Evening star., 1951-06-10
Loyalty Issue
|Drumutized bv
Irwin Shaw
THE TROUBLED AIR

THE TROUBLED AIR
|By Irwin Shaw. Random House,
I$3.75.J
| In "The Young Lions" Irwin
SHAW wrote a war novel which
ltrumpeted his belief in the tri-
Iumph Of decency. The uneasy
years of peace have apparently
shaken his faith somewhat. At
least in 'The Troubled Air" he
describes an unequal, subterra-
mean struggle between good and
evil in which the man of good
will is so brutally horsewhipped
that 1t leaves a troubled reader
wondering If the odds are stacked
against him.
Mr.. Shaw, fluent and sensitive
reporter of the excruciating pres
sures brought. on modern society,
has taken his theme right off the
front pages. He is examining the
question of loyalty. Specifically
he is dealing with Reds in radio,
but his theme embraces much
more. If the resulting novel is
not up to his highest mark in fic-
ton, as it takes on some of the
qualities of tract and some of a
melodrama, it is still Furnishing,
engrossing reading that cuts like
a buZz-SaW to the main issue,
Since he must explore many at
titudes, he has taken the easy
way out, in that his characters,
instead of being merely human
beings. represent points of view,
Mr.. Shaw has a wide and agon-
lied affinity to the dispossessed of
this world, and his hero, a we'll
heeled radio producer, is not ex-
actly his type. Shaw likes him.
pities him. but can't quite get un-
der his skin.
! Clement Archer is every we'll
lntentioned liberal who ever
signed a petition that he knew
was Communist-sponsored, think
ing the Communists were working
Tor him rather than he for them
When he is told that he must
summarily drop five people on his
radio show. because they have
been named by a Red-baitine
publication, his reaction is instant
and admirable. He demands two
weeks grace to investigate the
charges for himself.
-Four of the five are especially
Vulnerable. Frances Motherwell
a handsome neurotic, proudly ad-
mltS she is a party member. The
Negro comedian refuses to answer,
seeing everything as a racial is
sue; poor widowed Alice Weller,
with a teen-age son, spoke at a
peace" meeting; Pokorny. the
repulsive little Viennese musician.
is married to a militant Red lead
Ter and has lied to gain entrance
to the country. OF Victor HERES
though, his one-time pupil and
long time friend, Archer is COM
pletely sure. and on this basis he
goes to bat.
NOW you may think MIR. Shaw
is beating his breast in a liberals
outraged piety that people can be
so pilloried for legitimate political
beliefs and old mistakes. But WI,
will be quite wrong. After seem
ingly building up sympathy for
the wretched Pokorny, the wispy
Alice, he suddenly whirls around
to show you the people who are
responsible for this state of af-
fairs. Archer. his worries compli-
Gated by the dangerous pregnancy
OF his wife. is harried from right
and left. His telephone is tapped;
he receives scurrilous telephone
calls. He is vilif1ed by a Red COL
umnist. And both sides converge
or him after a mass meeting
with public confessions - where
the total fabric of cynicism and
corruption and betrayal is exposed
tn him.
In blaze of self-recriminatio
Archer resolves to expiate for hav-
ing been naive and ignorant and
lazy" 1t is also brought out that
he could not have won. BY pro-
testing he walked into a Commu-
mist trap; if he acceded in the
first place, he would have betrayed
people he thought were friends
and his own ideals. Mr.. Shaw has
made the dilemma a bit too neat.
The Communists are the villains
OF the piece. and Glen never has
a chance against them. Mr.. Shaw
makes the case powerfully, if not
with his usual artistry, that none
Of US do unless we look more alive.
MARY Mrapnpv