1939-05-12 — Page 18

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IS

N the current number of

Studebaker that excellent American

magazine, "Harpers," I have just found a startling

Champion quotation from my friend,.

Hendrik van Loon: "Cul-

EUROPE

FINISHED?

We are so enthusiastic about the per- If any more great novels spirit. The

turally Europe is finished the finer things of the human creative both politically and been passed into

formance and economy of this new

mind

not culturally. And it didn't.

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The

-Hongkong Telegraph.

Wyndham St., Hongkong

'Phone 26615 May 12, 1939

No "New Order"

IT IS a curious fact that the

great music, great histories -they will be written in America. been passed into our hands The torch has

Nobody has more admiration and affection for that genial giant, Van Loon, than I have, but I will confess that my first astonishing statement, was to impulac, after reading this

desert is the price you pay for all those big heavy boots march- ing and countermarching.

better off, but nobody will pre- The European democracies aro tend that they are making very great contributions to world culture at the present time,

ed from the war, seems to be

France, which never recover queerly sterile, though still pro-

American

hands. It is one thing to give shelter to distinguished exiles, the roots of whose art or know- During these last few years I another thing to write the ledge lo elsewhere, and it is

of absence, I have seen my coun- seems to me, ona snag that Van have travelled a good deal, and world's returning home, after months music, histories. Thero is, it great novels, plays,

try with a fresh eye. It may Loon has overlooked. be that the eye is really any

thing but fresh, and it may be America is still a new and soured. But the and fact re still a mixture that has not that I am growing old and rather raw continent. It is mains that during these last been thoroughly mixed. That

By J. B. Priestley

send him a cable Inquiring what had happened to his wits. I suppose I know.contemporary America about as well as he knows contemporary Europe (for he left our shores many years ago), and it had certainly nover occurred to me that cul- turally Europe is finished and ducing good minor work in a that the torch of cultural pro- branches. Our own gress had been passed into American hands,

country, which is also still suffering from its old war casualty lists, is not so much sterile as triviai. It is not without widespread cultural activity, but that activity lacks size, weight, drive, and com- pares unfavourably with its pre- war production.

On reflection, however, I can sce that though Van Loon's is a very wild generalisation, he ia by no means without a case, America, which The cultural drift towards began just after the war, when, America What is wrong with us, the was bursting with money and British? At the moment, of Central Europe was starving, course, we are living in. almost has been flowing a full tide the worst of, alt atmospheres, during these last few years, the crisis - with when Central Europe has been round-the-corner, enough to put war - just - one vast madhouse,

a Michelangelo or Beethoven off, his work. But I am thinking not of the last few months but

Tokyo newspapers, so freely quoted by "Domei" and other news agencies quite often burst into objective agitations which Germans of the highest reputa- Thus, there are probably more prosage by only a few days tion, men of the calibre of Government action on the lines Einstein and Thomas Mann, in indicated in their columns. America now than there are in There is more than a suspicion Germany. The greatest living

music-..

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respect, is, in its comments, no lan, Toscanini, leas inspired than is the con-makes America trolled Press of Germany, Italy his headquar and Russia.

ters, not Italy. More than ordinary interest The Russian, Rachmaninoff, should, therefore, attach to an article in the "Kokumin Shim-

has lived in bun" yesterday, in which it was

America for stated that the Totalitarian years. systems in Germany and Italy

Excluding have not appealed to the Japan- Bernard Shaw, ese imagination; that Japanese who represents people are not necessarily a much older adorers of Hitler or Mussolini; generation, that friendly sentiments towards suppose the

an

the Totalitarians will quickly most distinguished living drama- disappear if the latter abandons American. And the most in-

tist is Eugene O'Neill, her self-imposed guardianship fluential English writer of my of the old order in East Asia." own generation, Aldous Huxley, What the "Kokumin Shim- has been living in America for bun" is trying to say, in effect, the last two or three years, and, is that Japan will soon desert I gather, does not intend to re- her new friends for her old

turn England. friends if the latter will play So, you see, Van Loon is not ball in China. What Japan de- quite so outrageous as he first sires is the establishment of the doubt that the cultural tide is appears, There can be no "New Order in East Asia", strongly flowing which would extend over the across the Atlantic. whole vast area remaining to China the same military occupa- Artists tion which Japan employed only in the Northern provinces when hostilities began.

It is not the first time Japan has indirectly appealed to Bri- tain to reverse its policy in China. But Britain, as the

westward

few years, when there ought to have been a Now Britain and there wasn't, it has seemed to me that our national weak- nesses have been more pro- minent, than our national vir- tues.

In other words, what I have noticed more and more are the things I dislike about us,

it is generally admitted, are our Our most outstanding faults, complacency, hypocrisy, snob bery and stupidity. I submit that during these last few years our national life has been riddled with complacency, hypocrisy, snobbery, and stu- pidity.

