Evening star., 1947-03-16

Co.; S2.75J
Reviewed by
CARTER BROOKE JONES.
East and West do meet, and some
times the consequence Is tragic.
This is the story Of Ofni, Japa-
nese girl, whose parents sent her to
America to be educated in the years
before the war.
Returning to Japan In 1888, she
found everything, even her family,
had changed in the five years she
was away. It was not only that she
had learned and liked American ways
while she was earning college
diploma. Japan was different. The
China Incident" and the grandiose
plans of the Pan Asiatic Co-Pros-
perity Sphere had put the militar-
lists and expanisonists on top. Omi's
parents had been liberal, for Japan,
living in western style.
The girls father, a banker, hao
found it expedient to go back to
the rigid ancestral forms. Japan,
he pointed out, must shake of
Western vices and unite against her
enemies. The family used to dine
together. Now the father ate alone,
the mother dined in her room, and
so, perforce, did Omi, sometimes
with her younger sister for COM
pany. Incessant bowling and all the
other hollow forms of Old Japan
had come over the household. A
woman is of little consequence in
that creed-she is supposed to stay
like a shadow in the background.
Changed Customs.
Omi was fresh from country
where women say and do pretty
we'll what they please. Naturally
she was rebellious, and there were
stormy scenes. She was even ban
ished to mountain lodge for long
stay. Eventually she married a
young Japanese whose views were
as liberal as hers, although he
worked in the Foreign Office. Their
struggle to maintain some sort of
personal integrity and to build a
home for their son while the earth
shook with war ended in tragedy as
peace came. The husband, through
no intent of his, had become in
volved hopelessly in secret move
ment called Resistance in Peace, as
bloodthirsty in it's way as the old
Black Dragon Society.
Mr.. Wynd has written striking
first novel, which has been awarded
the Doubleday $4,000 prize.
The book suggests answers to
some of the questions often asked:
What became of the Japanese lib
erals, or were there none left by
1941?
Mr.. Wynd was born in Tokyo of
Scottish parents. He lived in Japan
until he was 18. Later he went to
Edinburgh University. In 1941 he
was sent to Malaga as British
intelligence officer. He was cap
tured, and spent several years in
prison camps. He started his book
in a POW compound, completing 1t
in Manila and Edinburgh.
1t seems to me that he has car
ried out well the difficult purpose
of projecting himself into the lives
of people no Westerner can know
too we'll. However accurately he
has drawn japanese character, his
men and women are clear and
credible as human beings. Through
his knowledge of the country he
has thrown further light on the
irony Of history which saw Japan
turn on that West which had made
her a major power, thus destroying
her own tenuous empire.
BLACK Fountains" is not with
out literary faults. Mr. Wynd often
encases his characters thoughts in
formal paragraphs between quotes,
which slows up the narrative. A
briefer, more subtle method might
have conveyed the same thing. But
such blemishes are minor. The
novel remains, in my opinion, a
Hra oob;evoy,ocpt