New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-18
"LA BATAlllE'
A Thrilling Novel Dealing with
the Russo Japanese War.
Paris. June :

Claude Farrere" the literary pseudo
nyme of Lieutenant Bargone. of the
French navy. is to the American mind.
at least. the most impressive of the
younger school of French writer's or nc
ton. He is a masterful observer. and
his pictures are never marred by re-
dundancy Of expression or of touch and
every word has it's value. He depicts
the modern battleship with technical ac-
curacy and vivid coloring. recalling Fen
imore Cooper's grand descriptions of
naval battles hundred years ago. and
the delicacy of his psychological insight
Is not unlike that of Nathaniel HaW-
thorne. La Bataile." just published by
Ollendorff is a romantic novel dealing
with the racial conflict between the East
and the West. II contains magnln-
cent description OF the japanese victory
won by Admiral Togo OF Tsushima on
Nav -. 1905 Claude Farrere has pro-
duced in this work one of the most
truthful and impressive pictures of Jap
anese civilization that have appeared
since the studies of the late Lafcadio
Hearn. His PHILOSOPHY is deeper and
broader than that Of Pierre Lott, and his
novels have nervous American inten-
sity that rivets the readers attention
from start 10 finish.
The persons who figure in the story
are COMPOSED with careful thought and
research They are full of life and char
acter There is remarkable sketch of
an old literary mandarin, zone OF the
twelve dignitarics Of the Court of China
who is on a mission To Japan. The
ceremonals during a night of opium
smoking. when the learned and august
Tch6ou-Pe and his Partisan friend. the
painter and member of the institute, in
dulge in philosophical conversation. form
one OF the most fascinating chapters of
the novel. We find here the beautiful
and clevc' MarquiSo Yorisaka. wife of a
Japane>c naval officer formerly attached
to the embassy in Paris but now artil-
Togo's hattlcships The marquise makes
herself proficient in Western manners
and customs i'm order 70 aid her hus-
band i'm the great patriotic and sacred"
10 attain the naval supremacy Of Nip
ron in the Far East. 4 fair. risky and
wealthy American widow of the House
Of Mrth" type arrives a. Nagasaki on
ats,,,
among her guests a celebrated French
painter. who brings Partisan note into
this little Oriental m@iG1Gc. Then there
Is the neatly chiselled figure Of CAPTAIN
Herbert Fergan. Of the British navy. Ia
whose advances the Marauise Yorisaka
Yields. thereby stealthily securing his
services on board OF her husbands shin
during the battle of Tsushima. After
the death of the Marquise Yorisaka. who
IS killed while directing the artillery fire
of his ship, Captain Fergan by an ex
traordinary yet plausible combination Of
circumstances, takes the telemetre from,
Yorisaka's dying grasp and continues
the direction OF the battle until he him
self Is killed by Russian shell. The
Marquise YorisalSa. having ACCOMPLISHED
her sacred mission renounces her mask
OF Western civilization and retires from
the world To end her days in atonement
AZ the buddhist convent at Kioto es-
tablIshed since olden times for the
daughters of the daimios
ia Bataille" the revised edition ar
which is only just completed. Is the
strongest work so far produced nv
Claude Farrere. who, by the way is only
thirty-seven years old. II is. on the
whole, the best and most carefully
Thought out French novel Of the season.
II contains elements that If adroitly
dealt with would make a dramatic and