Never before have we made so much fuss about trivialities. Never have we congratulated

This is only to be expected.

and acientists scholars need secure conditions and

and a wealthy community. They cannot work properly if of the last ten years. Some ourselves so often with so little them and their families all the history, there ought to be a clue. the secret police are pestering where, in our recent national cause for congratulation.

time.

The concentration camp is a poor environment for culture.

1

2

It will develop--and is in the rapid process of developing-- a new civilisation of its own, I would not deny. But it will be more time before that civilisation, which is still in the earliest, engineering, big- building stage, produces a magnificent culture of its own. And the snag la this, that so far the best products of Ameri- can culture, the

genuine American contributions to the world's store of good things, have been regional, coming al- most out of the now soll.

But the artistic exiles, leay- ing Europe to sink, flock into the cities, especially New York, and the New York spirit, smart, slick, rootless, disillusioned, is not one that will produce great works. Its characteristic, clover. ness is the enemy rather than the friend of greatness,

Thus, the drift towards New York is ́as bad for Amerl

can culture as tho drift

to

wards America. is bad for Euro- pean culture.

Nor do I think we are 80 hopelessly lost here as Van Loon imagines. We stand 'be- wildered among menacing shadows; we pass empty days and nights uneasy with dark dreams; but we are still at

Some sections of our. Press have been absolutely nauseat- ing. If we all awoke one morn- ing to find ourselves paralysed, largest traders in China, and conceived and executed under tothis or, if you like, in mak- about," they would say, "but are not yet, severed; so that

As I see it, the rot set in when these papers would congratulate the United States, as the largest skies dark and noisy with bomb- ing-do and muddling as a sub- the ordinary decent British even yet, with a little clear good trader and one of the largesting squadrona. investors, have both the best of

stitute for creation. A tradi- citizen has wisely decided to light to help us, we may do good reasons to regard with appre-

tion, based chiefly on a profound stay in bed."

work. hension attempts to create a

The cultural history of the the summer of 1914. For the feeling of security, perished in "New Order in East Asia" which totalitarian States is almost a next five years it was a matter complete blank. Mussolini brags would reduce China to the about his bayonets, not about of struggle and endurance. status of a Japanese colony his philosophers. A screaming

largest investor and one of the Great works of art will not be the post-war period ended in us. "Let foreigners go moving home and our nourishing roots

*

7

The Situation. In

China

The following reply was given in the House of Commons recently in answer to Mr. Paling who enquired

whether the Prime Minister had any statement to make : regarding the situation In China: E

Our ruling and official classes never at any time had much respect for any form of cul- ture, but recently they have had Icas. Every triviality of | rigorously guarded against | Goebbels cannot accomplish

mind is encouraged, and any- Western penetration. That what a sorene Goethe could do.

Then came the post-war thing likely to make men think No matter how powerful and period, when weary returned and feel deeply is discouraged. penetration, unlike Japaneso penetration, had been wholly how aupreme your Will, you happen, but had to start their selves that the most wonderful efficient your dictatorship is, soldiers hoped something would Wo still go on telling our- peaceful in method, as well as cannot command into existence own lives over again, and the thing that can happen to an celved of fighting at Kaifeng, the Mr. Buller: Reports have been re- in nim, during the years that

youngsters were all cynical and Englishman is to own the horse capital of Henan province, but it is the new China has shown her and American credits to China, disillusioned, the Arlen-and- that wins the Derby. And, we not yet possible to, vouch for their power of maintaining order. In-are facts confirming the con- Coward era, and the elderly no longer even play our games no Important changes since

accuracy. Otherwise, there have been. crased Chinese resistance in the tinued independence of our men, some of whom are still very well. All we do is to chat- House rose for Easter, face of Japanese air-raids on the neighbour.

with us, thought they could put ter, chatter, chatter about them. cities gives no warrant for Bri- No "New Order in East Asia" the date back to early 1914. What contribution to the tain to seek leave from Japan Imposed by Japan is within Out of this post-war period of world's culture can come out of Chosen Corporation for friendly relations with the sight, though Japan, may con chaos should have sprung a this half-baked mess↑ THE HONG KONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD. Indeed, the now road and order as exemplified by the much of its old leisurely charm

Chinese Government

ceivably boast that the new dis New Britain, no doubt with railway linking China with massacres in Chungking in her gono for over, but alert, pur Burma, and the recent British unaided work,

the

It is understood that the inspector appointed by the Board of Trade to Inquire into the affairs of the Chosen. Board an interim report on the affairs Corporation has 'now sent to the

But I am not very sure about poseful, courageous and richly this torch of culture that has of the company.