Evening star., 1915-01-30

YHEN one takes up novel by
Nv Mr.. Newte he knows that
NA/ he is going to see things
w pretty much as they are
And by this token he
knows, too, that the story Is. on the
whole, bound TO be more or less un-
pleasant reading. And so it turns out
here That idle Wife to whom novel
lists and sociologists are just now pay
Ing such devoted and exclusive atteh-
tion Is the center of this study. For
that is what 1t Is, a social study done
In the form of a novel. Discomfort,
wandering eye. . new affection OF
what stands for that, divorce attendeo
by the loss Of both child and home. ana
then a most unfortunate and unhappy
remarriage are the steps in this social
lesson set for the idle wife to learn.
The story is developed with the insight
Tor real conditions, for real states OF
mind and with the regard for detail
that so distin guishes all of Mr.. Newte' 8
work No other novelist approaches
this one in his power to expand an en-
tire story by the WORD of mouth OF the
Characters themselves Scarcely line
Of description comment is employed.
Action and word are the sole means OF
development here. This vivid metnoo
brings the Newte novels close to the
drama in the force of their immediate
personal appeal. And upon the stage,
or between book covers, his work o.
longs with thevarious instruments OF
social reform.
AMERICA AND THE WORLD WAR.
BY Theodore Roosevelt. New Iork:
Charles Scribners Sons. Washing
ton: Woodward & Lothrop.
Keen to the psychological value OF
repetition and reiteration, Mr.. Rooce-
welt uses the dozen essays of this vol
ume to say the same thing in twei. g
different ways. Ample and adequate
preparedness for war is a nations
surest guaranty of peace. This is t~e
sum and substance OF america
the United States for its blindness-tts
weak and timid and cowardly blind
Gess-to the dangers that lurk in It's
present do-nothing policy IN this re-
spect He points to the Belgian trag-
sdy as full proof that treaties. conven-
lions. agreements. that anything of
this nature without guns behind 1t be-
comes. upon occasion, hteraily
BUSINESS is to him an armed peace,
ready to the muzzle for war The most
pacific of national agencies Is full
navy. manned, armed and with steam
up ready to move at the drop of the
aat. or it's equivalent in nautical de-
partures. History and Scripture, hu-
man nature and philosophy, politics
and diplomacy. run to the support OF
his versatile and virile writer on
subject toward which his instincts so
manilestly yearn.
After Fifty. By Harvey w. Wiley.
NJ. D., author of Foods and their
Adulterations," etc. illustrated. New
York: The Century Company.
of the many things that may be said
about THE Lure of the Land" the first
Of these, as well as the best, Is that
IL is without doubt book to be de-
pended upon. The training. the expert
suce and the character of Its writer
Vcuch for this. The study is, therefore,
ef prime Importance to the ambitious
modern farmer. Having given half-hu-
B!orous word of warning as to the very
zeal dangers that may lurk in a call back
to the la nd, DIR. Wiley goes on then to
construct a practical guide to scientific
farming conducted according to busi-
ness principles and methods. The book
sums to an important body of knoWl-
edge on this subject. 1t discusses soils,
their aptitudes and possibilities, their
culture and output and market. 1t de-
scribes the public agencies-the agri-
cultural college and school and the
farmers institute-engaged in increas-
Ing the farming and business intelli-
gence of those living upon the land. 1t
pictures the farmers life as 1t Is COM
Ing to be under this manifold free
schooling, and under the many social
Influences that are beginning to sur
round him-good roads, the automo-
bile. the telephone. rural mail delivery.
.he parcel post. labor-saving machin-
cry in the house as well as In the
aelds. knowledge of sanitation and the
rules OF health and general well-being.
IL sketches the farmer as social be-
az. Il part of the full current of social
I:- and force in it as well. The study,
AL IN ALL Is d fine blend of scientific
n.owledge, practical business method
.nd PLAIN good sense. 1t is. beside.
Juuk OF quick and interesting reading.
KuBERT FRANK. By Sigurd Ibsen.
Translated from the Norwegian by
Marcia Hargis Janson. New York:
Charles Scribners sons Washing
ton: Brentano's
The superficial appeal of this play is
that IL was written by the son of Hen
rik lbsen. Its purpose, its theme and
its structure. however. give it value
1uite apart from the disting uished par
entage of its author. This is a three
act drama in support of the thesis that
prof1t-snaring between laborer ana
employer ouers the only method OIL
harmonlZlng the interests of these two
opposing classes. incidentally, too. 1t
oners the only way by which the en-
spread its cultural influences over the
worker class and, thereby. to Int this
class to higher intellectual and spirit
ual levels. To dramatIze this theme
AIR ibsen creates a nero, d political
reformer of unusual outlook and spe-
cial method, a leader OF men and, upon
occasion, their master, too. HIM ne
surrounds with the familiar crowd of
truckers and turn-coats. The play
snds in the death OF the hero, sh It
down in quite usual fashion, by one OF
his erstwnIle supporters. 1t opens in
an American embassy. where a public
function gathers up the threads to be
woven into the play. The second act.
where Robert Frank, the hero. manipu-
lates matters and men WAL subtle
and complete understanding of their
crooked minds and devious plans, is
the strongest act. From this point the
MAY slopes down to the death OF Frank
through a love scene between him ana
a young American newspaper woman
who is about as dilute a woman
can be and still hold herself together
in human form. MIR. oigurd lbsen
should see a few American women II
he thinks tnat Julia Cameron ls the
sort OF person to crea-.e any nInd OF
stir in any kind of held. He mas made
a strong and lifelike character of the
hero and mis- male supporters. But the
women of this play need attention
JuIIa Cameron cannot be explained
even by the rather common and GER
talnIy iil-natured statement that a
smart man always lavIsnes his love
upon a fool, and the bigger the fool
the love.