Evening star., 1947-12-07

be readable. A hve-and-ten-cent
imitation of either Proust or Joyce
is simply intolerable.
Don't Photograph Life
illuminate 1t
The socially conscious novelists
still depict with a realistic eye the
poverty and misery of the lower
classes. But their tricks are growing
threadbare. Plain reportorial work.
candid shots of life, seem to he
losing prestige both with the critics
and the reading public. The more
serious minded among these say,
well, now. we know that our society
is wrong: that there is too much
poverty and social injustice. Stop
telling us that. Don't simply photo-
graph life, but try to illuminate it,"
What that illumination should be.
no one seems to know. Catholic
writer's think that the fourth dimen-
sion in a novel is God Communist
writer's Gn my opinion Communism
is tending to become a religion, while
Catholicism is assuming all the as
poets of political party) point to
the brotherhood of men, equality
and the social millennium, yet go on
ignoring the purge trials of Moscow.
and the unethical political behavior
of Russia. Those who in their books
praise, defend or tolerate our estab-
lished social order, fail to explain
why it is unable to solve the prob
lens of hunger, unemployment and
periodical depressions.
1t does not take too keen an OBJ
server to detect two main foreign
influences at war in Latin America
over the privilege of imposing on
this part of the Western Hemisphere
their artistic, political and literary
pattern. 1 mean France and the
United States. The latter, tn, ough
its Cultural Institutes" is trying to
keep its good neighbors good and
friendly by sending them newspapers.
books and magazines, movies and
teachers of English. The French are
attempting comeback through
their Alliances Franchises" in an
effort to bring back to their fold
Uncle Sam Has Much
To Offer Her Friends
But gone are the days when the
prodigal son was satisfied with a
ring and calf. Now he wants cars.
refrigeratorS, radios and a very
substantial financial support. On
their side the Americans have thei.
vast wealth, their better movies.
magazines like the Spanish and
Portuguese editions of Readers
Digest and above all the glamour
of their country, that today is
leading the world in the financial,
industrial and military field. But
on the other hand the United
States is handicapped by a very
strong current of anti-American
propaganda fostered through Latin
America by the Communists, who
try to present the U. S. A. as the
great colossus of the North" a
nation of imperialists striving to
keep their Latin American neigh
bors in a state of permanent eco
nomic servitude.
The French have the tremendous
handicap of the lack of money, but
count heavily on their savoir faire
and tradition of culture to win the
day. France may be compared with
very intelligent, cultured but poor
old aunt. from whom one expects
learning, advice, beautiful stories
and kisses, but no money or mate
rial gifts. Instead, Uncle Sam is
shrewd businessman, fabulousIy
rich and powerful-a person whose
intentions everybody suspects but
who has much to give. from cars
and gasoline, to penicillin and
financial support.
A Literary Paucity
Fostered by Unrest
The literary harvest in Latin
America of late has been very Door
because of the unrest and confusion
IN which these countries live. To
begin with. the world situation is
none too rosy. Then each country
south of the Rio Grande has it's own
national problems arising from ex-
ploltatlon, graft, dictatorship and a
very low standard of living. Strikes,
riots, bitter political quarrels. infla-
ton, food shortages and high prices
the Latin American newspapers
are full of all these things. In the
midst of it all, the writer loses his
balance, his sense of proportion as
well as the will to write. To use a
good AmerlcanlSm, "he is off the