4pQonT

148 THIS DIFFICULT INDIVIDUAL
culosis. Pound and other expatriates helped him as much as they
could, but at last he died in his garret. 32
McAlmon tells the story of another casualty of the Left Bank,
a lively and brilliant young Japanese of samurai stock. For some
months, Toda had been seen daily at the Café Dôme, the Rotonde,
and other haunts of the expatriates. Then he disappeared, and none
of his friends could find out what had happened to him. Finally
they located him in a tiny room, dying of starvation. His money
had run out, and either he could get no more from his family, or
he had exhausted his inheritance. At any rate, he was too proud to
let anyone know of his dilemma, and he went to his room to await
death. When he was discovered, it was too late to save him. 33
One of Pound's visitors in Paris was Alfred Kreymborg, who
had published some of his poems in a magazine called Others. This
"little magazine" had been published in Grantwood, New Jersey,
on the Palisades. The first issue appeared in July, 1915, and it
lasted for three years. After its demise, Kreymborg joined Harold
Loeb in editing The Broom.
Despite Pound's outspoken opinions on the Russians, he seems
to have been acquainted at the Russian Embassy, or to have
had some influence there. While in Paris, E. E. Cummings decided
that he should go to Russia and see the great experiment. At that
time, he was rather liberal in his views. Nearly all writers who had
not been to Russia were enthusiastic about the benefits which the
new regime was bringing to the people. Those writers who actually
made the trip, however, came back with contradictory attitudes.
These ranged from the enthusiasm of Lincoln Steffens, who exulted,
"I have seen the future, and it works!" to the disillusionment
of André Gide, who left the party after he had seen Communism
in action in Russia.
As Cummings was favorably impressed by reports about the
"New Russia", Ezra joshingly addressed him as "Kumrad", a nickname
which he has used ever since. But when Cummings went to
the Russian Embassy to apply for a visa, he was turned down. He
had set his heart on making the trip, and later that day, he complained
to Pound about his disappointment.
"Oh hell," said E.P., "we'll fix dem Slavs!" He immediately
called the Embassy, and made such a fuss that the visa was