Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01

1864, in Bilbao, the capital Of vizcaya,
and he is proud of the fact that he Is
OF pure Basque descent. Bilbao was
once celebrated for its iron and steel
manufactures. The ElizabethanS used
the term bilbo for napier, and Falstan
described very picturesquely his con-
dition in the buck-basket as COM
passed, like a good bilbo. in the cir.
conference of q pick, hlt to point,
heel to head"
Residents Are AIOOf.
This stormy land Of eroded contours
and wailing winds, of precipitous rivers
and Snow-clad peaks, seems to roughen
the bodies of its inhabitants. They
are stern, sturdy people living on
solitary mountains or on valley farms
as landlords and masters, proud Of
their local customs and almost hyper
borean ancestry. They were the earliest
settlers Of the Iberian PeninSula-and
perhaps 1t is because OF this priority
and of the pre-Aryan blood in their
veins that they defend their liberty 50
paSSionately and keep so aloof from
the rest of Spain.
Unamuno spent the years Of child
hood and adolescence in Bilbao; 1t was
there that he received the early i'm
preSSionS that nodded his spirit. In
1874. before he was quite 10 years old,
he saw his native city bombarded by
the Carlist troops. This episode left
deep scar in him. 1t was his heroic
age" In the company of other small
boys he seized the smoking shells Of
exploded bombs while they were sttll
so hot that they burned his hands, TO
hurl them through the windows Of de.
serted. dilapidated stores.
While still very young Unamuno, like
his ancestors, struggled, in q most
frantic and intense way, to find God.
He dreamed of living in q monastery
and seeking God with aSceticism and
ecstasy. He wanted to be q saint. He
attended the impressive ceremonial
services Of the church. His wide read
ing took him to Kant, Descartes and
Hegel, but he always gave preference
to poets, especially to those who were
more abstract, whose voices rang with
mystic wavers. He bought little note
book and began to set down in 1t q
new system of philosophy: VERY SYM
metrical, bristling with formulae. with
the most labyrinthine, cabalistic and
complex premises 1 could devise"
In 1880 he moved to Madrid, to con.
tinue there his studies in literature
and philosophy Three years later he
received the doctors degree. He was
excellently equipped in classical, Teu.
tonic and romance languages, and he
had studied Danish so as to be able
to read Soren Kierkegaard in the
original
Several times he attended compete
tive examinations for vacancies In the
universities. twice in Latin once in psy-
chology, once in metaphysics only
to fail in receiving his coveted appoint
ments. His independent spirit and fear.
less free thinking no doubt contributed
largely to these failures. Then, taking
advantage of his linguistic ability, he
attended the examination in Greek,
and finally succeeded in 1891, when he
was named professor of Greek at the
University Of Salamanca, "omnium sci-
entiarum princeps." In that same year
he settled there and dedicated his time
to his two courses, one in Greek the
other in the history Of the Spanish Ian.
guage.
Was Dean Of UnlvcFsity.
In 1901 he was named dean of the
University Of Salamanca.
q He had been finding that he was Q
voice to cry out against political and
social injuSticeS, and now he was fear
less in taking determined stands ct al
times on all public questions. In 1903,
during the "juegos foraleS" In an An.
dalusian city-a literary contest in the
the prize for the best poem Is always Q
natural Notwithstanding, as principal
judge, was supposed to develop the
theme, "Patrio Fides, Amor" Instead,
to the intense amazement OF the au"
dience and the ludicrouS diSmay of the
other judges, the paradoxical professor
discussed with Shavian venom the ag-
ricultural problem of Spainl He ex-
erted his force on the outer world,
inn irNNp ali Ia nj A
year after year, violent journalistic cam
paigns, with aggressive independence
attacking everything that letters, dogma
and governmental tyranny. This cost
him the position he held; IN 1914 he
presented his resignation and continued
as professor of Greek.
Still ne did not abandon his attacks.
When he courageouSly began to direct
them at the Spanish crown, he was
condemned for the crime Of lese ma
jeste to 16 years imprisonment, but q
royal pardon saved him from suffering
the penalty that had been imposed.
He continued with his Greek pro-
fessorship: and he continued his politi-
cal struggles, in molding public opinion
and in exposing wrongs, always with
a more widespread appeal and with
stronger faith.
Remembering the adoleScent mystical
devotion and fervors, one might wonder
what had turned the dreamy boy into
a man of action, when his whole en~
vironment and calling invited him 10
philosophy, to the investigation Of the
tranquil fields of Hellenic literature and
poetry. But Unamuno himself explains
the change in him.
Felt Duty Was to Country.
His salary was the product Of the
work of his countrymen. The bread
that his children ate was given to him
by his country; and he felt that his
first duty was to that country. There
were in Spain too few people feeling
fervently that there was q need for
national renoVation-too few-and since
he happened to be one of the few he
felt that he was called upon to further
that work, to dedicate himself to that
cause, supremacy patriotic, supremely
sacred, a duty of gratitude.
With renewed ardor he delved into
the essence OF his gospel: Every day
I believe less in the social question,
the political question, the esthetic
question, the moral question, the re-
ligious question, and all those other
questions people have invented to keep
themselves from reSolutely facing the
only true question that exists: The
human question, which is mine, and
yours, and that of every one and of
all Like Don Quixote, Don Miguel
does not tilt his lance for ideas, but for
the spirit.
In Unamuno's masterpiece "The
Tragic Sense of Life" one of the most
personal books ever written, Is summed
up the Spanish character. In its warm
prose throbS the very heart of his coun-
try. Unamuno voices SPANS lack of
interest for science, intellect, beauty
an attitude which leads to realism in
art. And then he goes OH IN search of
the man of flesh and bones. to find