Evening star., 1932-10-09

anything except what was here and now, of
anything that could net be comprehended by
the senses. This, on its face, appears as alb
surd belief as its opposite-that the very
fact of being perceptble to the senses renders
factor ipse facto, non-eXistent. But 1t fitted
ideally into the current of the times-into the
hypocrasies of the efficiency engineer and the
moral laxties of the erring spouse whose super
ego was hurting and who dreaded the essential
decency of Freud he dreaded the essential
decency of an old-faShioned minister or ply
sician.
Moreover, the surgent nationalism which fol-
lowed the could not endure Freudianism.
1t needed and found in science" facility for
shutting cut the cries of the suffering with
statistics-a development which, 1t may be- viii
be appraised by some contemplative future as
a disservice for which all the good science has
done hardly can compensate.
But now conditions are changing. Freudian-
ism may be coming into more hoSpitable days
with changing conditions. And such a book as
this of DR.. Wttels which presents Freudianism
sympatheticaly and cleanly-without dragging
in any smirking and gratutious pornography tc
pervert the lbido of the sophomore or salve
the conscience Of the lbertine-renders dis
tinct service. 1t is popularzation for thinkers,
not smut hunters.
OF special significance is DR.. Wittels presen-
tation of the unbrcken current Of idealism
from Goethe through Freud to Einstein. All
three represent the same fundamental idea in
different fields. The celebration OF the Goethe
centenary this year may well have been a sig
nificant event. The change, 1t Is to be hoped,
will gain sufficient headway to forestall the
crucifxion Of Einstein, which is certain to be
demanded as soon as the wishful materialists-
shrinking Historically from the non-sensory
world as earthworms struggle back into the
sheltering mud from the pain of contact with
sunlight-are informed by their intellectual
spies of what he is talking about
1t must not be expected that the future will
accept wholly Freudianism or any other schol
of psychoanalysis. We are about due to dis
card behaviorism because behaviorism no longer
fits into our wishful thinking. A few years, and
1t will be condemned as violently and as I'M
justly as Freudianism now is condemned. We
will find what we need for our wish structure
in the various schools of genetic psychology, of
which that Of Freud is the best known, and
build up from them popular psychology as OBJ
noxous as that We have discarded.
One or two centuries hence generations which
have found more workable building material
may be able to judge effectively the value of
those which we have used while they are en-
gagged in the eternal process of building fresh
illusions.
DR.. Wttels is disciple of Freud He pre-
sents a good case for the old master He can
at least be granted the credit of being prohpet
of the changing time-of having successfully
defended a system of thought which will en-
dure, however harshly time may deal with vari-
GUS details of it.
THE GODS ARRIVE. BY Edith Wharton,
author of THE Age of Innocence" etc.
New York D. Appleton & Co.
4 S the story opens the two are sailing out Of
New York Harbor for Europe. Eloping, in
truth for the lady has left her lawful spouse be-
vuifI
rest of the multitude today in the avowed pur-
pose of finding themselves" living their own
lives" and performing other feats in the lingo
OF emancipation all to the damage of conven-
ton, domestic security social decorum and
good taste. The man, in this instance, Is q
writer, to be. The lady is his inspiration. And
that is the story. case of trial by error,
carried out through testing the strength of
love under the strain of unforeseen and un-
reckoned conditions. The career of a writer
is hard to build. Even inspirations wear dull
and need to be FURNISHED anew, changed even.
This young man tried both modes of renewal.
A union without benefit of clergy brings its
own griefS, private and more open. Against
the background of most interesting Europe
these two advance toward dsillusion and much
new knowledge concerning the daily wear and
tear of life itself. The end of the matter is
open, though there is final gesture that Is
intended to be conclusive.
In outline, the novel suggests a current
thriller. But Mrs. Wharton is distinguished
novelist who does not write lightly. There
fore, THE Gods Arrive must stand as a social
problem etched against background in whose
portrayal Mrs. Wharton is an acknowledged
artist. Life posits its problems, but does not
solve them, sets down no answers to them.
"The Gods Arrive" follows the same method.
The majority of readers will hold this novel
below 1.-The House of Mirth," 1.-The Age of In
nocence" and far below the best of them all,
Ethan Frome." If there be lack in story