The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-04-11

Letters of Japanese School Boy, py
 Wallace Irwin Doubleday, Page x CoD These letters first apepared serially in Golfers Weekly. When they came forth opinion was much divided. Some people were busy using all the available enthu- siastic praise they could corralTn Whlch to tell of the opening of vein or new and genuine humor. Some other people, less gifted, possibly, than the first men tioned, came to the conclusion quickly that Golfers editor was either asleep-at- the-switch eff he ever does such a thing) when he accepted such silly drivel, or they simply decided that editors will slip I'D occasionally, so what was the differ- ence? As a general proposition when you read or hear that such and such DOCK is great and you think it is punk, worse than tommy-rot, no excuse for It all' 1T you value your opinion as Juage or books 1t is not a bad idea to take an- other lick at the volume and see if you cannot find the gold hidden as 1t was to you at first, amid the dross.
 Well, that is just exactly as this review CT felt about Letters of Japanese School Boy" He read some of the letters in Golfers, then in the book-sull strug- gling to get into the discriminating class of readers. There is nothing left to uo here put to tell Ine lIulil co eAAiS | - - sees it. He read two or three Of the let ters hand running, then thought maybe if he skipped about bit in the book the effect wouldn't be so severe. Notnlng doing. The more he skipped the worse the gloom became. Backwards, forWaros, from both ends to the middle, the result was the same, namely:
 That of all the inexcusable literary. would-be funny productions, Letters or cdol. fo ana then-solne million kilometres beyond that.
 Mir Irwin has seen a lot of the Japan ese on the Pacific coast. So has this re- viewer. But that is no excuse TOT Wrlt- ing book of sorrows.
 If MT. Irwin had appended or put in anywhere, a key to the humor tone mlght not care to purchase humorous DOCK that required a 'key'D still the intent or the author would have been appreciated.
 It is about time, too, to call a halt on so-called funny books, which depend sole ly upon misspelled or misplaced words, with capital letters in the wrong place. Any writer can do what MT. Irwin mas done Ye gods and little minnoWs, what have we done to deserve the Letters or Japanese School BoyY'
 Here is a sample of scintillating Wit, not inst taken out of a Letter to deal Wlln IL uHJuStiss odN WHINE DtS%-N so to speak "Hashimura Togo is the 'school boy 35 years of age. Giving his reasons "Why do Japanese boys come to this country is requested for reply rom almost every white mind of prominence l will answer from several reasons rom my own vocabulary CD. To learn rellglon' bookkeeping and stenography. @. TO ce- ment that friendship of nations ana keep grocery store (3t. To attend horse rac- n American man ners. (5) To study customs, murders, art, science and humoristic literature rom Sunday papers and, (0 To go back to Japan"
 Now everybody mot all at once) who falls on the floor bowling with glee over that piece of wit will please send this department 100 pieces of eight. Isn't It strange that even in New York that writer can make a getaway safely after being guilty of such persifagging? Very sorry to admit it. but Letters of Jap anese School Boy deposited some consid- Nerable gloom over and about this depart ment to be understood when you note that this department really struggled to eet-next to the vein of humor. Let's for- get it and take up something else
 '',The Little Gods" by Rowland Thomas.
 Qittle, Brown & Co)
 MT. Rowland Thomas the author of this very strong book of life in the Philippines, won the $500o prize from 30,0oo competitors awarded by Golfers Weekly some time ago to his splendid story of Pagan which forms the first chapter or story or The Little Gods" You can see now what great chance you have to win prize in literary competition when there are only 30,0O0-count 'em-3000O competi- tors.
 This book of short stories of life in the Philippines is first rate. "I agan' Is crackerjack story; it deserved to wind great deal, anyhow.
 There are eleven stories in this book, all of which are good; this department thinks Pagan" is the best of them all. "Fagan'' was 8 southern negro, who en- listed in the United States army to light in the Philippines. Just plain negro, as we know him down here; strong as bull, mentally a child. Pagan was unfortunate in having as his direct superior lieuten- ant, the son of a northern shopkeeper,