Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-03-04

| Of the National Association for the
| Advancement Of Colorcd People.
! (By Rcna Maran, Published In Paris.
Received tho PriX Goncourt 1921.
The book Is in French, Paper Cover
and can be secured Through the Girls
is. 70 Fifth Avenue for $50. Postage
Ten Cents.
In his preface, describing tho sec.
| ton in equatorial Africa in which his
novel Is laid, Marian says: ut was a
region rich in rubber and with Il large
, population. II had many plantations
! and its people raised large numbers Of
chickens and kids. Seven years Of for
! eign rule have been enough to ruin it
completely. The villages have been tic.
! stroyed the plantations have disap-
peared, the kids and the chickens arc
! dead. The natives, weakened by eXces
sive TOLL have not had the time to SOW
their crops. They have seen disease
, brought to them, famine overtake
! them and their population grow less"
} This is the keynote Of the remark
able novel by Rene Maran that has
been awarded the Prix GoncOurt, the
most coveted literary prize in Franco.
, Maran Is a Frenchmnn horn ut Bor-
deauX Of colored parents. His mother
comes from Guadeloupe; his father
, from Martinique. After finishing his
studies he took up his residence In a
remote part Of French equatorial Afri-
ca, two days journey from Lake Chad
rs colonial official. His novel wa5
published before he left, but he did not
know that friend had presented 1t
for the PriX Goncourt and he may not
know yet so remote is he from France
He has also published two volumes Of
verse.
It ts tremendous honor that has
come to this young colored Frenchmaa
! and one turns eargerly to the volume
that has been accorded such prize,
but we look at Batouala as propaganda
. for tho Negro we shall be sndly disap-
! pointed 1t depicts grossly sensuous
tribe held In subsection by a BRUTAL
government. But rs q picture Of the
horrors Of Imperialism it has never
been surpassed. Save In short pre-
face the author keeps himself and his
opinions entirely in. the background
and yet he says so much. here Is an
; important ceremonial dance, described
with horrible detail. that takes place
when the white commandment Is away
and in the midst Of the excitement Ba-
touala, tho chief; cries out against the
French. In few pages he gives the
history OF peaceful agricultural pee
yNln Ir0Nr1,t t,,f@ hal ,Inn 81
can commercial greed.
eve are nothing but flesh out OF
which taxes may he ground. We arc
nothing but beasts OF burden. Boasts??
Not even that! The white man will
. feed dog and care for a horse. But
we We are less than these animals,
we are lower than the lowest. The
/ white men are slowly killing u.s." AND
to this his cynical old father, cries:
LET us whine less and drink moro"
md thanks tho French for their xltt
Of nbsinthe. /
Batouala In his dying dellrum, tells
Of what he hates In the whites. their
lying. their cruelty, their unreasonable
ness; their hypocrisy. And he cries
out against taking the Negro to far of
lands to fight for. 4 savage Of the
whites and II they protest they are i'm
prisoned or hung. "There are no surfs
nor chiefs, whites or blacks.
only men and all men are
brothers" So he gives his philoso
ply. And in the meanwhile the
French comment, who has been asked
for medical aid to help save this chiefs
life, replies with charming candor that
he should be glad to have Batouala die
and nil his people with him.
The plot Of Baloualn Is the eternal
French triangle, husband, q wife, and
a lover.
The husband the chief Batouala has
a favorite wife. Yassiguinja who
becomes enamoured Of his friend
'Bissibingui. The husband in lis
jealousy determines to kill Bliss
blngut and when they are together in
the hut, land such a'mnrvellous de
scription Of hut as this is" throws his
knife at his rival while appearing tn
throw 1t at panther who is near R.a
ibingui. The knife misses it's aim and l.,
the panther turns upon Batouala and |
with one stroke Of his paw tears opon
his body.
The end Of the great chief is magnify
cent. He is silent after the delirium |
in which he inveighs against the |
French. Only his little dog is with him |
a snarling little red dog, one of the |
most real figures in the story. 1t IS !
night, Yassigulnja is in her hut,aMd |
with her his. rival. He sees them "en,-
bracing one another. Ills jealousy CIV
es him strength and rising to his feet |!
like an infant taking its first steps, he |
advances toward the pair who rush !
apart and stand against the wall, their |
teeth chattering with terror. But Ra-
toula has no further strength and like |
a great tree in the forest. he falls to
the ground. cat the sound the ducks /
quack, the hens cackle; the little red |
dog growls without openening his eyes
the ants, at work in their houses In
the brown earth m Ike grating sound |
And YaSSfpuindio nd Riacihinoni fIooI