The New York herald., 1922-12-24
Fechter's "Hauptmann."

So is Paul Fechters "Gerhart Haupt
mann" Dresden: Sibyllen Verlag, los large
pages). The publisher announces Fech,
ter's work as IAN expression of the graft
tude of a new generation for the incalcula
bic values (Werte) Hauptmann's geniu:
has given u.s." Fechter himself speak:
with less assurance. The last four lines o.
his biographical and critical study read
Much that Hauptmann has done viii
perish and disappear; much has already
disappeared. But i'm his best hours he ha:
heard the stream of his age mutely purl
ing. vaguely swashing by. and has caught
up as much of it's melody as his senses
could grasp and his soul feel, and the re-
suit of this remains"
Fechter emphasizes the fact that Haupt-
mann was born in a scientific and socio.
logical age. This motivates his thesis
Hauptmann has given us much of life, but
precious little Of art. Nor is this all. H'
writes: What does Hauptmann create
clarity, awaken, illuminate within us
Nearly nothing" That places a seriou.
structure on Germany's most prominent
living writer.
Nor is this the only one. Fechter de-
votes an entire chapter to Hauptmann':
exploitation Of love. 1t is heavily written
as is each of the other nine. He lays il
down as a fundamental principle that 'the
poet may use love. love that is of this
earth, as an Indictment, but >he dare not
use it as a theme" And this latter Fech,
ter claims. is what Hauptmann has done
in every case except his purely historical
dramas, such as "The Weavers" and Flor
ian Geyer" He writes: "Gerhart Haupt-
mann is, in the most literal sense of the
word. the real eroticist of modern litera-
ture. He is this much more so than Frank
Wedekind, who is poles removed from him;
much more so than Richard Dehmel; much
more so than any other writer" Fechter
regrets this. finds. however. a crumb OF
comfort in Hauptmann's Hereto ci
Soana." He contends that Hauptmanr
has no followers. and he devotes just -four
words to his sojourn in the United States:
die Fdhrt mach Amerika.
German scholarship is not always phil
osophical; it may be merely practical
helpful In this class falls Wilhelm
Kosch's "Das deutsche Theater und Drama
seit Schiller's Tod" (The German TheateI
and drama siace the Death Of Schiller)
This book appeared in its first form In
1918. At that time Kosch stated that the
outlook for Germany was dark indeed that
the German people had become lax, soft
given up to pleasure time wasting and
time losing. He claimed that if anything
could arouse the nation from its mora
lassitude and spiritual torpor il would be
a great historical drama that would hold
up the mirror to human nature. Now he
adds los pages to his first edition and ex-
presses the wish that by the time the
third edi lion will be necessary his hopes Of
nine years ago win have been realized
Kosch is scholar, a gentleman and an
optimist.
One Of the most sensible chapters in the
book is entitled "The Music Drama from
Richard Wagner to Pfitzner" He claims
with Max Koch. that Wagner is the great
est German dramatist next to Schiller and
dominates. despite the opposition that has
been his. because of the artist in him. the
entire second half Of the nineteenth cen,
tury." That Is strong language; but Wag
ner never has been done justice. certainly
not in this country. as creative writer, as
a regular dramatist
Kosch has treated the evolution of the
German stage and German drama from
Inland (1759-1sfD 10 the hordes of dram
atists plying their trade around Easter
1922. including Hermann Sudermann. VIII,
was then putting the last touches to hi!
latest creation. Like Them That Dream.