LITERARY FRANCE AND GERMANY

Evening Star, Issue 19663, 16 September 1927, Page 3

LITERARY FRANCE AND GERMANY

THE LATEST TENDENCIES Can Locarno arouse an impulse for a spiritual understanding and co-operation between tbo historical enemies on the loft and right banks of tbo Kldnc? One who has faith that this will bo accomplished is Heinrich Mann, brother of the perhaps more famous Thomas Mann, and like his brother ono of tbo leading novelists _ of Germany. Despite tho war, with frontiers closed for live years to all spiritual communication with France, points out Mr Mann in a Berlin paper, “(he trend _of thought in both countries received its impulse from the sumo experience and at present tends to the .sumo end.” Spiritual sympathy of peoples living so close to each other and yet so radically different iu temperament and character, wc arc told, has boon of historical importance. Tho measure of this increase or decrease Inns always been the barometer of the understanding or misunderstanding between the French and tho Germans. After (he Franco-Priissian war of 1870, there, seemed lo bo an aversion from German literature in Franco and, as Herr Mann declares, “ the French look kindly to only a tew German works, really only to NicUscbc, who was 100 big to be. evaded. What else?" ho asks. '“The music of Wagner. And still what else;' .Scarcely anything.” Mr Mann writes:—

‘‘Tlio tendency in 1 lie first half of Iho nineteenth century was in tho oilier direction. France took much from ns. There onr philosophers were at home, much more than the French were, with ns. All the intellectuals read Hegel, all worn fed with Kant. Scientists admired the German methods of thinking and research, and German writers could final a friendly world and feel quite at home in Paris. As yon know, this was Heine’s experience. lie and many others came to Franco chiefly for ono idea, that of bourgeois freedom. Tho great French revolution of 1789 slid attracted the intellectuals, but the idea was nob fully utilised by Germany or by the rest of the world. But it is significant that at the same lime, Germany possessed something that attracted France, German romanticism. B. T. A. Hoffman, (ho romanticist, never played the role with ns Ihit ho did with the French.

“German influence at Ural lime was particularly strong m music. French operas with German themes were written; French music with German characters. “ IVerllior,’ ‘ Mignon,’ ‘ Margarothc.’ A German dream hero has become reality, and French dreams are, concerned whh German history. This feeling was still persisting after the Franco-Pnibsian war, when Ihe opera Werthcr ’ was performed. September 6, 1870, live days after Mm Prussian victory, Renau said: ‘ln everything I have studied I was surprised by tiio superiority of the German mind and the, German work.’ ’’

Hut as Germany rose to power, flu; spiritual inllnonco on both sides dwindled. The Germans wen completely absorbed by their rise to a, world nation, and France and French influences were felt ' only vaguely. “Tho case.” Herr Mann says, “ linally became hopeless.” Going on:—

“Pel ween us was the, ajmed frontier. Although one could, have friends in France as an author, hostile, politics blocked all ways of a permanent understanding. In addition Micro was a, constant inner discord between the two nations. Franco lias been ruled by tho ‘ left wing ’ ever since 1870, Germany by the ‘ right wing.’ This fact alono would have forced the diversion of the two countries. And, we who always know how necessary we were to one another, had to look on helplessly at the trend of events. Finally came the war.

“ For four years in all respects, and for a longer period in part,, wc Germans were separated from the rest of tho world. There were as few spiritual lies as there wore of any other kind. AVhrn wo finally saw the first French books again, wo were surprised. Much had changed; but not as wo had expected; the remarkable thing was that everything had changed in the snino direction as with ns. Also French literature was not a literature of peace, any longer. Psychological problems were not in tho foreground any more; instead of tho social studies of former novels, domplions of tho war supervened. Man and his world look over all the space even where often woman had ruled. Ail this wc knew; wc observed that it was practically Mm same with ns. But the similarity went further. Though victors, they, too, had a. literature of revolution, Miey had Barbussc. Though never separated from the, world as wc wore, they, 100, had an exoticism which looked like tho flight from homo and from the present; they had Paul Mor.iud and others. “ French literature, the most national in tho sonso that it measured the events- and experiences of humanity always by the rule of its own contemporary society, lias become most disquieted; it does not like its own secure seclusion any more; it expands and lakes tho world as its field It becomes European. The young French literature is imbued with the desire to renovate, not without revolting against traditional greatness, and recognised achievements which seem lifeless to it. Its own slogan becomes action, activity, upbuilding, which are equally well known to the young Germans.

“ What is trim there, is true hero. The thought of action may ho quite left or quite right. Only it must be movin';. Skepticism is prohibited; thinking for its own sake is most disliked. Therefore disinclination to the greatest national ligurc of yesterday, Anatolo Franco, lias become widespread. No esthetic form or learning is demanded, but, doubt and ethical standards. “ lu oilier words it is the chaos of the undecided after-war time; to feel life saved from the terrors of I he, world's fall as strongly as possible. To intoxicate it, to build it anew. “ Do you see now how remarkably kindred these events are to our German ones? And the frontiers were locked for many years. Influences on cither side were made impossible. No communication, but (lie same catastrophe borne by both enemies. The same spiritual experience as the basis. But this becomes a thoroughly distinctive similarity instead of hatred of the two minds.''