New-York tribune., 1922-01-22

posing the 1aulta ana STU
pditics of their own country
men. No one scored bourgeois France
as f'ercely as Flaubert Matthew Ar
mold was the most caustic critic of
British philstnism. Norwegian petit
ness and narrow nindedness received
short shrift from Ibson. And now
Heinrich Mann joins such distin-
guished compatriots as Hcine and
Nictzschc in training The guns Of Bit
tcrest ridicuc upon the swaggcring
absurdties of German Junkerdom.
"The Patrioteer" is undeniably one
of the best things that Harcourt, Brace
& Co. have given us through the me-
dium OF their European Library. In
theme and execution it strongly resem-
f.es our own Main Street" We have
the same unspar;ng chronicle Of pro-
vincial baseness and moral cowardice
and scrvile trucking to authority and
convention. relieved by many episodes
of broad and uproarous humor. But
there are several important differences
/ IN the technique employed by Sinclair
Lewis and by Heinrich Mann
The most valid criticism that has
been offered of "Man Street is the
authors failure to work out con-
structive alternative TO the devastating
intellectual barrenness and spiritual
emptiness OF the typical American
small town Mr.. Lewis smitcs the Main
Streeters, with their beavers, their
Ihanatopsis clubs and their dreary
lives devoted to movies. motor cars and
land deals, hip and thigh But the
figure which Sinclair Lewis projects
against the Gopher Prairie background
is that OF well-meaninc but feeble
willed lady. whose parlor radicaiisrn
does not even give her sufficient social
courage TO sit down at the same table
with her hired girl. One wonders
whether 1t would really be worth while
TO elect n revolution merely for the
purpose of substituting the dictator
snip of the Carol Kennicctts for +ha+
OF the Juanita Haydocks.
Heinrich Mann. on the ether hand.
has more fundamental criterion bv
which to judge the failings of modern
Germany. E!e appeals to Beethoven
and Kant, as against Bismarck and
SHINES. lie feels that life for the
German people could be made infinite
~ richer and more beautiful if they
would only turn away from the false
gods OF commercialism and imperialism
and realize the possibilities Of their
rich cultural heritage
The Patriotcer" is also more univer-
sal i'll its appeal than Main Street.,
Along with much satire that is local in
its application there is perpetual
undercurrent Of the sentiment which is
SO strikingly expressed in lbscns
Enemy Of the People," the protest of
the generous minded individual against
the cruel and cowardly tyranny Of the
mob.
Diederich Hcssling, the central
figure Of the novel, is prc-cn,incntlv
mob minded. From, bovhood he nc
customed himself to swim with tire
current. to echo the views that were
prevalent and proper, to bully the
weaker and to crinrc before the
stronger In other words, he is g vcrv
fair specimen of what a P1ussianized
state and Prussianzed system OF
education mi"ht be expected to make
out Of man who has no stronr in
ward idealistic impulses.
1t is always Hessling's practice to
shout for the powers that be. Quite
naturally he becomes e devout Kaiser
worshlpper. With exquisite humor
Mann shows how Hessine apes the ALL
Hlghest IN every way, turning uo his
mustaches at the proper ferocious
angle, eagerly catching up and repeat-
ing each new pronounccmcnt of tho
imperial deity, talking to his employees
IN the same hectoring phrases which
the Kaiser used in addressing his suh-
jects
How far Diedcrich is carried in his
worship of power is shown by the fol-
lowing incident. A sentry has lust
shot and killed workman who icered
at him. The action is sharplv
criticized, and Diederich springs TO the
defense Of militarism with this dclicbt
1ul ldealization of -blooded muir
der:
For me the incident partakes of the
sublime, of the majestic, SO to speak.
That person who is impertinent can
be simply shot down in the public
street, without trial-think of it. II
brings something heroic into the du)j-
ness Of civil life. 1t shows people
what power means"
The Patrioteer" is brilliant and
penetrating satire on the follics and
cruelties of Prussian militarism and
bureaucracy. 1t is more than that. II
is deeply thoughtful revelation of the
debasement and corruption that must
come to every human soul that reckons
only with material force and materja,
success.