A G4$3,000 prize contest for the Madea This brochure of just over 130 pages of octavo hus grown out of a sketch of Mr. Gandhi's act South Africa written by Mr. H.
Polak, The enlarged version of the life of the sage of Subarmati mere in the nature of a pathos logical curiosity than anything else. In the desize to secure the apotheosis of his hero the author has played extraordinary tricks with inconveni ent facts, and this has lured him into making assertions which, to cay the least of it are open to criticism. Generally speaking, there an exaggeration of the steps which the Government of India have had to take to deal with di orders arising from Mr. Gandhi's activities and' a corresponding reluctanva to state in the plainest terms the exact nature of the di orders with which that Government had to deal, For instance a surprising omission is to be detected the chapters dealing wth the] hon-cooperation campaign of 1921, Although the author deals at length De with Mz, Gandhi's interview with Lord Reading in 1021, he completely omits all mention of the terrible episode of the Khilafat Kings of Malabar, whose forcible conversion of the Hindus and the consequent outrages and murders were the direct outcome of Mr. Gandhi's progation of his gospel in Malabar.
Although he perfunctorily mentions the dicgracoful riots in Bombay on the occasion of the landing of the Prineg of Wales in Novem-her, 1921, and the terrible tragedy at (Chaurd Chaura, where 22 policemen were beaten and burned to death by Mr. Gandhi's followers, there is not the slightest. evidence of a weakening in the author's admiration for Mr, Gandhi's sanctity of character, Perhaps the best proof of this perversity of view is to be found in his tot the Punjab Government's administration, a slander which was the subject of an action law not so long ago resulting in an award of heavy damages to Sir Michael O'Dwyer, and in more recent times to a public withdrawal and apology by an English author who inadvertently repeated that slander. "It cannot too often be emphasized that India's war effort was made possible only by the glorious response of the Punjab martial classes to the stirring lead of Sir Michael O'Dwyer. It was in April, 1918, when the British and French armies were fighting with. their backs to the wall, that Mr, Lloyd George sent out to India a request for more men. It was recognized at the time that the burden of this call would fall practically on the Province and therefore on one Governor, and that, was Sir Michael O'Dwyer. Sir Michael knew that his Province best literary work on "The Soul "lof America' was recently announced by the National Arts Club through President John G. Agar, who stated that the object of the award was to stimulate the writing of a work] which will reveal the soul Amerien as distinguished from) books in which the authors thoughtlessly praise or condemn the national character.
The award will be made by al Jcommittes of members the National Arts Club consisting of William Allen White, Chairman, ry Austin, Hamlin Garland, Ida Tarbell and Henry Goddard Leach.
Under the rules of the contest, manuscripts submitted may be in any literary form—novel, history, poetry or critical essay—but only} those presenting a constructive of America, as implied in the to be given the prize-winning work, will be considered by the committee.
Tt is the feeling of those who "The Soul America contest that the post-war} literature of the past decade has given largely to magnifying]
mal faults and to a cynical criticism of passing phases of our national life.
In the deluge of such books, Mr. Agar said, the underlying character of Americ achievements and its ideal ave been submerged. He expects that the $3,000 prize, rights reserved, will serve to bring out another and older view fof the aspects of our civilization which are fundamental and admis rules pertaining to the sub-and choice of the best work'
"The Soul of Americs follows:—
The manuscripts to be cons must be from 40,000 to 100,000 words in length.
Only those works written between March 31, 1930 and April 1, 1931, will be eligible for the competition manuscripts must be forwarded to "The Soul of America' Committee, the National Arts Club, 15 Gramerey Park, New York City, not later than April 1, 1981. 'The manuscripts will be submitted anonymously and no prize will be awarded if, in the judgment of the Committee, no work is worthy of the prize.' The judgment of the Committee will be final.
In connection with the submit sion of manuscripts' to "The Soul lof America" committee, the author, whose name must not appear on [the manuscript, is requested to write letter to the Executive Secretary lof the National Arts (Club, marking] fon the envelope containing it the }words "Personal and Confidential." In this letter the author will give his or her name and address, and [state the title of the manuscript submitted. The Executive Secretary lof the Club will be only one to see these letters until after the Com-would stand by him and, before the Armistice came, the Punjab had] supplied more than the additional quota asked of her. To-day the Indian politician is asking for! Dominion status on the basis of this war effort and it. surely utterly illogical that mud should be thrown at the man and the Govern ment who enabled India to. make ood hor claim to full partiefpation the victory which came in. November, 1918, In these days it is apparently considered tactless by ome curious minds to recall these mittee has announced its award.
The choice of the committee will be announced publicly on June 1, 1931, and the award itself will be presented to the winning author at the opening of the annual Book Exhibition at the National Arts Club on Wednesday evening, November 4, 1931. The ook will be Dublished during the fall of that year.
All rights in the manuscript and book shall remain in the author, Jand all manuscripts will be returned. facts, but the process of belittling] the work of men who made the world safe for democracy has surely been exploited enough—B.x,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.