The New York herald., 1920-01-25
"'Untimely Papers" True to Title.


Randolph Bourne was a young man Of
unusual literary talent who labored under
sad physical infirmity and died two years
ago. He was one OF Il group that CON
tributed to periodical called THE seven
Arts" and it was because OF their hostlle
attitude to the war that the woman VINO
backed that publication found herself
compelled to stop it. That attitude Is
plainly shown in a volume called I'm
timely Papers" (Huebsch), and II seems TO
me that it's editor, Mr.. James Oppenheim,
has not done kind thing for ms deau
friend in reprinting his pacifist utter
ances. Nor does he strengthen his case
when he says that everything that
Bourne wrote over two years ago mas
been vindicated by the, event"
The book, however, has a certain value
lust now. in that it shows us what the
attitude Of a certain element in the nation
was prior to and after our declaration
of war We find here, phrased IN other
words, the old cry Of This IS wan
street war" Writing even as late as 1918,
the author SAYS The war sentiment, pc
gun so gradually but so perseveringly by
the preparedness advocates who came
from the ranks of big business. caught
hold of one after another of the intel
lectual groups. With the aid OF hoose-
Welt. the murmurs became a monotonous
chant and finally chorus so mighty that
to be out of it was at first TO be dls-
reputable and finally almost obscene. The
nerve of the war feeling centred, OF
course. in the richer and older classes OF
the Atlantic seaboard where there were
French and English business and particu-
larly social connections"
Again, in portraying the average yourS
man of America Mr.. Bourne takes pains
to show his Indifference to the natlon
call and says:-"The cheap and silly blare
him cOln - We who
can remember the manner in which the
young men of this country rallied about
the colors when the nation was threatened
will doubt if Mr. Bourne has portrayed
the feelings OF a really typical American
on another page Mr.. Bourne describes his
typical young man going into the ranks
in a mood of cold contempt: His horror
OF useless sacrifice may make even the
bludgeoning Of himself seem futile. He
may go in the mood of so many other men
in the other countries. without enthusiasm,
without idealism, without hope and with
out belief victims of tragically blind
force behind him. No other governm ent,
however. has had to face from the very
start quite this appalling scepticism of
youth"
The author declares that it was war
forced upon the people by the government
and not one forced on the government by
the people 1t seems to me that the people
had a great deal 10 do with forcing "A war
upon a government which prior to the
election at least, was too proud to fight
He finds, moreover, that our entrance into
the fight tended rather TO prolong than to
shorten il.
One may perhaps excuse a visionary
young man for writing as he did when the
result of the war was stu uncertain, but
we would have greater respect for his
opinions could we find here any evidence
that he could see beyond the carnage of
the battle field. Had he lived l doubt if
he would have collected his writing of two
or three years ago for presentation i'm book
form. prefaced by the sage observation
that everything contained in them has
been vindicated by the event"