The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-04

HE one ana well worth putting into
the hands of youth.
shelley IN Baseball md other
American Things.
our national. State and local gov
eminent. our education, newspapers.
literature" theatre. music. fine arts.
invention and science. business. city
life. social problems. ''playtime" and
rocking chair habit are all squeezed
into some $50 pages by HENRY G.
SHELiEY in america Of the Americans
(SCribners). and the test in compress
sion and sense of proportion is passed
with flying colors. THE Powers of
the President get fourteen lines OF
text, THE Prsss Agent" gets sixty
two: owen Johnson has an allowance
Of space exceeding by eight lines that
which is allotted to the hookworm;
American shipping and American hos
pitality are disposed Of in a dozen
and two lines each. while New York
clubs occupy a page and a half-and
still. are not reported with burdensome
congestion Of detail.
Thu list Of Illustrations unques
tionahly edited by the commendable
desire Of a volunteer upholder of the
mirror ,no reflection on the sincerity
Of the simple little book to let VI
see ourselves as others choose to see
us. may he even more salient" than
the text. When do VI deserve the
immortality of the sensitive film? OF
the thirty pictures. the frontispiece
exhibits the familiar features OF "Dr.
Woodrow Wilson. President" The
Capitol on the Potomac m the Sem
ate Chamber are shown: the grave
and reverend seigniors are caught in
attitudes indicative of varying degrees
of gravity and reverence as the chap
lain implores in their behalf the guild
ance Of the highest Of Governments.
The White House is shown. inside
and out; and a vista in Pennsylvania
avenue. The States are honored in
the counterfeit presentment Of the
home Of the Sacred Cod and the me-
mortal hall of the Boston State House.
The fourth estate does itself proud
with the proprietary CountenanCe
and the domiciliary pile of M of
the most esteemed of our contem-
poraries: 'Howells at His Country
Home" a pleasing view of luXuriant
foliage and a white west" and Edith
Wharton express the spirit Of u
literature. Belasco, Sothern. Warie!d
and Mrs. Fiske claim for the stage
- per cent of Americas photo
graphic representation. The Shaw
Memorial, TRINITY Church In Boston,
the Union Railway Station at Wash
inston 1.-TWO views); the Wizard Of
Menlo Park. the Marshall Field store.
. tpfarinr and aNtaripr ,iau.c' '',npnS'
in a Georgia cotton field. sides of
beef in "A Cooling Room. Chicago
orange groves beside the Golden Gate.
and the patio of a California holiday
hotel The observation car on an
American train reels round a giddy
curve in a setting that would delight
any artist of the reeled films. 4 base
bail cartoon and the Faster Parade,
Fifth Avenue, New York are repro
duccd. The New York skyline has
been overlooked.
There are some f~oolishnesses in the
volume. mirrors are never perfect in
respect Of objective accuracy. But
there is much that Americans will be
glad to see for themselves and to have
seen by their friends-and enemies
in other lands. After all. baseball Is
the test. What says Mr.. Shelley? ITO
excel as a pitcher or catcher is the
ambition OF every lad" I'mpires are
not mentioned, since they are born
and not made; predestlned and fore
ordained, objects OF envy not even to
those ohsessed by suicidal mania, but
seeking euthanasia. The pay envelope
Of the wcarers of pad and spike is ex-
allied rather unduly. we believe. hav-
ing in mind the lesser luminaries who
are not in the same galaxy with the
Georgia Peach" and the few, the i'm
mortal indispensahles. To baseball is
graciously granted wide divergence
hut no "non-proven' verdict on the
charge of plagiarism from the silly
FOUNDERS Of the muddied oaf of Brit
ish school Fairgrounds: Whatever
the origin, the game as played In
America is as characteristic Of the
country as clam chowder." Its vo-
cahulary sends the Britisher's balls
awaiting, even a representative Amer
lean dictionary fails TO onlichten MS
as to the meaning of hunt. or ny,
or sacrifice hit or slide or two
haggers' and the like" Nothing less
than - homer achieved with the bases
full. three and two "on" the batter
deserves .cXicographical record. Amer
leans will say. The game has a weird
lingo" with its fans and bleach
ers' and short end men" 1t il out
Of u department. hut. though WI
consider ourselves good Americans
therefore disciples of 'athleticism,
even though ii he "vicarious." we could
with confidence challenge our own
cha Gahall pGitnr" tn pnliphtop ne ~