New-York tribune., 1918-06-30
Collaboration of Au-
thors' Club Members
Creates a Russian
Writer Who Knew
Everything and Fore
saw Much
By Edmond McKenna

A MEXICAN literary men-and
n some Of the rest Of us-have
4 n for some years been indulg-
ine in great admiration for the Rus
sian writer's. Exceedingly intellect
ual discussions have taken place as
to the relative merits of Dostoievski
and Turgenieff, and the lesser merits
of the rest Of the world,
Now the Authors Club, which in
cludes in it's membership some hun
dreds of Americas leading literary
men, has-largely unwittingly-con-
tributed q most important and per-
haps conclusive chapter to the dis
cussion.
The club has done this by putting
out brochure: "Feodor Vladimir
Larrovitch; An Appreciation of His
Life and Works." containing papers
BY several leading writers, which
give details of bis life and high praise
to his writings, with portraits of
himself, his parents and his shirt,
facsimiles Of his manuscripts, a long
list of his works, and photography
Of comments on them.
The value Of this contribution to
Americas understanding of Russian
literature lies in the fact that Lar
yovitch Is one of the greatest literary
hoazes of all time.
He never existed.
Nor did his parents, his manu-
scripts, his works nor comments on
them.
The majority of the Authors Club
will first learn this when they read
these lines, although the papers were
read. and the resolution for the pub
lcation was voted. at meeting held
in the Authors Club on the hun
dredth anniversary Of his birth. and
attended by some three hundred
members. His portrait was hung on
the walls of the club.
The inception Of this modest me-
mortal volume, which commentaries
the hundredth anniversary Of the
authors birth, is said to have been
an inspiration in the mind of Will
lam George Jordan, fertilized by the
ingenuity of Richardson Wright,
who spent mentally fructifying
sojourn among the boatmen of the
Volga. These two executive men,
bers of the Authors Club enlisted
the hearts and eloquence Of Clinton
Scollard, Franklin H. Giddings,
McCready Sykes, George S. Helr
man, Thomas Walsh, Titus Munson
Coan, James Howard Briggs, Ar
thur Cotton and Gustave Simonson.
The Germ Of
A Great Idea
This concourse of great minds
draped the figure Of Larrovitch in
decent American garb (for there is
much in the best Russian literature
not fit for Anglo-Saxon ears-in the
case of Larrovitch, "a small mort
gage on the fine estate of noble
character'').
Franklin H. Giddings, A. B., Ph.
D., LII. D., as genial a gentleman as
ever professed the sad science of
sociology, in fine Prolegomenon to
Larrovitch, says: sIt was Larro-
witch who discovered or invented the
history of civilization"
The history Of civilization is
daring invention and deserving of
high honors, the highest honors, per-
haps, were it not meet to save the
very topmost sprays to bind the
brows of those who invented Lar
rovitch.
For "Feodor Vladimir Larro-
witch" is an invention, fabrication,
a hoax played on the members of
the Authors Club.
First American Tributes
To Russian Genius
In the preface the joint labors of
William George Jordan and Rich
ardson Wright, the editors, is set
forth the intention to preserve in
permanent form "the first American
tribute to that finely discerning in
terpreter of Russian life and IDEALS"
They deigned not to leave the
matter to the haphazard Of fate,
for, as they say: eve cannot de-
pend for our appreciation of Rus
sian authors upon the chance rec
ommendation Of an enthusiastic
. critic or the shrewd discrimination
Of a clever publisher who gives the
people what he thinks they want"
So the celebration was carried
out with thoroughness and liter
ary balance struck between two.
I great peoples. Mr.. Jordan contrib
uted an article on "The Personal