New-York tribune., 1920-10-24
YER since the end Of the war
II Philip Gibbs has pleaded pas
- sionately for new world or

fHlllp IlDDS mas Pleaued pas
- sionately for new world or
der, based upon reason and
justice, rather than upon hatred and
brute force. The most ardent patriot
can scarcely accuse him of pacifism or
pro- Germanism; he was recently
knighted for his magnificent work as
war correspondent on the Western
front. But he is convinced that the
devils of hatred, greed and intrigue
raised by the war can be exercised
only by the universal application of a
spirit of magnanimous reconciliation.
His Now 1t Can Be Told is more re-
strained but scarcely less effective in
dctment Of war and its makers than
the fierce outbursts of Latzko and Bar
busse.
Sir Philip gives a fictiona setting in
his philosophy of anti militarism in his
new novel, Wounded Souls (Doran).
Amid the ruck of ordinary war stories.
with their tiresome sentimentality and
their unconvincing shrieks of bellicose
ardor, it is relief to read something
so sincere, so earnest, SO finely wrought
as Sir Philips work 1t is permcated
with spirit of most generous ideal
ism; the author might we'll have taken
as his motto Abraham Lincoln's
phrase: with malice toward none,
with charity for ALL"
At the same time it would not be
strictly accurate to call Wounded Souls
great novel. The author is much
more interested in expressing what he
feels about the problems of war and
peace than in writing an ingenious
story. The characters are always
dwarfed by the colossal background
the last days Of the war and the first
months Of peace. The author often
pauses to indulge in a mood of refec-
ton. One sometimes feels that the
plot of the book is almost an allie
gorical representation of the struggle
within Philip Gibbs own heart
This does rot Imply that Wounded
Souls is not we'll written. From a
purely artistic standpoint, it is far bet
ter than nine-tenths of our war tction.
The scenes of battle and devastation are
drawn with the hand Of master. The
author naturally avoids the crude blum
ders that arc sometimes found in the
martial descriptions of non-mihtary
writer's. The novel is enriched with
many vivid, realistic episodes, evidently
drawn from personal observation. The
style is at once simple, vigorous and
! flexible
Wickham Brand, the hero, is British
officer whose psychological reaction to
the war closely resembles that of Gibbs
himself. He fights with every ounce OF
his energy up to the armstce But he
is opposed to a policy of brutal and in
discriminate vengeance Going into
Germany with the forces of occupation
he meets Elsa, a traditionally scnti-
mental German girl, falls in love with
her and marries her. When he returns
to England with his wife they are both
subjected to ostracism and petty perse-
cution. Wickham's father is one of Mr..
Keynes hard faced men who have
done extremely we'll out of the war" and
his mother and sister feel that they are
satisfying a moral obligation in max
ing Elsa as unhappy as possible. She
pines away and dies, and Wickham. un-
nerved and bitter at heart. finally finds
solace in throwing himself into relief
work among ne starving millions Of
Vienna, He loses faith in parlaments IS
and peace congresses and mass move
ments for human betterment, and feels
that the new world can be born only in
the changed hearts Of men and women.
Hero's Philosophy of Life
Il see now" he says, that it's no
use fighting against the injustice and
brutality of life l can't remake the
world, or change the things that are
written in history, or alter in any big
way the destiny of peoples Stupidity,
ignorance, burbarity, VIII continue
among the multitude All that any OF
US can do is to tackle some good job
that lies at hand, and keep his own
soul bright ard fearless, if there is
any chance, and use his little intellect
in his little circle for kindness instead
of cruelty
One may or may not agree with all
of Philip Gibbs conclusions, or with