Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-18
The Hdski11 Letter By 'st as:1a
THE LURE OF SOME PLACE ELSE.

and knew little or nothing about mar
rage. =.
The material for this book, is it
said, was supplied by man who had
spent some years in the islands, but
the luscious writing was done by
clever woman who had never been to
the islands at all. The book was
quickly followed by other books By the
same author and by others. Boats
bound for the South Seas began to be
packed with tourists.
Then came the inevitable reaction.
The wanderers found that the South
Sea islands were just about like Flori-
da, California, or any other winter re.
sort country. They found that instead
Of lying around and picking up bread
fruit whenever they got hungry, they
had to pay $12 day at the hotels. In.
stead of capering naked on coral
strands, they had to dress for dinner.
There weren't nearly enough beautl-
full native maidens to 80 around. AS
for the climate, it was nice for a
while, but no tropical climate agrees
with a white man for very long at q
stretch.
In a word the tourist found that
eed him even to the South Sea is
lands, and that the books had been
mostly fairy tales. So many were the
disappointed tourists that a literature
poking fun at the South Sea islands
has sprung into being. Many maya
zine articles have been written to that
tune, and now a book is out which is
parody of all other books that told
about the irresponsible delights Of the
South Seas.
This comedy has been played over
again. The South Seas have leaped
into sudden popularity time after time,
and then have been forgotten again.
Robert Louis Stevenson gave them a
run some years ago, and before that,
Herman Melville set men to laundering
and beautiful copper-colored damsels.
Places That Aren't
! OF course, what the writer's describe.
and what the readers banker after and
often go in search OF, is not the South
Sea islands as they really are, but a
purely imaginary realm which will give
play to all of the longings which they
cannot satisfy at home. These period
ic crazes about strange faraway Ar
cadies are simply evidence of the fact
that most men are only half salts
fled by the reality and so live largely
in their dreams. This craving for
some place else is chiefly interesting
as revealing the unsatisfied longings
of men. The South Sea islands are
by no means the only popular never
never land. The Orient is another one
which has spell of popularity every
few years. 1t, too, is having one just
now. A series of spectacular plays,
purporting to describe life. in the ORR
ent, have had great success. Several
books of the same character have been
best sellers, and the movies as usual
have followed suit.
1t is interesting to note that this
imaginary orient has almost exactly
the same essential features as the i'm
aginary South Sea island. In this
orient of the screen and the stage il
is once more always summer, once
more people are shown leading easy
unclad damsel of emancipated morals
is the leading feature of the scene.
These colorful portrayals of an easy
idle life, full of excitement and desire,
devoid of hard work and clothes, draw
enormous crowds of typical Americans
who work hard every day in the week
and often 60 to church on Sunday who
lead lives of routine and restraint, In
the most law ridden land OH earth, and
who are easily scandalized by any sug-
gestion of immortality in the lives Of
their neighbors.
Things Men Crave.
Is there anything strange in their
liking for these pictures and books ano
plays, which describe life as a thing
Of freedom, adventure and lust? Moth
lng Mt all. In each of those worthy
citizens is buried subliminal self that
longs for just those things, and the
proposterous books and pictures give
him a sort of vicarious satisfaction.
These books and plays and pictures
then. are above all Il diagnosis of civ.
ilized life in America. TheN show what
it lacks By showing what tue man who