Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-24

success-if it may be measured by the
haunting persistence OF this uncanny
chfld-is beyond question. Beyond this
bare effect upon the reader there is
here the study of an intelligence Gagged
In body so apart from the normal as
to free 1t from many of the habits to
which the normal person becomes en-
shaved. The limitations of time and
space rendered concrete in the life of
person by an overwhelming envelope
of habit are here reduced to the lowest
possible terms. The result is the Won
DER" prodigy of intelligence-reason
memory. instantaneous combinations,
conclusion and vision. This is an eX-
aggerated explanation of the child
prodigy, who is nothing more than an
open channel for the outflow of the
soul-a channel that in the great ma
jority of cases becomes clogged
through the inhibtons of habit. The
this one-that the restrictions of habit
are, in the long run. beneficent ones.
building about one the mystery of life
which is, after all. the element in which
enabled to thrive This is a complex
and difficult theme suited rather to
philosophic dicussions than TO the ora
matte objective of the novel. Never
theless Mr. Reresford has handled it
with reservations OF such quality as to
produce a story that will refuse to
betake itself out of ones MIND long
past the time when dozens OF others
have come and gone ana peen 1orsot-
ten.
THE GERMAN FURY IN BELGIUM.
By L. Mokveld. war correspondent
Of De Tijd. Translated oy :. Ihieme'
London correspondent of De Nieuwe
Courant New York: George H. Doran
Company
This writer is a Netherland journalist
who was for four months with the German
that were occupied with the destruction
of I,ieee. Wise. Louyain and the siege of
Antwerp And these points make the chief
objective of this tirst-hand study. whose
purpose is to describe the savage brutality
OF the German sodiery toward the de-
fenselesS non-combatantS OF Belgium and
toward the combatants falling into
their hands, particularly toward their
British prisoners. NJ Mokveld is
neutral. who. at the start, held no
brief for either side. The Tour months
in Belgium served to change this how
ever. though at no time in this ac-
count does the writer appear to go be-
yond his initial purpose of setting down
those things of which he was an eye
witness. From the record itself one
draws the unavoidable conclusion that
the Belgian campaign of frightfulness
was deliberately made. under the sane
ton of German authority. and, again,
that the story of Belgian snipers that
led to 1ndlScrlmlnate fnuFder OF the
Belgians is not sustained by any evil
dence which has SO far been obtained.
OF the publication of this book the
writer says: Il think it my duty to
submit to the opinion of the public the
things which l witnessed in the I'M
fortunate land of Belgium. and where
l was present at such important events
as an impartial spectator. / call my
self an impartial spectator. for If this
book be anti-German. ii should not be
forgotten that the facts give it that
tendency"
SUDDEN JIM, A Novel. By Clarence
Burlington Kelland. author of The
Hidden Spring" etc. New York:
Harper & Bros.
Young Jim Ashe finally took on the
name Sudden Jim" through the swift
and unexpected turns of his business
methods, just as his father before him
became "Clothespin Jim" through the
accident Of owning and running
clothespin mill out in Michigan. 1t
was the transfer of this business from
old Jim to young that set this account
In motion. Once going, young Jim saw
to it that neither competing corpora
tions, nor politics. nor freeze-outs. nor
labor strikes, with boycott. sabotage.
and the rest of 1t thrown in, should m
terfere in any reckonabls measure with