New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-08


~ as. Heuy U0.t Co.
This third volume Of the translation
Of Nex0's masterpiece fully reveals the
wide significance Of the completed
work. The first and second volumes
bore ample testimony Of the gigantic
PROPORTIONS and the increasing power
Of this Danish prose epic Of labor.
Even from them II was safe TO pro
phcsy, but now no further reservation
is needed in the expression OF an
oDinion. "Pelle the Conqueror' ranks
among the greatest works Of hction
Of the later nineteenth century. IL
il more than novel. 1t IS a socio-
economic document Of lasting value 70
the future historian Of that century.
Withal it is good reading. It lives.
Nex6 has the gift, which was lola
of pling detail upon detail without
wearying the reader, succeeding, on the
contrary. in interesting him more deep
~ as he proceeds from point 10 polhJ'
until the picture stands completed IN
l.s Overwhelming revelation. but ne
selects his details more carefully than
did the Frenchman, who practically
eliminated nothing, and ms work gains
greatly thereby.
In the first volume Of his story
Nex0 drew picture of the helpless
misery, the degradation and eXpiolla-
tion cf Danish farm labor in the early
wears of the second half Of the last
century: in the second he took ms
hero. still a mere boy. 10 a provincial
town and apprenticed him 20 a shoe-
maker IN the days when LABOR was
conscious Of itself only as the victim
Of things that were and must be; IN
The Great Struggle" in the Danlsh
capital. ne begins the story OF Feie
rise 10 power as one Of the early Or
.,anizcrs of the workiugmen OF Europe.
"LInternationale" mas been hcard OF
and nreached under prescription; so
c.alisn is discussed wherever the WORK,
crs meet. and unionlsm has gained
its first. precarious footing. Govern
ment. aristocracy and the middle class
stand aghast with the employers at
he presumption of the workers ara
their delusion that they have rights.
This is revolution, threatened anarchy.
The day for the first great battie
Pelle is in the midst Of it. Unread
only vaguely familiar with iabors pro
gramme Of those days, with am
a.d confused theory at the BACK OF
his head of ultimate control OF the
fruits of production, he IS o. the great
est practical value because ne Is an
organizer and a fighter. A hrst STRIKE
AGAINST the city's leading snOe manu-
facturer fails, because 70 - passive
campaign of abstinence from labor. IL
succeeds when 1t Is renewed win ag-
gressiye measures. The master IS pre-
vented from employing other WORKERS:
Pelle has learned his hrst lesson, ana
applied it. The employer iails. lnence
on 20 the general strike, originating
In the city's machine shops, when ends
in mighty triumph. But IN the very
hour O. victory reile is arrested on
q technical charge. And here the tnlrd
volume ends. ,
The author handles the masses OF
the poor with which he deals m a won
drously effective manner. lhere Is IN
cessant movement. action, progress on
the surface. and always below 10 one
sees the misery and the endurance
the despair and the courage, the deter
mination and the surrenders from
sheer hunger and cod, the driving
mower of dire necessity hammered INTO
an undertaking purpose, which WINS the
day. The book IS worldwide IN us
significance. II is the chronicle OF the
growth of labor TO consciousness OF ITS
rights and it's strength 20 win them
ONLY the details are local, and even
here the Copenhagen tenement where
so much of the inner action taxes
rlace. where poverty is found IN all ITS
nakedness, will be strange 20 no reader
outside of Denmark. NO wonder that
the book has conquered Continental
Europe. The time for this English
translation had come.
Il is only with the large outlines or
tbe story that this review IS concerned.
For it's pictures Of individual misery
and suffering. OF desperate struggle
and ultimate suhmcrrcnce. OF many
virtues, many sins and some vices, OF
the canker of poverty, the reader must
he referred 20 its pages. And TINS pill
able foundation for the superstructure,
TOO. is alive with interest For NeXo
= as compelling in the one bare room
where three children struggle herolcal-
" for survival As he is IN the midst
Of the battle of thousands or AT the
head Of their parade when the day. IS
won. And Pelle marries and loses ms
wife. a victim of the strike a wiliing
sacrifice 10 her love for him and Tor
their offspring.