Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-13

Sons Washington: Brentano's.
- - ORE than 800 pages of this full
~ ~ Geographic volume follow the
N civil war in its course through
VII northern Virginia. The sig
nificant events OF that time
and place are here gathered up and
spread out as a background, across
whose fire-lit spaces Robert r. Lee
moves the greatest cmbodyfnG or the
best tradition and ideals of the south
since Washington himself empersoned it.
lIornentous names defile across these
pages Gaines Mill. Manassas. Chan
cellorsville Cod Harbor OH the one hand
and on the other Gettysburg, Petersburg.
.appomattox. Between these extremes or
glorious victory and overwhelming de-
feat, the character OF Lee expands, So
lidifies and takes on the perdurable quail
Ties Of fame Though history, this mar
rative reads like knightly romance. Here
Is the full complement of modern his
ioric treatment. The whole range of fact
is summoned. sifted. set in order. Here,
too, is the philosophers vision Of his
Tory Here is the ardor for truth. not
only In its own body, but in its alliances
as WELL Here is the practical evaiua-
lion of material aids In support or ms
toric situation. Yet, despite all. IT READS
like high invention. In this study the
author stands-student. friend, partisan,
romancer historian. At frequent no"s
and thens majority OF these sweep
aside the impassive. scientific writer OF
history, to flood the field with an ardor
of chivalric advocacy, "A passion of eio.
auent devotion Catching this breath or
upper air, one reads this story OF hoo-
ert f. Lee as if II We're that OF 49,, "a
Laneeiot brave, a Galahad clean. Inc
spirit animating this most interesting
history is summed in Its close HIS
monument is the alteration OF the south'
his shrine is in every southern heart.
OLD PANAMA AND CASTILLO DEL
ORO. By DIR. C. L. G. Anderson,
author of The White Man in the
Tropics" etc; late physician 18th
milan Canal Commission. Wash
ington: The Sudwarth Company.
4 handsome volume, whose mere APP
pearance brings foretaste of pleasure
to it's reading. A range Of sepias
splashed with gold. a rich edge OF
what appear to be me-nibbled leaves,
old fashions in picture, type. spelling,
what not, make an ensemble that, TO
a fitting extent, carries out the notlon
of volume STEPPED in the f1avors OF
two hundred years ago. AS q matter
of substance this study Is notable
one, a deeply interesting and opportune
revival of old Panama as the matrix OF
the new When. not long since, Amer
the course of it's sun, the Odd orient.
expanded te the new Occident, east be
came west, and under this miracle
Panama swept into public view. When
the. dirt began to fly In the big canal
some ambitious reporter waited upon
each shovelfuL So. the new Panama
stands at every ones reading hand.
The early history of this region, how
ever. save for a single unwieldy ex-
ception, lies in scattered and frag-
mentary records of. foreign tongue, or
lin. uncorrected versions, where fact,
tradition, fable and pure invention are
sfflextricably interviewer. Out or all
, ma nner of original sources and "a GER
tain humber Of verified accounts this
author lifts In it's integrity the story
of this early period. Here are the
true annals of voyager. dfscoverer.
buccaneer. marauder, settler-all pre-
.sented as an illumination Of modern
Panama. OF scientific method. the facts
here stand authentic, the deductions
those of reason and logic. 1t is, more
ever, picturesque and fascinating
. story. Illustrations. of modern ex-
cellence, maps. charts, plans, glossary
and a practical photography round
this history to the full measure of it's
design :
THE BOOK OF KHALID. By Ameen
Rihani New York: Dodd. Mead &
Co. Washington: Brentano's.
To picture the immigrant-the man be-
hind the pushcart and his tribe-in pos
session OF ideas whose balance, when
east, is not to the glorification OF this
land of the free and home of the brave.
is. to say the least that may be said,
nudgn g point to Americans. Analysed,
il means that an opinion of any sort from
these clear beneficiaTies of this single
zone of equal chance for all is an act OF
pJre presumption. even one of Individual
lmpertinence. But, despite this attitude
Of America, the notion OF the immigrant
still exists-must exist. In an ingenious
invent on hedged about, unnecessarily.
1. with certain we'll worn arts shaped TO the
uses OF veracity, this author n clever
. ard convincing way tells the story OF
certain man of Syria who came our way
: and after n brief sojourn retreated.
aghast. to his home nest on the slopes
of Lebanon, from whose secur ~ lie set
down his schooling. or so much OF IT as
he could in even a small way divine. in
this great land of wide and md scriminate
opportunity. delicious book of IN
Eenuous mold An unvindtctive satire on
the real attitude of the American toward
its immigrant accessions.
DIARY OF GIDEON wELLEs, secre-
tary Of the Navy Under Lincoln
and johnson. With an Introduction
by John II. Morse, jr Illustrated.
Three volumes. Boston: Houghton
Mifiiin Company
Regarding books of retrospection by
people who were actors or interested spec
tators In virie times a writer in a literary
review recently remarked:
"Of all the forms of literary effort there
are few that possess such perennial inter-
est and charm, and there is none that Is
of equal value III the Interpretation of the
life OF other days"
This remark applies with especial force
10 the Diary OF Gideon Welles" the naval
secretary OF the United States in the
civil war and reconstruction periods. Mp
Welles was accustomed to jot down at
night his views of passing events while
the facts and his impressions were fresh.
Mr.. Welles' narrative may be divided into
two parts, his record of occurrences and
his opinions of men and things The for
Iner part is invaluable; the latter Is inter-
esting and may or may not be of value.
He was stern and rigid In his ideas. and
not mild in his use Of terms. He was
opinionated and apparently not free from
a proeiivity to NEEDLE in affairs of other
departments at any rate prone to criti-
else their administration. His style is
simple and vigorous and his story of the
eight years he passed in the cabinets of
Lincoln and Johnson Is an intensely alb
serbing one. What Mr.. Welles says re-
garding the relations of the members of
the Lincoln cabinet Is interesting He
SAYS:
The President commenced his admin
.istration by yielding apparently almost
everything 10 Seward. and Seward was
opposed TO cabinet consultations. He
made II nofrf N have Qaily or more