Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-13

biography. New York: The Macmil-
Ian Company.
~ AIRING it's first two chapters
fifty pages or so out Of SIX
hundred in all-this autobiog-
raphy moves, generally, as a
reckonable part of the political
history of New York state for the past
thirty years. and of the nation itself
for the past fifteen. This is to say, that
the public press, from one and another
viewpoint of political review and COM
ment, has already told the story of Mr..
Roosevelt many times. over. What sets
this autobiography off sharply, however.
from these multitudinous records is the
difference between the two points of
view. Just how this thirty-year series
of political. events looked from where Mr..
Roosevelt stood within it. at one time and
another. at one place and another. and
just how such progressing points Of view
created and controlled the dynamics OF
his political career-these are the related
factors that sum the value of this book,
whether one takes it as study of charac-
ter. or as a body of practical political
wisdom, or as challenge from the cap
tain OF the hosts of Armageddon, Or
which is best-as all of these. In sub
stance, the story is an exposition and
summary OF the political conditions of
the United States, as these appear to this
astute and practical mind. BY incidence
to this exposition and summary it is also
a gathering up of the financial, judicial,
industrial, military and social situation.
Out of this review there springs. too, a
political program, sketched roughly upon
a<background- of progressive reform. AS
a manner of writing, way of saying
things, the book is electric, irresistible.
In the whole six hundred pages there is
not "a duh line Personal experiences of
national interest, personal opinions and
doctrines of worldwide significance, alb
sorbng incidents striking episodes, pic
turesque situations. throng through these
pages In an atmosphere SO surcharged,
In a display of such unbroken briiliance,
some one IS likely to get hurt. Some one
does-frequentiy. For along with much
that is big. and kin1ly, and wise, there is.
too. much of the other Sort-humor OF
g i'm quality, ridicule. reproof challenge
accuse tfon- One who desires to learn
things about politics, about how to get
the world up on its two political feet
again-thiS one will do we'll to stay in the
M-d5ie and later reaches of this dynamic
HE story. On the other hand one wish
ing to read a perfectly charming story of
ooyhood viii go again and again to the
ilrst two chapters of this autobiography.
mere IL the cream strip or ancestry oil
which Mr.. Roosevelt is so tremendously
and so rightly glad. Here one finds him
adoring his beautiful mother, loving his
father. THE best man i have ever
known Here one finds the simplest, the
most modest, the most generous hoy
imaginable, doing every sort of boy thing
collecting, writing. learning to ride and
box and shoot. reading hungrily. making
Il strong youth out of a weak slip of
boy. making light of his achievements
Saying repeatedly in one and another
competition The was better fellow than
J. AT this point the story is beautiful
and nowhere in the course of the " hole
does the author show quite the feeling
and Intuition and power that he brings
~ hear upon these first days These two
chapters deserve TO be counted and used
a classic Of boyhood.