The sun., 1919-04-27
PARIS, March, 1919.

StoFN lHlSI Dc cut SHORT LOT Will nc Hts
TO say as TO the coming of a literary reyo-
luton in America. In the United States
those who don't know that Abraham
Cahan wrote novel, The Rise Of Ddrid
LcCihsky discussed iii some of the lead
ing French reviews as a piece of real liter
allure from America, probably know that
he is the founder and editor of the Jer
ssh Daily Forlcard.
As European correspondent Cahan is
now living in the midst of things in the
Place de Ia Sorbonnc, 70 be exact, at the
Hotel Select, so that when Cahan gives
his address to q man that man is sure to
say. "Well-is it, and Caban always
answers, "NOt so very" Now there lives
at the Hotel Select an elderly French
woman who has ease of nerves and Is
disturbed when, in Cahan's room, voices
rise in literary dissmsion. Once the
lady's knocking on the wall shut CONVEX
sation off altogether, but latterly an
agreement has been entered into, form
ulated by Cahan as follows:
MADAM, let it be understood that when
the excitement in my room gets too NOISY
You are TO rap on the wall three tunes.
This will be signal for the Immediate
abatement of discussion. Ii this Is not
agreeable to you shall have to hunt an
other room, and rooms are very difficult
10 find in Paris"
So it happened that after the thrd
.appinc on the wall the conversation OF
which this is a record was concluded In
the students cafe-thc Pantheon around
the corner from the SOrbOnne.
Possibly it was the sight of khaki
clad Young American going TO and fro
through the Place de la Sorbonne that
led Cahan to predict, as one effect OF the
war. oblitcration of fifty years Of differ
euces, that have isolated American writers
from Continental readers. lie SAID:
N great revolution is going on all over
Europe. but about America ] can predict
only one revolution positively. That Will
be in literature, and it will come within a
wear or so or rs soon as people have pc
gun 10 settle down. The presence oil
over 1000 900 Americans IN France can
not fail to produce certain results as 10
our literary tastes. l don't mean TO say
that the soldier boys and other Ameri-
cans who have been in France have fallen
under the influence of French literature.
Indeed, don't think many Of them have
read any French literature during their
STAY in Paris, nor indeed in French liera-
ture being read much by the Frcnchman
himself in these times. The effect VIII
come from deeper causes than mere
reading.
"The war and the overthrow OF the old
thrones of Europe really mean the end o.
some Of our deep rooted prejudices and
There's a feeling every
where in Europe that problems both po-
litieal and literary will be approached
now with far more simplicity and SINGER
itv, with more frankness and courage.
To my mind certainly the change applies
70 our artistic standards as well as TO
politics.
an the United States / see vast
amount of literary talent of the genuine
sort, but fail to sec it in formal literary
expression. l see the literary genius Of
the United States crop up in our daily
work, in some bit of descrip-
ton or psychological poetry by way of in
PRODUCTION TO report of sensational
criminal trial or a stirring public event.
There are days when my newspaper is
studded with gems of literary talent. OF
course it is scattered-a paragraph here
Or n paragraph there sometimes a whole
column. | find great deal of beauty,
deep insight, telling strokes, artistry of
a high Order-all this scattered. The