By "Sino"
Shanghai, Mer. 6.
The. annual prize for literature awarded in Paria by the Academic de Concours was this year won by young. Russian emigré, Henry Troyat. An engineer by calling, this discovery "is in private life Tarasofl, a humble clerk in the muni cipality of the Seine. Ho left Russia 4 boy of eight, and his memories of that country are confined to long, dyonizing walls for traing that arrived several days tahind schedule during the Civil War that followed the Revolution, His parents, with whom Mr. 'Tarasof™ lives, keep scrupulously 10 the Russian language in their eonver~ tion, but their son, who hus graduated from a French college, is day known as a French writer,' He in speak fluent Russian, but admits that he writes the language with dif Aeulty and with French turns) of speech, and prefers to think in French. At first Russian newspapers and magazines. all united. in praise of him, and wrote with glowing pride of the Russian emigré who wrote the best French novel of the year. His success Was the success of every Russian emigré in France. And then, silence stole over their hey: aused to consider. Suddenly, the thought had come that although Russian emigration has authors and poets of the older generation, it has not under $0 yours of age' to take their place, and talent like that of Tarasoft {ig lost forever to Russian literature, And with that thought came sadness, Russians in Europe existence of the Slavic tribe "Russ" belongs to the Sth century. In the 6th century the Slavs already advanced in war against Byzantium.
Historical annals of the Roman Empire, ancient Greece and Arabian M. sources speak of the Slavic tribe of um, Sat to my that dome early Noman prince bad that mame i forcing the lus, 'The Normans. sre for a'tribe or nation but a profeclnal term. in the Oth centry they were Teponsble for much de: Enicuon ina Russia whose. culture (at thet ime) was higher than the fare' of ther major notions of Europe, "Ancient Russia played 2 Tnrge role in the "safeguarding. Eutopean clvillation, ar it halted the vance of the will pomedie Tegions all teresting "as De.
Henger the theory advanced atthe fame' club some' time ago. by Prof, Registration 'The Russian Emigrants' Committee asked the Chinese authorities to postpone the final date of registration for Russian emigeés, which fell on March 1, 1699, As many have not yet registered themselves and as Shanghat thas no less than 25,000 Russian em~ igrés, the Committee asked that the date be postponed for a month. This was agreed upon. Before news of this postponement was made public, jerowds coming to register were so large that the building was too small to accommodate them' all and long. ines stood waiting in the streets.
Of course Russians—and Russian youth especially—-living in France and England, are fortunate, They are fortunate because they can breathe the pure alr of Europe's ancient culture and not the suffocating mist of mental tyranny. They are fortunate deeause every day In London, Paris, even in New York, they" imibe' with every word "they hear something that has been evolved by enturies. of painful and passionate endeavour towards. the assertion of Man and Society. And although many years have passed since Ivan Karamazov dubbed Europe one enormous graveyard, his comparison {ig still incorrect. The fascination of Russian youth in Europe for the alien 41g based on the consciousness that success in its midst is a promotion in In a semi-cultural country youth Nmald taka pride in remaining com: pletely Russian, while in Europe it feels flattered when mistaken for na-Hionals of the country in which it lives. This phenomenon often takes comical form inthe fantastic ties and collar of Russian students on the Boulvarde Saint Michele, for instance, 'Choir emulation of foreigners extends to their mannerisms, their accent, their forms of humour. 'The charm of an ancient culture is irresistible. 'Thug Tarasoff, on becoming 27 years Of age, became a French author, Henry' Troyat; and after " being awarded the prize promptly marie French girt he met in a "metro. The prize-winning novel is called "LAraigne," and contains something Dostoovaky, though the influence of 'Maurine is still more evident. 'Tarasofl-Troyat was greatly flattered by the approbation of his compa 'Plots, but was flattered stil more when' the city's Municipality commented on his success in its newspaper. And Russians felt deep pala fat the thought that talent like his should be lost to Russian literature which is at present far from rich in talent, both in Russia and in emigration, the Interests of the Russian Charitable "Association, the French 'Consul-General, M. "Bauder, has divan permission for Lotto tobe played for money on a special evening in the Russian Club. © This game, except when played for amuse ment' only, 1s not allowed in the French Concession, but in order to help the Russian Charitable Associ tion an exception has been made in this case, The game was in progress between pam. and 2 a.m. on Sunday, March "5, "and the sale of cards realized quite a considerable sum.
Russian History Lecture Dr. D. 1. Kazskoff read an me teresting paper at the Ex-Oflcers' Club last Thursday on "The Begin rinings of Russian History." Dr. Kaz holt is of the opinion that Russians themselves have an imperfect knowledge of the formative years of their country, In the 19th century great popularity was enjoyed by the theory of. the famous. scholar-philosophers Schelling and Hegel, who asserted that the Slavs are not a historic race. The German historian Schletzer advanced the interesting theory that the first kings of ancient Russia were of Norman blood, a thought, however, that up to now suffers from lack of proof. Russians, states Dr. Kazakof, fare a purely Slavic tribe, and the Slavs spread over the Eastern part of Europe before the birth of Christ. The first documentary proof of the One of the many societies in the russian colony is the Society of the Jgraduates of the Ist Siberian Cadet [Corps, founded in. the name of Emperor Alexander 1. The chairman of this organization is Col. K. V. Vanin, As the graduates of thishhistorie school late today spread all over the world, it has been decided to edit la book on its history, describing its fortunes during the Revolution and telling of those of its members who after" the Civil War went. into Jemigration and today live in all cor-Mors of the world. Among them, in-dentally, there 1s no unemployment problem. "1 a member is temporarily [put out' of work, the Society takes care of him and soon succeeds in finding him new employment. dan emigres united at the "Gromada" have commenced 10 tion has been lengthened,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.