of view, furth-
or. GOrky's impressions" which are
being touted in certain quarters as a
notable effort, are distinct failure.
They constitute merely a slanderous
and malevolent attack on the country,
an attack which is couched in stilted
epigram and ponderous sentence, and
which is SO formidable and heavy that
digestion Is impossible II Gorky is a
product of the new Russian civilization
there is little hope for the Russian
people for generations to come That
Is an inevitable conclusion. Oshkosh
Northwestern.