Evening star., 1938-02-27
By NC. X.

viewers mail has contained
several letters of comment
~ or her criticism Of Rene Bel
benoits book, DRY Guillotine," which
appeared on the book page last Sun
day. DRY Guillotine," If you re-
member, was one of those accounts Of
escape from the French penal colony
of Guiana which come periodically
from the presses; in the last three
years the reviewer has had three Of
them to read. each written by man
who had escaped from the colony
after enduring inhuman cruelties and
risking unimaginable dangers.
After going through so many works
on the subject, the reviewer indeed
has been led into some speculation as
to whether Devils Island, like the
Spanish Civil War, may not attract
young would-be writer's who want a
sensational subject to serve as a spring.
board to a literary career. That is,
OF course, frivolous statement. But
1t does seem to be true, too, that every
man who accomplishes his escape does
publisher and occupies his thought,
while staggering through the fever
infested jungles, with calculating how
much the movie rights ought to bring
him.
Well. the reviewer is pleased to re-
port that most Of her correspondents
wrote her that they approved of her
somewhat severe attitude toward NJ
Belbenoit's unquestionably dramatic
adventures. One lady, however, was
moved to express the opposite point
CT view. Since she is in a minority,
she shall be quoted first
Il do not agree at all she
writes, with your conclusion that his
attempts to escape indicated a lack
Of morality and common sense. For
one thing. you neglected to mention
the fact that in addition to his eight
years sentence as a convict he was
also required by law to serve another
eight years in French Guiana as a
libere'. 1t seems to be pretty we'll
established fact that the life of a
libere' is equally if not more trying
than that of an imprisoned convict.
4 SIDE from this, I don't believe
that a desire to escape from the
penal colony is indicative of lack Of
common sense or that it is criminal.
I think it is perfectly understand
able impulse, particularly in place
like French Guiana, where the tempta-
tion to escape is ever present and
where the chance of retaining ones
health and morale to the end Of ones
sentence are so exceedingly slim.
Il don't think it is fair to say that
Mr.. Belbenoit has a peculiar criminal
psychology OF his own based only ON
immediate desire. That may have
been true in the beginning, but I be-
lieve his subsequent career indicates
tenacity of purpose and an ability
to endure which I find very ad-
mirable
Il do not hold any brief for Mr..
Belbenoit's actions before he was SEN
fenced to the penal colony and I do
not know how he will handle his
future now that he is back in civili-
zation, but I do think he deserves a
great deal of credit for the way he
got through those IS years"
The writer of this letter is E.
jeanette Bradley. 1912 Thirtieth
street NV An opposite point of view
is expressed by S. Adams, who does
not give an address. Says S. Adams:
"Your review in today's Star on
Belbenoit's Dry Guillotine' is classic
and should be made required reading
before any one is allowed to purchase
the book 1t has been a long time
since I have read an essay as clear,
intelligent and fearless as your re-
view"
So it becomes fairly evident that
there is some disagreement To the
writer of the commentator the re-
viewer extends thanks. To the writer
of the other letter she is no less CRATE
full for the interest she has mani
tested and in her own defense offers
these few comments and corrections.
THE review did not say, for ex-
ample, that Belbenoits attempts
to escape were indicative of lack Of
morality. The statement was. instead,
1T would seem indeed that the crimi-
nal does have psychology of his own.
way of thinking that takes account
of nothing but immediate desire, apart
not only from morality but from COM
mon sense"
Now the reference to criminals
lack of morality applies-and it seems
to the reviewer that the application is
clear. TOTO those activities which
made him a criminal in the first place.
Obviously if young Belbenoit had not
bee. short on moral sense he would
never have landed in French Guiana
or any other prison. The reviewer
simply pointed out that the psychol-
ogy Of the criminal, as exemplified by
this man, includes not only the stunted
moral sense, but q deficiency in COM
mon sense as well. And she still
maintains that Belbenoit's repeated
efforts to break out of the prison camp
were unintelligent. She bases that
statement on the fact that he wanted
to get away as soon as he could, and,
by persistently trying to escape, he
made his time longer That surely
was not common sense course.
AS for the desire" to escape being
/ lte