The Washington times., 1931-05-19
SPAIN RECRUITS
/ ENJOYS FROM
L|TERAT|
New Governments Diplomatic
Appointments Interest D. c.;
Purpose Appears to Be Dual

appointments IIIleIcSl " vs.
Purpose Appears to Be Dual
Because of recent euentS in
Spain, the follotOing article,
Gt1o1Ding light on the type OF Gp-
pointments to high office being
made By the netD Republican goU-
eminent, is OF special interest.
BY LUIS MUNOZ-MARIN
The diplomatic appointments
made by the Spanish republic to
date should be of interest as an in
dication of the general tone of
that government, and of the move.
ment that placed it in power.
Most of these appointments, be-
ginning with that of Salvador de
Madariaga to the Washington en-
haSsy, have gone to literary men,
novelists, poets, essayiSts, archae-
ologists and political writer's.
All Schools Represented
Practically all schools. are rep
resented from Ramon Perez de
Ayala, perhaps the foremost Span
SSh novelist of the day, who goes
the the Court of st. James pre-
EIImably because of his coSmopoli-
tan outlook, to Federico Garcia
6anchiz, a minor croniqueur, who
goes to Tokyo, probably because
he has a firm and delicate style
reminiscent of Japanese prints
and has, in fact, split good deal
Of colored ink in depicting geisha
dolls.
Luis Araquistain, the author of
D widely read Utopian novel Eel
Archipelago Maravilloso," and of
structures on American irnperi-
RlisIn, goes to Athens, the home of
the author of the first republic
Utopia.
Paris is to have DR.. Gregorio
MaraXon, noted physician with
q literary bent, whose interests
have so far ranged from diabetes
and endocrinology to the pSychol-
0gy of Don Juan.
Berlin will welcome Jose Ortega
" Gasset, distinguished philoso-
pher and editor of Revista de Oc-
cidente.
Ruiz to Argentina
To Argentina goes that calm and
charming exponent of the glories
Of old CASTLE, Jose Martinez Ruiz,
better known under the pen-name
which he has made familiar on
both sides of the Atlantic, "Az-
Urin."
Havana will see America Castro,
who has traced the Don Juan
legend beyond the sixteenth cen
tury "Burlador" of Seville, to it's
roots in a medieval tale of a man
treating a skull disrespectfully,
thereby raising the figure of Don
Juan from it's associations with
simple libertinage into the dignity
OF "the enemy of God," sort of
belated Lucifer.
Luis de Zulueta, a writer on
educational subjects, a free lance
political journalist, goes to Rome.
.Pragrue is to have the sociologist
Rafael de Altamira, whose work
on the psychology of the Spanish
people is a standard guide for
those who would penetrate that
intricate maze. Lisbon will see
Don Miguel de Unamupo, the
philosopher
How close all these men are in
the present-day literary movement
of Spain is shown by reading Of
Jose A. BalSeiro's essay on Don
Juan (part of his book "El Vigia,"
Madrid, 1929. In the course Of
its few pages almost half of the
new diplomatic corps is quoted:
Maranon, Zulueta, Perez de Ayala,
SsAzorin," Castro. The whole
corps can be found within 10
pages of any standard work on
Spanish literature covering ground
beyond the nineteenth century.
Explanation Suggested
One receives from the list the
same impression that would be
caused if a new Washington ad-
ministration announced the ap-
pointment to foreign embassies
ana l6SaClOI1S OI n. II. Mc1Ck6Ll,
Theodore Dresser, Booth Tarking-
ton, John Dewey, Osward Garri-
son Willard, DR.. Joseph Collins
and Vachel Lindsey.
The explanation may be politi-
cal, or cultural, or both.
Another, and, a political reason,
may arise from the well-known
trait Of the Spanish intellectuals
to be against the government,
whatever the government might
be. A distant and decorative
legation is an excellent way Of
keeping their hands off the
political turmoil.
And again, there is a cultural
reason. But whatever the motive
and it is probably compound
Of all-the Spanish Republic is
making a generous contribution to
the gayety of nations, as well as
to international understanding
through intellectual exchange.