st affirm the union of New Europe.
To the fighting "Holy Alliances" of the governments, we counterpose the
brotherhood of the free spirits of the world!

_January 30, 1917._

"demain," Geneva, June, 1917.

X

TWO LETTERS FROM MAXIM GORKI

PETROGRAD, _end of December, 1916._

MY DEAR AND VALUED COMRADE ROMAIN ROLLAND,

Will you be good enough to write a biography of Beethoven, suitable for
children? I am simultaneously writing to H. G. Wells, whom I ask to let
me have a life of Addison; Fridtjof Nansen will do the life of
Christopher Columbus; I shall myself deal with the life of Garibaldi;
the Hebrew poet Bialik will write the life of Moses. With the aid of the
leading authors of our day I hope to produce a number of books for
children, containing biographies of the leaders of mankind. The whole
series will be issued under my editorship....

You know that in these days nothing needs our attention so much as young
people. We grown-ups, we whose course is nearly run, are leaving a poor
inheritance to our children, are bequeathing to them a sad life. This
foolish war is a striking proof of our moral weakness, of the decay of
civilisation. Let us, then, remind our children that men have not always
been so weak and so bad as we are. Let us remind them that in all the
nations there have been and still are great men, fine spirits. Now,
above all, should we do this, when savagery and brutality are rife.... I
beseech you, my dear Romain Rolland, to pen this biography of Beethoven,
for I am convinced that no one can do it better than yourself....

I have read and reread the articles you have published during the war,
and I take this opportunity of telling you that they have inspired me
with profound respect and love for you. You are one of the rare persons
whose soul has remained unaffected by the madness of this war. It is a
delight to me to know that you have continued to cherish the best
principles of humanity.... Allow me, from a great distance, to clasp you
by the hand, dear comrade.

MAXIM GORKI.

* * * * *

At the end of January, Romain Rolland replied, accepting the
proposal that he should rewrite the life of Beethoven for young
people, and asking Gorki to indicate the length and the method of
treatment. Was the book to be a causerie, or a plain statement of
facts? Rolland suggested additional names for the series of
biographies: Socrates