Evening star., 1918-07-28
Reviews of New Books

New Docks
Immensely accelerated movement that
the war is producing In every form
and department Of life.
THE REvELLERs. By Louis Tracy,
author Of "The Wings OF the Morn
Ing" etc. New York: Edward J.
Clode.
This 10 the story of Martin Court
BoIland. II. as was generally as
sumed. Martin had in reality been the
son OF John BollanJ. sturdy yeoman
and stin dissenter of Yorkshire.
there would. moro than likely. have
been no story at all. Still. quite apart
from the problem Of his paternity, the
boy possesses in his own right the
wherewithal Of good entertainment.
And this the author uses by making
dren who stand as principals In this
drama Of English country life. To
be sure, grown folks figure here in
q substantial line of interesting ac-
tion; but this is merely a support
career of Martin Court Bolland. In
good time the story opens to admit
the mystery Of the boys birth, and
later yet to let in the urges and ex-
citements of the war. The eight years
involved In this development. where
In Martin not only finds his father.
but becomes soldier in Flanders rs
well, are years that move swiftly
into the readers attention by the va
riety and color of their events. No
story can end nowadays outside the
war zone. And Mr.. Tracy has led to
this event with rather more than the
average degree Of plausibiiity. rather
less than the usual degree Of force in
achieving 1t. He has, moreover, pro-
duced an interesting story Of q boys
arly years in rural England.
THE REAL COLONEL HOUSE. BY
Arthur D. Howden Smith. author
Of Fighting the Turk In the Ball
kans." etc. New York: George H.
Doran Company.
In the achievement of this intimate
biography of Mr.. House the writer
tant public event of the past five
years or SO through. the personality Of
Col. House. in order to determine the
general outlook of Mr.. House on the
world movements of that period. in or
der to make clear the causes underly-
ing the unique supremacy Of this pri-
nations. The worth of the method is
proved by the absorbing quality of
the narrative. Through the medium
OF the war menace-and OF its later
fulfillment-the writer portrays Col.
House in the role Of diplomat, who not
only warned the allies of the impend-
ing catastrophe, but who succeeded.
as well, at one point, in bringing Ger
many to reasonably compliant mood,
having shot her. bolt at the Marne.
and again at the Aisne, and again at
the channel ports. 1t is also through
this Intimate study of Col. House that
the writer brings out some Of the in
side points in the war policy of Mr..
Wilson. explaining his delay and his
attitude toward preparedness, reaf-
frming his hope for peace. and out
lining his plans for the part to be
taken by this country in the peace
settlements. The place of Mf. House
In American politics Is given through
his activities in the campaign that
elected Mr.. Wilson and helped to Gre
ate his first cabinet. Aside from this
study of Mr.. House as a leader in the
democratic administration the writer
presents the intimate personal side OF
this silent and inconspicuous man. 1t
is an intimate story. one that gives
the reader free insight into this in
teresting personality. and one that
sets up. as well. keen admiration for
another one of the big men OF the
country who supplant words with
deeds.
AMBULANCE 4s4. By Julien H.
Bryan. Illustrated. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
This is record Of Mr. Bryan's own
experiences as an ambulance driver in
the verdun region as lately as in the
summer of 1917. FROM this straight
forward and unpretentfous account
one is able to get pretty clear no.
ton of the specific duties of this
branch of the service, with something,
as well, of its relations to the con-
duct of tho war as a whole. However.
narrative-the actual part played in
the ambulance service by Mr.. Bryan
himself and the other members of
..Section Twelve that gives to this
book its peculiarly vivid quality, let
ting the reader in. SO to apeak. to an
immediate participation Of ambulance
duties and hazards. It is = bright and
bIuff account, one that minimizes the
heroisms of Section IL and pht4
TO the front, instead, any str4aks OF
fun or humor that may stray into
this gruesome field. A Princeton
freshman Of only seventeen when he
entered the service. Mr.. Bryan was
neither too young nor too preoccu-
pied to take note Of what this tre-
mendous experience was doing to him
and to his companions in their 'front.'
ing upon the war in its essence and
its imperative outcome. 1t Is life
like story, bound to excite and sus-
tain interest out Of the appeal Of its