New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05
Cahban, Novel by w. l.. George
Good Points of Sensationalisrn, as Well as It's
Evils Depicted

IN HIS article On "Ifaditien, In
the August Harper's. W. L. George
"Why can't a man exemplify
1AYee centuries Of culture and be
weasya all TIA same?"
. MY. George seems to doubt that the
man who can exisss-the man nicely
,Salanced between the past and the
,stcrssent. neither too narrow nor too
bread. In Tradition" he gives US an
assay on the one extreme, the victim
Of the past; in Caliban. novel, on
shs other, che victim Of the present.
Every novel may be said to contain,
besides the story. an essay and q
ssama. One may be more essay, an
sshsr more drama. In Caliban, just
vahlsshsd by Harpers. the essay is
ths more evident. 1t might be called
a treatise novel on accepting the hard
ess thing we have TO accept to feel
tast We are q part of the present in
which We live--yellow journalism.
fAsre is little drama or story in Cali
han, iB the sense Of dramatic situa-
tiens, conversations and clearly de-
assd Characters. Yet the book has It's
atxsag fascination, the fascination of
sastinaally forcing from us the aues-
ten;
The Question of Every Age
aaAall keep pace with the times,
xs neck and neck with the Present 2"
! Ria . question every age must have
had to ask, though we may flatter
ourselves it is harder for US to answer
ss.day in timea that are SO much
With US.
This tyranny Of the present is en-
Aaaied in the two dominant figures of
The bsok, enc real, the other figura-
Nse: enc, DWimes, q monster Of the
-ssllew press, of publicity, propaganda,
esver to make and mar in ths same
breath, ssnsationalism, hysteria, vul-
eaytty; the other, Caliban, the public,
that believes nothing, understands
aothing. probably likes nothing, that
svniiows its publications as it does
shloyodyne for the stomach ache, in it's
sasrs TO relieve the terrible pain, a
nasd inactive az starAsh."
Each Creates the Other
The two monsters could we'll be
made one. called Calihan- Rnlmer, fer
it Ia not easy TO tell where Caliban
leaves of and Buimer begins, and vice
-ysesa. Autmer creates Caliban, Caliban
1slmer. AS for the rest Of the char
sstess. IT their' slightness warrants
THAR being spoken Of as characters,
u 10 sufficient to say that they are Of
10 Eaaaish Aiddle class. with the mid
DO class traditiona. which are, accord
MS y Mr. George, $50 work hard, to
stsa 60 to church, to pant the
sssswoFR in coaors that don't show
We dirt to have a piano and make the
yssns ladies' sing, TO avoid strong
drink, to send undesirable relatives
aeRsad, to talk about the weather be-
easss It's safe"
zAsy are Loaf in the seufRe, OF only
ssfve e. EMAIL waves through which
hafaeE, like Poseidon. raises his head,
svss head and shoulders.
Bslmar shows the earmarks OF the
modern early when, as schoofboy, he
ssEa whats the use Of Latin and
a'seks anyway" Chat question was
Ms a. often asked In the 'sos as in
nss. To-day it 10 one of the ques-
asaa Of infancy to be elassed with
WA made the world, dad?" and
swasre did I como from. mother ?''
~ nearly as painful to answer. }
sssA then On Bulmer untiringly fas-
nss himself to every latest fad
VISA 10 creates the fad. He spreads