Evening star., 1923-01-23

TAhlS, JANUARY Go.--he'A ->'i N''A'
the famous German author and phil
osopher, died at his home here yes
terday.
Nordau had been i'll for a long time.
At his bedside when death came were
his wife and his daughter Maxa.
Max Simon Nordau was born at
Budapest, July %, 1S49. His parents
were Jews. He practfced medicine in
Budapest until 1880. when he took up
his residence in Paris. There, in ad-
dition TO his medical work. he studied
art. literature and social questions.
Nordau's father was Gabriel Sud
field. once rabbi in PrussiaS Swho be
came teacher in Budapest. Nordau
received his elementary education. in
Guiding Latin, Greek and Hebrew,
from his father. Later he attended
the university in his native city. His
literary activities were begun when
he was boy of fourteen. He worked
at journalism even when taking his
medical course, and was a travelling
correspondent later for leading Ger
man, Austrian and Hungarian news
papers.
His Notable Works.
His notable works include "Degenera-
tion,' conventional Lies of Mankind"
"Paradoxes," Paris Under the Third
Republic and Il Jewish play, DIR.
Kohn."
In 1897 DR.. Nordau was called by
DIR. Herzl, founder of political Zionism.
to aid HerZl in propagatng the Zionist
idea. From the first Zionist congress
at Basle in 1895. and for several sue
-ceeding congresses NordauS survey of
Jewish conditions in all lands was re-
Sarded as the keynote address of those
gatherings. His interest in Zionism con-
tinued unabated to the last, although he
gave up active leadership during the
years following the world war, both by
reason of the state of his health and be
cause of disagreement with some of
the policies of the present leaders.
Nordau always favored a more aggreS-
sive policy. protesting that modern Zion
ism gradually was losing sight of the
first principles as enuncated by HcrZl.
The declining days of the noted
savant and Zionist leader We're hard.
lie continued to live m poor circum-
stances, not having sufficient funds to
hire residence in the countryside. even
during the summer Owing to Illness
lie entirely ceased writing more thar a
year ago. He left unfinished a big
work on philosophy.
Had Only Small Salary.
Too proud to be the object of any
ones beneficience. Nordau refused to
consider even the possibility of finan-
cial aid which the Zionist organiza-
tion offered him on various occasions.
His only means of existence is said to
have been the punctual remittance of
q monthly salary from La Nacion. a
Buenos Aires newspaper. although he
discontinued writing articles for this
publication eighteen months ago.
Each remittance from the editor of
the newspaper is said to have been
accompanied by expressions of Solici-
tude for the state of Nordau's health.
In 1909, during Zionist ball in
ParlS, an attempt to aSSassinate him
was made by Loubain Chain Selik
who was said to have been angered
over the accusation that Herzl and
Nordau had given up the idea of a
Jewish settlement in Palestine in fa-
Vor of accepting a British government
offer of land for Jewish settlement
in East Africa Selik fired two shots
at Nordau, but neither bullet hit him
PnroIed During War.
During the world war the French
ordered the interpment of Nordau for
the duration of the period of hostili-
ties because of his Teutonic nativity.
Shortly after he was taken into Gus
tody, however, he was released by the
French on parole of honor and went
to Spain.
During his stay in Madrid, Nordau
declared the world war would last
until men had become reasonable He
declined to predict who would win
the war, but asserted that no matter
who conquered and whatever the con
ditions of peace, one result was Ger
tain-the utter destruction of Europe.
The vanquished," Nordau was
quoted as saying, will carry an in
tolerable evaporation, and even the
conquerorS soon Will be pervaded by
deep disappointment and wrath when
they realize the fact-as they will
that their efforts, sufferings and tri-
umphs will have yielded them no pal
pable benefit whatever and will not
have rendered easier and more pros
porous their existence and that of
their families; on the contrary, will
have made it more toilsome. hard and
gloomy"