The New York herald., 1921-07-10
Paris reads Alpine fantasy

The conquering general recalled his
ineXorable orders and the foundation
of dead bodies upon which the struc-
ture of his fame was built. The poet,
Tito Vertesco, animating spirit of war.
lived over those glorious days when
the power Of his word plunged his
people into the melee Without the
war" he explained II should have
been obliged to repeat myself, should
have remained a singer of passion,
like so many others. Poster
ity viii render me no account for the
poor creatures who fell, for without
me they would have come to a less
noble end. Posterity will call me to
account only for the use OF my
genius"
Then the Grand Duke Feodor, drunk
er than anybody else. tells of the cir
cumstances that let loose the furies.
"He had seen with his own eyes, one
evening lying in the corner Of his
Cousin Nicholas's office, the order of
Russian demobilization. But the sec
retary who ought to have transmitted
it was away. The next morning no
body could lay hands on 1t. And do
you know where found 1t, two months
later? In my pocket'"
One amazing avowal followed an.
other. The director of the Austrian
Council told how, fearing lest the con-
ciliatory answer of Serbia would pre-
vent war. had read ii to Count Berch-
told only after a dinner with much
wine, and he altered the sense of the
document by the expression of his
voice
The parvenu enriched by the mas
sacre said to his wife: "Show them
your verdun necklace!" The least re-
pellant of the guests was the coward
who had evaded service to please hi
wife.
Philip assumed the air OF a judge
meditating a terrible sentence. He be-
came also the executioner. mixing
poison in the chartreuse of all the
company save his friend. the novelist
who lived to tell the tale
The scenes that follow are Dan
tesque. In their death agony the char
acters reveal themselves, each dying
stroyed by the Titans. Zeus welded his
thunder and Poseidon his trident, 81
each of these gods" brandished TN
symbol of his power and the last ges.
ture OF the life survived in the aban-
doned clay.
The bankers held out their check
books, the General fought like n SOL
der. the poet surveyed the drama with
artistic appreciation. understood all
and cried. LET new religion be born.
There are now millions of Christs be-
fore whom we ought to PROSTATE OF
selves and beseech pardon" And TO
the German, who refused to repent, he
said.
$50 be Il. You may thus achieve
greatness. But in that case I
demand OF you absolute self-control.
Let not murmur escape your lips.
For it's echo will answer you from the
vast choir OF your victims" And he
ieaped into the precipice. arms OK
tended and head raised TO the stars.
The bad dream Is ended, one closes
the book. eager TO escape from such a
catastrophe. although when one has
read from the beginning the impress
sion steadily grows and holds the IN
terest throughout. And one must
needs reflect moment upon the
meaning of it all, like the poet Tito
vertesco. who cried with his last
breath to Philip:
Mad thou vert What mean.
madness, wiser than their impious
reason? I feel myself becoming thy
disciple" And no doubt the author
intends that his readers shall make
those words their own. And that is
the explanation Of the work \
Frenchman rarely whites dream for
the dreams sake. This is done TO call
back vehemently the years that can