The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-15
NOTED RUSSIAN NOT
RUSSIAN At HEART
Maxim Gorky, Famous Nov.
elist and Painter, Scores
Native Land Policy.
SAYS IGNORANCE RULES
No Room for Man With In.
dependent or Personal
Opinions, He Declares.
SAYS IGNORANCE RULES
Special Cable to The Tribune.

! .IaAiiu NoThJ, tne noVelsI, is not out OF
the woods yet. Added to HIS wretched
state of health he has been hunted from
FINLAND, having returned, as he hoped
to die in peace within the borders of
his native land. He is now living on
the estate of one of his intimate friends
In the interior of Russia, half way be
tween here and Moscow
Here the correspondent of The Trib-
une found him, looking frail and de-
pressed, but still full of the fire Of that
determination which made him run the
risk of returning once moro to Russia
and Its icy winter after Six years spent
| beneath the golden skies of Capri, In
the Bay of Naples.
The painter er-novelist IS face looked
strangely emaciated, but his eyes have
retained all their brilliancy. His re-
turn to his fatherland has not proved
an altogether unmixed blessing. He
told me quite frankly that he felt more
in his element abroad than in Russia.
Hates Politicians.
People, he said, "display such n
iamentable lack of culture, both intel
lectual and moral. Their ignorance on
questions Of art and literature and all
that makes life beautiful is painful. l
am disgusted, too, with Russian politics.
l can never understand why anyone
ever wanted to make q politician Of me.
hate all that has to do with politics
and those who have the handling OF
them.<
"Alasl individual Independence in
Russia is at present nonexistent,' he
added sadly. cit is sufficient for any
one in power to hold up his hand and
the rest Of the world follows his lead
without anyone in the least knowing
what It is he means. In Russia today
1t Is the man who holds the stick that
is master Of everybody and Of every
There Is no definite aim in anything
we do, no logic in anything we attempt
TO do or say, and there is absolutely no
respect for the views or personality of
others, This is partly why I have come
to the conclusion that there is no real
culture or intellectually to be found in
Russia. Individuals are civilized, the
nation II not; as far as I can see dur
Ing the years which have passed since
| left Russia, no progress has been made
In the direction Of uplifting the public
mind, We do not seem to have gripped
the fact that 1t Is our duty to watch
what goes on around us and to observe
the good in our western ncighbors with
q view to assimilating 1t with our own
limited culture"
Change Slow Process.
Asked what he thought about the
recent ministerial changes, Gorky re-
piled that be WASH It troubling much
about them. Anyway he did not be-
ieve In permanent Transformation OF
ing susceptible to liberal interpreta-
tion BY the men at present In power.
False Ideas cannot so easily be up
rooted as many people think" he re-
piled, Sand our whole system Of gov
ernment Is false to the core. I hope
that In time better counsels will prevail
In official circles, but today we are still
living under an administration which
belongs to the middle ages, and SO long
as this lasts there is no room in Russia
for man with independent opinions,
or even with personal ones, It is main.
ly for this reason that have, as told
you, no feelings Of enthusiasm for my
country. and that I find no pleasure in
living in Russia after having lived
"ln Italy, whore political passions
run high, they are not permitted to in
terfere with ones private lfe, while it |
Is ust the opposite here, and people OF
different political Views are not even
civil to each other when they meet. |
This Is intolerhble In civilized com.
munity, and should not be allowed to
Questioned as to his plans, Gorky
In Love With Life.
"I cannot say anything definite az to
whether / shal 20 abroad again or not,
! have been 80 long away that ] feel
impelled to study with renewed care
Russian life and Russian conditions. If |
only my health will hold out hopo to
stay some months longer in this coun.
try, But sometimes / feel as though |
mast escape the weight which crushes
one In Russia, I have no sympathy |
with mysticism, which will be tho order !
Of the day In Russia until we find some |
is1a. lo'vs life, its mani} }estations, Fest ii Si its
impulses, Its reality cannot waste my
time dreaming dreams, because that is
Just what we are all doing here, with |
the result that we hnve established a |
false atmosphere, out Of which sec |
no way Of escape even for independent |
minds, For this reason I regret having !
left tho civilization of Europe behind |
me, while for other reasons 7 am glad |
to have seen my country under It's pres
ent regime, because / can speak Of her
now With the consciousness that know
what am talking about
Gorky 10 at present engaged in writ |
Ing a now novel which will depict the |
feelings Of an exile returning to his ma.
tive land, He works, nssidnously, at II !
and hopes to publish 1t IN the fall, att
IL only after 81 has appeared that shall !
decide my plans" he told the Amor-
plans, especially in view Of the present
state Of my health, which may ut any /
moment interfere with them. Tho eoun.
try air here 10 doing me good, and |
fcel better than did in Finland, where
the damp air did not agree with me-
When the spring comes I hope l shall |
be able to work better than I can |