Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-24
By HENRI BAZIN
Special Correspondent Of the Evening LEDGER
In France


from the right. The most captivating at
tribute Of the masters personality Is his
voice; pure, clear, musical and full of the
qualities designated in two French words
that lose force in Observation-Disclosures ct
sympathlque.
"One of the regrets Of my life" he said.
ls that i have not yet visited the United
states, where, with the single exception of
FRANCE, my work has had It's most APP
preeiative understanding and intelligent
stage portrayal II is regret l hope to
eradicate from my memory after the war
Is over. As matter Of fact. I vas willing
to go in 1915, and had begun to make ar
rangements. But then, as now, | could not
nor would not be willing to appear before
the American public in a poetical or
literary capacit.'. The war is the all-ab-
sorbing topic, throwing all else into n far
background, since II is Il contest between
humanlty's highest ideals and the lowest
and most selfish.
Can Think of Nothing but War
II had suggested, If went, that I would
be willing to lecture or speak upon the
war then, and nothing else. Dear friends
here In order to make my errand in no
sense an unwecome one. invited in corre-
spondence, at my suggestion, the opinion of
Mr.. Roosevelt, whom / do not know per-
sonally, but for whom I have the highest
admiration. Your eX-President expressed
the particular purpose | had in mind, and
ADVISED indirectly that l either postpone
my visit or come in the purely artistic
capacity of poet and author of plays
Consequently. | have deferred until the
happy time when peace shall reign and
cINiIl@ation and right triumph a journey
TX n which l am satisfied / shall derive
potn pleasure and intellectual profit
For simple psychological reasons I be-
living close n hot
II Is impossible to grasp truly the great
Importance to civilization involved in the
defeat of Gcrmanic militarsm. That, in my
opinion is the reason the neutral nations
or the world have remained neutral in the
face of all the distressing events of the last
two and half years.
yet allowing for the deduction. I have
been at loss to understand WHY this
neutral world remained silent at the in
Nasion OF Belgium, and still remains. in the
large and active sense, silent at the de-
portations from Belgium. II seems TO me
incredible that it is not understood from,
logical reasoning that these vicious acts
aside from the many that have interviewed
between them, are in both the humane and
selt-lnterest perspective a direct challenge
and attack upon the fundamental prin-
clples or free governments and the rights
of free peoples that the Prlssian idea as
eXemplihed in Prussian militarsm aims
directly and deliberately at the throttling
of liberty and the enslaving of humanity.
Il can quite understand the wisdom of
your President in not wishing to embroil
the United States in the war but I cannot
at all understand why. as the representative
of a great free people, he can maintain
friendly and diplomatic relations with the
oft-proved enemies Of free peoples and the
principles of free government since the
liberty of the United States was attacked
IN the German invasion of 1914 as IL is
attacked in the deportatons of 1917.
II am quite sure from the temper of
the great mass of Americans as | read and
hear about them, that they are at heart
with the cause of France. This is fully
proved In their sacrifice of young American
life in ambulance and active service and
In the vast noble work of aid generously
given our country in so many divers ways
And so, ! see, therefore, in eighty mill
lion or more Of your countrymen. the
symbol of the star in their SOUL shining
as it were despite governmental cloud
of caution or apathy or Indifference 10
right, call it what you will.
Stars in Our Flag and in Our Souls
In 1915, I wrote a poem entitled lie
Chant des Astres'-The Song of the Stars,
1t embodied in perhaps $500 words the
substance of this thought, that the stars
in the souls of the American people and
the stars upon the American flag were
one. | saw the banner of free America
soiled and dsrespected in German act
diplomatic and inhuman. / based NV no.
etical theme upon the soiling of these stars
their hgurative cutting away by the great
shears Of German vandalism vet disfigur-
ing not the flag, since behind the blue field
from which they flew TO the breeze were
the ever-shining stars of the heavens. the
stars in the soul of the American people
the symbols they represent; light and lib
erty In the world
'In NV fancy Carroopv bad
stars and stripes and torn the stars away
Yet they shone on notwithstanding: shone
against the sky through the stars in the
soul of the populace visible day and night
to whoever could see not to the num-
ber of forty-eight. but in great un-
countabe white glory upon a field of
heavenly blue.
This poem. which I give you full per-
mission to translate, and a few lines upon
Rheims Cathedral are all I have produced
since the war began thirty months ago
During its duration my muse comma nds
silence. And ! obey
II shall be honored to have you incor-
porate In your interview, which, after all
has been more of personal expression of
opinion than anything else, the few lines
upon Rheims. And II will give me pleas
to meet you again when it may please
you to call"
AS NJ. Rostand escorted me through the
great hall OF his home to the door opening
upon the snowy Paris night without. /
carried with me copies of both poems
When can ] shall try to do full honor
in translation TO the longer. The shorter
In its original French. quote below:
II mont fait que le rendre un peu plus I'm
nortelle, ~
Eoeuvre peril pas aui mutile un irredin
Demsnde a Phdias ct demande a Rodln'
81 deyant. ces morceaux on ne dit plus 'c'est
La forteresse meurt quand on la demanteIe
Msis le temple brise Wit plus noble, ct
soudain ~
Les yeux Sc souvenant du toit avec dedan
Preferent voir lie ciel dams la pierre en- denteIIe
Rendons grace-attendu qu'il nous manquait
q