The Dominion. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1914. THE SPIRIT OF YOUNG FRANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2013, 21 March 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1914. THE SPIRIT OF YOUNG FRANCE.

In yesterday's issue of. THE' Dominion wo had something to say about the, CUlsieWe ttfagedy arid its bearing fin tho political outlook-_ in France. We also referred fo the aims ■ and prospects of the party of _"ap< peflsemebt," and to the now national clement whieli has made its appearance ifl French politics., This revival ■of Ffflueh nationalism is by no means confined to the political sphere. It, ' has already made a deep isiprassion &n what is called tlio 'Intellectual youth" of the country, and is gradually psri&eatjug- ail classes of the population. It is striking a characteristic note .in the philosophy, poetry, and general literature .of tho present generationi and is also making itself felt jft the social life and recreations of the people. A remarkable change has come over the conn* try during the last twenty years. The feelisg of humiliation arising cmt of the crushing' defeat winch France experienced at the bauds of Germany in 1870-71 caused a wave of pessimism to pass over the- land. Many, frenchmen despaired of their country, and felt that it was so utterly decadent that its regeneration was hopeless. A cynical contempt for everything French became prevalent among thc_ loaders of thought, and a strong anti-nattoiiai seßtiruefifc began to spread among the people. After tho first bitterness of thti d'i-saStrcjuS war was ovet'j German. sciaacc and literature became fashionable, and German methods copied-, because it was felt that they were the Underlying cause of the success of tho Germans iii the- field of j)attlo. French .natjonalism had received a ; staggering blow, and one ' writer during this ' gloomy period wefti so far as to put these words on record: "I rccag.ni.se only itj.to].i.igcncc< J.i has BO.,fTottt'ier.vau.d 1 Would readily sacrifice tlio lives of a htviKired i-mbeeile Freiichmeii lor the,life of an'intellectual fSro.hi no mattqr where. lam not prcocctipiod with the integrity of the soil; tfe corner ia_ which I' rocditato. suffices me." This is a strongly-expressed, but not an isolated illitstratio.fl of tho spirit of: that uiaha.ppy time-. But &i recent years a great change ha? Gd-nie over FMiieh thought a;n'd action, it has taken thb fb;i?ni <jj a vigorous revival of tjationaiism, pnde m the a:i-iß,y and tjavy., a patrioUe and mystical nafti in literatufe, and a- delight in manly outdoor

I spdrts awd exercises-, such as rowing, J aviation, boxing* and metering* Ihe Gentian fashion is rapidly passing aWftys and a ■generation .has ai'-iscit. which is determined to sufler no further' humiliation front France's formidable ncighbimr. the" new iplc-Mini.-began to- fflakc itself .felt in polities in 1-9-lft, wtieti the drift towards . anarchy reesiyed a vigorous check by the fir-m manner in wiiieh M. Bfe'lAND criishfed, the railway strike. "T-o M. BiUAxb," writes iDft. C^A.TtE-ftxo^-HiLt s "belongs tile honour of having the princtpfc of authority, and of having introduced a rjolicy olddtenU et apmmmtut: in religious matters so successfully pursued. two years later by M. PojN-CAftE;" _ The- r<>W-akflning of the national spirit soon begas, to exert ii powerful influence oft foreign policy, sjnd .materially strengthened the hands of the French GoverninQnt dv-iring its strained relations with Germany in 1911 arising out. of the Agadir incident. But in ft) iftent of national life has the virility of young France been nio-ro eofts'frtc-ti-Ott-s than-in spoft a-arf re'ereatioti. A t'rfcVit'hniaii secured, the honour, of being the first to fly across the E.iig* iish Channel, and quite recently the French, boxer, CAB'SfeNTiEij, achievc-d world-wide fa»e. by the decisive nianper in w'hieh be- defeated = tfio English eha.Bs.pi.ofl, BojiMa'DiM . WivtiS- The; latest jwoof of the deter■n)i'n.atian of the geileratioa of FveOchmen t© excel m their sports is contained in -tlio-, cablegram In yos-toi'da-y'a issue of ttr>. Dominion, which stated that the -B-o.Tbojl.no University- has ohallonged the winner of tho fort:hcon.lin,g boat ira® between Oxford and Oanjhridge to a ina-tch. On' the t'hanies. Englfeh Unlversiiy .men will have t-o- look to their laurels.

Thssrft may be a> tendency in some quarters to exaggerates the' ticptli and strength of the national revival which Franco is at jiresont fiKpetiofteing, but that a retortaMe ftibvefncnt is in progress, especially among the "young intellectuals,'' cannot be doybtod by any. unbiased .observirr. SI. HraßißEßtisoN, .th<j celebrated French.philosopher, is aceustorned to weigh his AVords, and it may be ta ; kffn. fo.j granted that he has gsod ground for his opinion whan he asseris that "ft great and profound change" is going on.

"YHs, verily," hi? states, "I believe in a sw't of French moral renaissance, and what impresses ind motst/MVltrtt niatjes uio aiignf well of this rt>itfl , iSßft(iee—is'tiiftt it is not. nievoly ft transforinafian ol hlfim —ideas, jpoti kftftv, ftre #hnii<>«l so easily— ■but a. Sffhnitie t'Mnsfoi'mattoii, or rather a fjenHina creation of the will KW the. will is tlin csprcssitfrt of the letirpwanwnt itself s that JB lo say, the tlliß.fr \Vlich it is most ilifiionJt (o iiMk'lify. So viewed the evolution ttf the youth; of tho present appears to iwe a. soft of inn-acte, dWbly welcome siiroo it affirms thti rcconatit'iition of oar moral unity, awl Since it is a proof that tire genius of Franco continues •intact; . . . How can wc do othomvisß tlia» rejoice 10 sea a vonth hardier, morn audacious, more conscious of ifs responsi. l>.ilitics, wore French, in a.word, than the geftCr'nHons that preceded it;"

The pessimism of twenty years ago has been replaced by a virik optimism which will Bftt for n liioment aduiit that Franc* is on the down erade,- nnd which looks forward to the future with hope and confidence.

Young Franco is proud of the past history of the country, and is ftlidcavouviiig to revive the best traditions of the race, The regeneration has its national, intellectual, and physical aspects; and a religious element is also present, though it is difficult to estimate its extent with certainty. It is, however, an un» doubted fact that quite a number of the leaders of French thought are avowed Catholics. In this list Dft. CI.IATTERTON-Hi.li illchldeS BoURCOT, Basses, Boaseavx, OuuDisk, Pegwy, 4nd JammbS; but the revolt against; the fiiaterijilistio view of life extefids far beyond this inner circle. Oii-6 only has to mention such names as BmtfisoK artel 80/uriwtfx in proof of this. "When M. Bobtroux was received into the French Academy in January last, ho told his avidteiH'e that "modern reflection upon the achievements and methods of science showed that material forces taken alone explained nothing; that spirit as well as matter—and indeed -spirit above all—has the. right to be called being." M. Paul Bouwjet, in welcoming the now Academician, referred to Renan's desponding and sceptical utterances of thirty years ago, and then remarked that since ItßSAjf's time "that sacred vessel, the Holy Grail, from which our ancestors derived their strength and their hope, has been filled anew. New generations are arising for whotrt the ■ fie Awns are again peopled with j stars." The cynical pessimism, aii.d despair seam to have passed aft-ay, i and tile best minds of Fra.ftcc are, I again, m recently dc elated, proud of her pa.st ariid coftfidfißt in her future.