Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-04

cially vivid and immediate manner.
The account is filled with illuminating
details about the rigorous business of
learning to fly with the French. A full
and well organized description of the
aviation school at Chartres gives one
an excellent view of the work planned
and achieved by that school To this
the writer adds the other steps in
volved in the system employed by the
French to bring this branch of the
army service to its best possible stand
ing and efficiency. Along the course
of these days of study and preparation
Mr.. WinSlow sketches innumerable pic
lures of France in its surprising adj
justments to war conditions and de-
mandS Some very remarkable pictures,
taken by the author himself, add to the
generally instructive and interesting
quality of this book.
RESPONSIBILITIES: And Other Poems.
By William Butler Yeats. New
York: The Macmillan Company.
These are the latest of the published
poems of William Butler Yeats, mis-
cellaneous group of widely diverse
themes, coming together by the bond
of verse alone. The diversity, however,
serves the good Office of showing the
versatility of this poet. Old stories of
Ireland and new ones, modern politics,
the hardships of the Irish movement.
philosophical reflections. old legends
transmitted to modern meanings, along
with the everyday happenings between
friend and friend-these are the varied
themes which Yeats turns into verse
that is less poetry than il is a poetic
handling of the plain common uses OF
speech. 1t is an interesting collection,
interesting a revelation of the out
look of rich ami original mind. and
interesting, too. as confirmation or
the fact that even poetry changes it's
fashions of form as does prose, as does
everything else that belongs to the
ways of men. This up-to-the-minute
modernity is, perhaps, the most inter-
esting quality of the book. 1t is, with
out a question, one of the current lit
erary protests against the traditions or
literary form. 1t is a declaration that
poetry is practically independent of
form. Nevertheless, Mr.. Yeats is more
generally appealing in the role or
dramatist and essayist than as poet
though to the initiate in modern verse
he is the poet supreme.
CLEARING THE SEAS. OR THE LAST
OF THE WARSHIPS. By Donal
Hamilton Haines, author of The
Last Invasion" Illustrated. New
York: Harper Bros.
This story breezes through an imaginary
war between the United States and
great military power. In which this coun-
try is the victor.
AS the heroes are Two sailors young
enough to start to college after their ex-
citing adventures on warship and sub
marine. the story. by right of custom
should especially appeal to boy readers
who love rafting tales of the sea, but
A real war dwarfs fiction. and todays
youngster gets more thrills out Of current
world facts than can be provided by the
most alluring of sea yarns, not counting
the educational superiority of history in
the making TO supposed warfare involving
a country at peace. If the author will
permit whispered suggestion that Con-
gress does not hold its sessions in autumn
the reviewer will respond with the hand
some admission that the text Of Clearing
the Seas" is narratively interesting and
that the illustrations of sea fights, sinking
ships and like tragedies of naval combat
ana desisued and drawn with skill