The Washington times., 1920-02-01

Like the romantic career OF some.
wild hero of fiction Is the life story
Of Vicente Blasco Iban noted Span
ish novelist and author of The Four
Horsemen OF the Apocalypse" who
is now on a tour in this country. and
who will receive the honorary degree
of doctor OF letters from George
Washington University at the mid
winter copvocation here on February
23. ...
Blasco Ibanez Is a radical of the
radicals. and his fearless expression
of thoughts that have not always
government has landed him in the
jailhouse time after time. He has
been exiied from his country more
than once. but little things like that
have not daunted him. He has
studied law, worked at journalism.
served as publisher, held a seat In
the Spanish Cortes, organized emf
grafton colonies TO South America.
written novels, and Travelled.
And now, at the apex of his dra-
matte career, he Is admitted one of
the greatest novelists in the world.
IL not the greatest. His works have
been translated into French, Por-
tuguese, German, Dutch, Polish, Rus
sian, Bohemian, and English. and his
most successful novel. "The Four
Horsemen Of the Apocalypse" has
gone through more than 200 editions.
ArGonese Parentnge.
Blasco Ibanez springs from humble
Aragonese parents. His father was
the proprietor of q dry-goods shop.
Vicente was born in January, 1857,
making the novelist now ffty-three
years old. The youth received a
good education in Valencia. his native
city. and was graduated in law from
the local university. Instead of prac-
ticing law, however, he entered jour
nalism immediately upon his gradua-
tion.
When only eighteen years old Bias
co Ibanez wrote an anti-government
sonnet, for which he was sent to Jail
for six months. That marked the be-
ginning of his career of radicslism.
During the next nine years he was
exiled twice and imprisoned three
times. But from the beginning he dis
played that indomitable and overflow
ing energy which is one of his most
striking characteristics.
In the intervals of exile and i'm
prisonment he founded a Republican
newspaper, Ell Pueblo (The People),
of which he is still editor. He also
published library OF several hun
dred translations, and he became in
terested in a publishing firm, Pro-
meteo OF Valencia, with which he is
still connected. This firm Is at pres
ent publishing a monumental His
tory OF the European War of 1914"
written by the novelist himself.
Fled to France, Then Italy.
In 1890 Blasco Ibanex fed to Paris,
L.. s1 saI. afk
against the govern
ment for it's attempt to suppress the
Cuban insurrection. On his return he
was imprisoned for two years. On
his release he was elected to the
Cortes as republican deputy from Va
lencia- 1t was at this time that he
first turned his at lention to the novel.
Blasco IbaneEs works at present
number twenty-two--sixteen novels,
three volumes OF short stories, and
three books of travels. His novels
fall into FIVE groups--the regional
novels, including "The Cabin" and
Reeds and Mud" the propaganda
novels, including Blood and Sand"
La Bodega" tThe saloon), and "The
Shadow OF the Cathedral" novels on
the great war, such as "The Four
of the Apocalypse" and Mare
psychological novel,
The Nude Girl" and a historical
novel, "Sonnics," dealing with the
Spain Of the time of the Romans and
The first of the works
to attract attention outside OF Spain
wss "The Cabin" which was trans
lated into French In 1901. Blasco
Ibanez is especially popular in Russia.
Blasco Ibaner now IL planning
new novel, to be called "The Enemies
Of Women" which should prove OF
especial interest in this country, as
IL will bring in what he has called
"the disinterasted and romantic inter-
vention Of the United States" in the
world war.
The famous novelist taxes an active
interest in economic conditions in