The guardian., 1952-07-26
The American Conqueror
By WALTER ]. STEVENS

Pearl Bucks new book just off the press titled, The
Hidden Flower makes good summer reading Inc story
which is founded on the authors wide experience IN rne Ir
East concerns an exceptionally beautiful japanese girl ana
white army officer with the American occupation forces IN
Japan.
This sex happy lieutenant giving out with sraciousnesS
ike the thin veneer on cheap furniture and using every
means and devise known to the art Of love making at la
able to gain the and confidence OF trusting girl fs
a laws her on her way college puts watch on her and
foows her about each day and against her fearful protests
storms his way into the dgnifed precincts of her home He
promises her the oon" in the form of beautiful home IN
Virginia which he describes to her something out OF TINS
world.
So Josui which the of the poor little thing Is
te ready to chuck it all in exchange for the heaven
roed her in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia She
Is ready to give Up her parents the teachings Of her father
prominent physician Japan who often adonshed her.
1--WE are compelled choose between the savagery Of Com
nunism and the vugarsm of America. Her father had
taught her to love Japan and the old japanese and
beliefs This only daughter reared in the quiet Of an old
house svered by the ages and with garden surrounded by
atced wall from which hung wistera in full bloom She
was reared to give loyalty and service to her parents ana TO
have reverence for the old ceremony of tea drinking She
had fight for her virtue against the intimate and amoro
advances of blue eyed conqero but she succeeded So
after much hard work the lieutenant finally gained the
sent of his superior officers to marry the girl and the cere
mony was performed in a little Buddhist temple
was not long after that the soldier succeeded in getting
froueh to 20 to his home in Virginia and there prepare
place for his bride his mother former leader in
society in "Old Virgnny upon learning the of her
sons marriage had different ideas AT the first interview the
lieutenant could see his mother dangerously shaken
Dd you say her blood is entirely Jpanese?" she asked Yes
but they aren't dark Mother g" they nothing like
the coored people here His mother began to cry and the
more he tried comfort her. the more he his frghtful
mistake For now she could control herself She cried
out "oh nos prang her feet He had his
mother weep before He held her hand muterng and
over again. Mother-don" But she tore herself away from
him and hurried from the room.
The whole town up in against the marriage.
The father Of the young soldier advised him to send for his
bride and to another state to live And the day came
when Josui arrived in New York She thought it strange
that she 60 Virginia the Heaven that had been
made especially for her She stood alone in the middle of the
hotel bedroom She tired only from the journey but
because she not used sitting chairs and sleeping
beds lifted from the floor The muscles Of her legs ached
from strain and her back from the soft mattresses
She weary and alone while her husband spending
the Christmas holidays at home in Virginia with mother and
dad The lieutenant having great time He had
to accept the fact that in Virginia there old law for
bidding marriages between the races and that includes
everybody that is not white.
Josui lay relaxed and unconscious in great hospital
She did not wish wake up and the aneshetc
potent. She did not wish to her born child My
review hardly do the book justice Miss Buck proved
herself always to be great friend to minority groups
most Of her life has been spent in trying understand
and write about them Hidden Flower is book that touches
human emotions and shows how some Americans stoop
to conquer.