Evening star., 1946-01-13
Among the Authors
By CAROLYN C0ggins

BY Carolyn L 0g4tnS
Usually Erich Maria Remarque
rests year or two between COM
pleting one book and beginning the
next. When his "Arch of Triumph" I"
comes out next week it will be his
first novel in five years, and this
time he is already working on an
other.
All over the world, of course, he
is known for his "All Quiet on the
Western Front" and that book must
have registered pretty well in heaven
as we'll, because its author was
watched over by fate in such way
back in 1889 as to suggest God had
His eye on the gentleman. In the
summer of that year he was one of
several thousand people in France
who thought 1t might be a good
idea to be somewhere else. The
logical place was the United States,
especially since he had little girl
in his care whose parents were here.
Phone connections on the Riviera
were off so that friends could not
even call neighbors. Knowing this,
but thinking he must make an effort
he hopelessly put through call to
the Paris steamship office. He was
connected in less than 10 minutes
was told that two people were just
walking away who had Cancelled or
the Queen Mary, and that their two
tickets would be held for Remarque
and his charge.
The Queen Mary's Last Trip.
He could hardly believe such luck
Now the problem was to reach Paris
some TOO miles away, in car with
missing part which definitely op.
Grated on only two cylinders. Sput.
tering the whole way, it faithfully
delivered him to a spot in mid-Pari!
and there stopped dead. He rushed
by other means to get those tickets
Isecured them and boarded the ship
That was the last trip the Queer
Mary made to the United State!
with passengers, for war was de.
clared a day later.
This was how I happened to be
visiting him six years later in hi
suite at the Ambassador in New
York. 1t was a cold, snowy eve.
ming. When offered drink,
asked for coffee and he went off
whistling a tune to himself, to make
me fresh pot in his little kitchen.
cite. I consumed my coffee alone
as he talked.
More Good Luck.
The paintings on his walls-a Ce'
zanne was nearest me-were OBJ
viously his own, and I wondered
how he happened to have them here
That, too, was coincidence. He hae
been sitting in his Switzerland hom'
one day, when he was approached
by an agitated maid She held {
little paper in her hand, one O.
those things that predict the flu
ture, and from it she had Learned
that there was soon to be a war
What was to be done with his pic
lures? Although he assured he
that there was to be no war and ex
planned why, he agreed that sh
could ship the pictures to his deale
in England for safekeeping. Thl
she did with dispatch, and when tn
blitz soon afterward made Englan,
unsafe, the dealer sent them on t
America.
There were stacks of records il
one corner of the enormous roor
where we sat talking and the table
were piled high with papers an
books. I mentioned eavying him hi
talent with languages, for some {
the latter were in French and Ger
man. He speaks English very wei
although he learned it only sine
coming here, and oddly enough
speaks it with a French accen
However, most of his Al years wer
spent in Germany.
Shortly after his first book cam
out he went to Switzerland to liv
and stayed there 10 years. A pic
ture of his Swiss home by the lax
stands beside the deepest chair, bu
he will not live there again for 500
he Will be an American citizen. H
will return to Switzerland to sell O
rent his place, or somehow restor
it, and the maid who still preside
over it, to more active usefulness.
Will Make New York His Home.
In Hollywood, where he was dur
ing his first three years in thi
country, he was charmed by hav
ing little house with a swim
ming pool. When he realized h
was becoming Hollywood -minde
he came to New York. He intend
to make it his home.
When he was a boy he wante
to be musician, perhaps painte
Instead the First World War mad
him a restless young man, unsur
of what he liked most. He was