Suppressed Military Novel.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 98, 29 April 1904, Page 4

Suppressed Military Novel.

• UIK IN .V GAIUUSOX TOWN." LONDON, March 12. it. has not taken long to provide readers in tin's country with an English \ersion of the remarkable German novel. "Life in a Garrison

Town" which has almost comulsed Germany, and has created a profound sensation'also in Austria and France. H lias just been brought out by Mr Lane, the London publisher, and has promptly commanded

an extensive sale. Ona rOviewer remarks : "It is impossible to exaggerate the sensation that has been caused by this book in Germany, while in Austria and

France, where it has been published, and is known 'to the general staff, revelations of degeneracy in the - invincible ' German army have aroused the keenest interest." Its publication in Germany w«s punished by arrest, a court-martial, and the imprisonment of its author I (Lieutenant llilse) for six months, I aid his expulsion from the German army. The conswruence of this inept method might have been seen. When Lieutenant Bilse was consigned to prison the attention of the whole world was attracted to his book, because the public was convinced that if it had been in the main untrue the chiefs of the German army would never have condescended to raise the storm that followed the conviction of the author. One eminent writer on military subject says concerning " Life in a Garrison Town" : "The cruel truth of this book is both its merit and demerit, for the author, with striking audacity, has: exposed the crying evils of which he was a witness, and unconsciously—as he testifies in the court-martial—so faithfully limned the characters of his associates and superiors that each

was promptly recognised im the living counterpart. The ofliccrs who unknowingly sat as models for Lieutenant Bilse's gallery 01 portraits have themselves paid the penalty for tlie cruelties, corruption, and debauchory described in his disclosures. Tliey ha\e been retired from the service, and this action on the part of the authorities is a demonstration of the truth of Lieutenant liilse's indictment of the military system and of the existence of the evils he has desciibed." Lieutenant Wise, who is referred to as "a lad of 'Jo," confronted by all the forces of live Imperial Government for descri'iung in his book the sordid debauchery and senseless tyranny of garrison life, underwent a trial by court-martial which lasted live days. He had sent in his resignation before his hook came out, els: he could not have been touched, but, unfortunately, the book appeared before Iris resignation had been formally accepted. And so, on this technical point, the military auIhoiilies "(joi at" him, and he was tried on the charge of disobeying the military order that no officer is permitted to publish any work without the consent of the authorities, and further infringing military discipline by libelling his superiors ami comrades. His defence was that his novel was only a work of imagination. He contended that ho had simply tried to descri'bo definite existing evils of military life without having auiy intention of being personal in any of his descriptions of ofiicers at Forbuch, and that he had only made use of his undoubted right, as an author to describe such events as came tinder his notice and such traits as helped him in th» delineation of his clraPatters. He further stated that if lie had writ ten anything that was libellous he was innocent of intent, and that although he had written his book while still in the army, he had sent in his resignation before its publication.

But the various officers were railed and practically convicted themselves -as well us liilse-% promptly "putting on the cap" which he had made lor their silly heads. So he was dismissed from the armv a„d imprisoned for six months, but all of those olhcers whom he. had indicted were also virtually expelled-or to use the mild and soothing expression eihployed-compulsorilv retired m„l it is understood that the , though as a matter of discipline, he ;oniirmed the sentence of the court lon Dilse, has intimated plainlv that tnc-remust be an • immediate reform" in the German armv as ih-is-tic and thorough as thai" which "is pronounced necessarv in our 'Sritisii military system. .' So liilse's aim may yel be attained, though lie himself has been a martyr to"the cause Such is the way of the world • As for the novel itself, 1 cannot ■quite endorse the opinion expressed by ilr Arnold White in the introduction that it has Iwn •■translated with-consummate skill for the benelil ol English readers." It has J0 doubt, been faithfully reduced as far as the mere phraseology goes, but its English is ceriainlv not idiomn I lie lam not aware." for instance, I Hint the common German form of .address to a lady, ■•giiiadiVre Fran " which occurs on page after page in course of the conversation is e.vicl ly English. We may „„, hliVt , anv precisely eujuivsilent in our vernacular -for Hie liu-ral translation gracious lady," of course sounds utterly absurd m English-but surely oven if its nearest equivalent, such as "My dear madam," Im not ■good form" in these dsivs. the words might have Keen omitted altogether, as they would nalurullv ibe. in hirghsl, society. This is merely one of several similar awkwardnesses in translation.

Nor can the Uook itself be ( m u, rha-rncteri'sed as a really tfood novel lit is crude and immature in style as might have been expected from a young and inexperienced author. Hut. at the same time it is a work of unmistakable power, full of the force which is given by simple earnestness entire directness. and thorough knowledge of the subject. The very faults of the book as a literary production have enhanced its potency as a motor. By presenting a roughlyskefdied, but admittedly accurate, picture of life in one of the smaller German garrison towns. Lieutenant I-ilse has exhibited the vaunted inil-iliaj-y system of Gornr.a.nv in a Higilit so sordid and revolting that ■no wonder that the army chiefs were | scandalised ami vindictive or thai j'hey strained to (he utmost against the author their punitive powers. The book is well worth readier in New Zealand as well as in llrilain not so much as a novel, in,! at, „\\ on account „, any literary IViillianey 'i'lH as a straightforward, realistic. means when reduced to practice urc'l tested by the touchstone of 'hard fact. The result is not pleasant .■hut, it is distinctly instructive. London correspondent.