Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-30
BOOK NEWS

Ihe Truth About the Congo" is
reprint in book form Of a series Of ar
ticles Prof. Frederick starr contributed
to the Chicago Tribune. and which
aroused much controversy. He asserts
that they comprise ian impartial in
vestigator's report Of present social
and political conditions in the Congo
Free state. where the author spent
over a year, visiting twenty-eight diff
ferent tribes and travelling seven thou
sand miles," Certainly the interest in
the Congo Is very acute Just now and
the views Of one so familiar with II
should command close attention,
whether one agrees with them or not.
The Trueh About the Congo, by Prof.
Frederick Starr. Chicago: Forbes &
co.
Webster's New STANDARD Dictionary,
Elementary School Edition." Is the
latest lexicon to be added to Laird g.
Lees series of school dictionaries; an
entirely new and original lexicon,
printed from bold black type. A great
| Improvement is noted over the mi
croscopic typography which is the dis
tinguisning feature of so many die
tionaries furnished to the school chill
dren. For the first time in the history
of dictionary making a children's lex
icon has been produced containing not
only special features only found in
large dictionaries, but type that is
large and bold, saving the children's
eyes from the strain caused by the
extremely small type used In most
abridged lexicons.
Maxwelrs School Grammar, by will
liam II. Maxwell, M. A., LII. D., super
intendent os schools, New York city
| A W ~.
intended for those who desire COM
plete treatment of English grammar
1t contains all the material necessary
for an elementary course of high
school course, and will meet all the de-
mands Of students, whether they leave
school at any time after the eighth
year, or, whether they are preparing
for college entrance examinations.
"Outside Facts on Pugilism," by
George Siler, the we'll known referee,
contains much valuable information
about great ring battles, as we'll as
some inside history that will be new to
| followers Of the pugs. 1t might have
been better written. Laird & Lee, Chi
cago.
| When Socialists have solved the prob
lem of wealth-if they ever do-they
will still be confronted with the prob
lem of SEX Even though rivalry as re-
CARDS the one be eliminated, it will not
be eliminated as regards the other
Socialism is repulsive to many because
1t is believed to favor free love. AL
though some Socialists have included
marriage among the things they con-
denim in existing social conditions, 1t
| by no means follows that free love is
| the only alternative. The provisional
marriage idea that has been so widely
| discussed recently Is embodied in a
novel entitled, 1.-THE Demetrian," by
Ellison Harding, long resident in
Paris, who, taking his characters far
into the future, has them under COM
| ditions that are in every way new and
interesting. He avoids the common
error Of work weighed down with
theories and moral teachings, and
| gives instead a finely wrought story
| touching, with assurance, the subject
| of sex relations under new social con-
ditions.
The Demetrian, by Ellison Harding
New York Brentano's.
GERRY Junior" created by Jean Web
ster, is a nice, hkeable American lad
stance is as bewitching an American
girl as ever wore fluffy white gowns.
They are evidently destined for each
other from the first; but there is a
battle royal of wits and wiles before
the curtain goes down on their clasped
hands. Jerry tries to scrape acquaint-
ance and Constance is provokingly in
different. Then Jerry tricks himself
out as a donkey driver, and the fun
begins. 1.-THE Signor Papa" soon comes
to a perfec; understanding of the sit
uation and holds his tongue. Constance
detects the disguise and its purpose,
and makes the most of 1t. Jerry knows
she knows, and she knows that he
knows she knows. Meanwhile Gustavo
finds that a broad friendliness, based
on tips, keeps him on the anxious seat,
and the italian officers, the aunts and
pretty Nan Hilliard, all help play the
farce merrily to the end. 1t is alto
gether as merry and mirth-provoking
q bit of nonsense as has been written
| in many a day, and the fun of both
pictures-there are fourteen, full-page,
by Orson Lowell-and text is delicious
1t ought to be made into a play.
| Jerry Junior, by John Webster. New
York The Century company.
Frederick Reddale, who climbed
from the position of a printer to a
writer of some prominence, undertakes
to tell how to become a successful
author in little booklet entitled "Suc-
cessful Authorship" 1t contains many
valuable hints for the embryo writer
New York, j. s. Ogilvie Publishing
company