New-York tribune., 1920-02-08
An Epic of the War
Trench Life Is Vividlv Painted in Latzko's
Novel

4 NDREAS LATZKO and Henri
~ Barbusse are the two men who
have described the war in works
of epic grandeur. Between the Hun
garian and the Frenchman there are
many points Of spiritual and intellec-
tual contact. Both have served in tn
trenches; both paint their terrible pic
lures of carnage and destruction fror
tirsthand experience. Both pity ano
admire the brave men driven to death
at the front; both abhor the slackers
and war profiteers In the rear. Latzko
and Barbusse have essentially the same
reaction to the savagery, the bestiality,
tho unspeakable agonies, mental and
physical, which they associate with the
trenches. Both men yearn, desperately
and hopelessly at times, but passion
ately and deeply always, for q new
birth Of the spirit of human brother
hood strong enough to exercise the
spirit Of hatred and the lust Of slaugh-
ter forever from the hearts of men.
The parallel between Latzko and
Barbusse IL carried out even In their
forms Of literary expression. "Men
in War" and "Under Fire" are works
fashioned out Of the realistic stuff
Of war. unadorned by any attempt at
ictional Imagination on the part Of tho
authors. Like Barbusse's Light" ("
Latzko's new novel, "The Judgment Of
Peace" published by Boni & Liveright,
New York;, Is q work in which the war
theme overwhelmingly predominates.
"The Judgment Of Peace" bears to
Light" much the same relation that
"Men In War" bore to "Under Fire"
OF the two mems art Latzko's is un-
mistakably subtler and deeper. Bar
busse Is = physical realist. Latzko is
psychological realist. Barbusse
stresses the external horrors Of the
world conflict: men in hospitals rotting
with gangrene, corpses assailed by
putrefaction, CHASTITY rows of skeletons
hanging on barbed-wire entanglements
Latzko also depicts these horrors with
realism made more poignant by intense
pity and burning indignation. Bus to
him the supreme outrage Of war Is not
the crucihxion Of the body, but the
crucifixion Of the soul. It IL in his
description Of the psychical sufYerings
Of his characters that he attains his
greatest heights and depths Of power
and feeling.
Although II IL held together BY q
single thread Of narrative, 1.-THE Judg-
ment Of Peace" Is almost as episode
as the collection Of stories included In
"Men in War" And with what terrible
vividness tho author drives homo the
effects Of war upon mon Of weak nerves
and delicate mindsi Tho poor little
school teacher, accustomed to q placid.
uneventful life, who breaks down and
becomes . blubber1ng coward in the
trenches; the gentle poet, who 10 sent
back to tho rear . raving maniac after
he has seen the terrible sights Of the
battlefield; tho great pianist. VINO COM
mits suicide rather than return to the
brutal tyranny Of tho typical German
terofaxier'-ail these figures stand
out with clearcut and terrible vivid
ness. II ID doubtful II IN American
could hsvs written such = bocks its
despair, It's unhesitating defeatism. its
utter lack Of all national feeling or
patriotic spirit could only be born out
Of years of weary fighting In An unjust
cause. Latxke flames with passionate
anger against tho men whom he holds
responsible Tor Europs's holocaust Of
slaughter. His feeling bursts out In
tha following characteristic passage;
"With supsrhuman fcrcs that great
anger broks forth again IN 0sdsky,
tAst sagine. sobbins and yst inpsr-