The Future.— What will be the literary future of France? With the war a generation has died while another is springing up. We have followed the sinuous line of French thought from 1800 to the present time. Born directly after the Revolution it is like that animated with an inspiration of gaiety and is powerful. It feels it has a mission to ac complish, i.e., to bring to humanity — liberty, deliverance. Romanticism clamored for liberty; political errors deceived it, difficulties arose in 1848 continuing to 1870. The war, defeat, humiliation are accepted. A generation then arose, the naturalists, seeing only the gloomier aspect of life, ceding the place later to the symbolists. A reaction finally sets in. Two schools rise in opposition to each other; on the one hand is Charles Maurras and his followers of the Action Francaise championing the cause of the royalists, on the other the young school of the Rtopel and Foi et Vie favoring the revo lutionary tradition, both ardent and enthusiastic. The present world crisis arrives and unites them in a common ideal, that of showing to the world at large the real role of France which is to save civilization. This is the basis for a new school. Gaston Riau in his magnificent work 'aux ecoutes de la France qui vient' has already formulated it.
The awakening had already been prepared by the filibrige, that is to say, the grouping of the Provençal poets desirous of reviving their local language and customs on the point of being forgotten or swept away. Mistral, our
great Mistral, is the indefatigable leader and champion of this reactionary spirit. All honor to this illustrious and noble figure so passion ately fond of his country.
Among the rising a choice is difficult. Of the classic writers we have Abel Bonnard and Leo Larguiez, Cecile Sauvage, Andre Lafon, Drouot, Charles Dumas, some of whom, alas! are inscribed on the roll of honor — pro potria motif There are the dilet tante elegant writers like Vaudoyer and Henriot, the delightful belated adolescents Jean Coc teau, Maurice Rostand and Geraldy. There are the authors of free verse such as Andre Salmon and Canudo, Guy-Charles Cros, Fernand Divoire; Jules Romaine, the founder of unanimism; Cheneviere and Duhamel, im pressed by Walt Whitman ; Porche whose 'Arret sur la Marne' denotes an ardent and rich temperament. Max Jacob, Reverdy, Cen dral are incomprehensible and complicated in their simultaneity, but make their presence felt with their Montparnassian school. Finally there is Spire, replete with bitterness and Israelitish irony. Of all these names which ones will establish themselves? It is of little import. Time will show. One thing is certain that all will spare no effort in making an even greater nation of their beloved and eventually victorious France!