Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29

sT-AID TRAINING.
located, the result is to make better
citizens, stronger obligation toward the
state, happier home life for the women
and children and the obliteration OF
that feeling of isolation which has en-
shrouded them.
The census of technical experts for
the use of the government in time OF
war is also being conducted by this
bureau at the request of the council OF
national defense. The idea is that the
government should run no risk OF sac
rificing large numbers of its best en-
gineers, chemists and other scientists
in the trenches when they would be OF
more value to the nation behind the
army.
Twenty-Five thousand letters are be-
ing sent out to all kinds of mining
corporations to develop the qualifca-
tions and nationality of their technical
employees, and the American Institute
of Mining Engineers and the American
Chemical Society are cooperating with
the government. Director Manning
says: warfare today is one of materi-
ais transformed in the shortest possible
time into terrible weapons of destruc-
ton and defense. 1t requires an un-
limited number of trained technical
men who know at once how to fashion
these engines out of the raw materials.
In fact, so predominating is the need
war in Europe has been termed an en-
gineers' war, a chemists war.
I'm this country we have the techni-
cal talent, men of vast practical ex-
perience and men who have already
supplied such materials as are needed
in warfare. There is no question Of the
expert ability of the nation that gave
the world the armored battleship, the
ship and other epoch making inven-
tons"
Mr.. Manning cautioned against the
nation making the blunder made in
Europe of putting technical men in the
trenches. forgetting they would be
needed elsewhere.
1t was explained that il was the pur-
pose of this census to put the country
in position where experts could be
modified in ANY one of fifty lines
without delay. For example. IL the
War Department needed tunnel build
ers, explosive experts, men who know
about dixie and levee building. the erec-
ton OF machinery or the manufacture
of metals from ore. the most represent
ative in the United States could be pro-
cured at once.
three-quarters of a century and picks
our St Lawrence county. in northern
New York Webster. Clay, Calhoun,
were the names on the program then.
with Van Buren, as President and Silas
Wright as the great man of the local
ny nguring in this story. At such safe
u.s aii OF time and place from the tur-
mol OF the present. Mr. Bachelor
builds a plain story of country folks,
each partaker of the Joys and sor-
rows that belong to the common lot
All or them come together in a COM
munity OF countryside interests whose
early favors of LONELINESS do one good
to come across and sit down with.
Sllas Wright is Jove-like figure here.
but a benign and friendly Jove. to
whom all of northern New York looks
Tor protection and justice. His imme-
date service to the interests OF this
story is his role of benefactor to the
little boy who turns out to be the
hero of the tale. Not often does a bet
ter or a more boy-like boy get into a
story than this one, and almost never
does one find there man to compare
with Uncle Peabody" who. with
Aunt Deel." bachelor and old maid
brother and sister, bring up the boy in
something like idyI of devotion
which is covered up with all sorts of
shame-faced pretensons to the con-
trary. Poor peoples troubles-mort-
cages. interest. taxes-and the make
shifts Of backwoods existence nh
these pages with an occasional ad-
venture of more picturesque quality
than these. The whole story is free
from extravaganza of any kind. on
the contrary. it is complete in its con-
sistency and dramatic interest. true IN
its touches of historic interest and
wholly human throughout
UNDEnTOW. By Kathleen Norris.
author of The Story of Julia Page"
etc. New York: Doubleday, Page &
Co.
In "Undertow' Mrs. Norris drama
tizes one out of the thousands of as
poets that modern extravaganza as
sumes. IL is a domestic story, Begin
ming with a wedding and the subse-
quent adventure Of housekeeping.
which. at the end of every month. turns
into hilarious game of casting UP ac-
counts to find a happy balance on the
right side of the book. For a long
time the story moves gayly along in
this direction. Then there are small
advances in salary, new acquaintances
who find this attractive pair quite to
their liking. Gradually the fatal game !,
of Doing as the rest do takes full
possession of Nancy and Bert, and
after that there is nothing to the story
but a swift race for disaster. Luckily
these two do have groundwork of
plain common sense, so their financial
ruination is medicine whose efficacy
they recognize even though the taste
of IL is not altogether TO their liking.
AS sees the last of the pair they
have shed any number of their mis-
taken and foolish notions without haV-
ing lost either their courage or their
likable qualities in the process. The
drama itself deals in realistic man
ner with the class that devotes its
days to the strenuous business of hay
ing good time" 1t moves. therefore.
in an atmosphere OF gayety and in the
attitudes of smart society, though its.
real meaning is at no time obscured by
these artificial externals. Less serious
in outward bearing than the most OF
this writer's novels. il is, nevertheless,
quite the equal Of any OF them in actu-
al content.