Evening star., 1918-07-14

q OASIS OF Official Iact l6 the SplendlQ
story of the merchant seaman In the
war today. No better sea story can be
conceived than this record of fact. No
larger heroism stands to any mans
account than does this tale Of these
warriors Of the sea. These pages
the telling Of this story and the story
itself tustifies to the full that joy Of
thrilling recital It Is the virtues OF
the British seaman that the author
seeks here to portray. and not tie
horror Of his personal sufferings- So.
this is q great hero story. one that
will be good for boys In particular,
and for girls and for grown people. as
we'll
HIGH ADVENTURES A Narrative Of
Air Fighting in France. BY James
Norman Hall. author of Kitchen
er's Mob" Illustrated. Boston:
Houghton Mifain Company.
An Interrupted story. for It's author
is a prisoner in Germany after a
splendid fight with German airplanes.
The story, as 1t stands. Is an account
Of the air fighting of France. in which
James Norman Hall took a zealous
air-man's part It begins with the
entrance of himself and Drew" Into
the newness Of this fighting branch
Of the Army. In simple and often
humorous comment It takes notes on
the transformation Of this pair from
average land lubbers to air fighters.
This point reached, the story thrills
with the sky adventures Of the writer,
battlefelds among the clouds. with
the adventure, too. there goes along
here fund of information concerning
airplanes and the secrets of their con-
troll. with something, also, of calcpla-
to the as anas so nsf af ss
part of this exciting story of actual
occurrence, in a very miracle-field OF
activity and under circumstances of
incredible danger. Is that 1t carries
everyday sort Merely something to
be done. The thing accomplished.
Mr.. Hall folds 1t up in a modest ac-
count which he sends back to readers.
And In the unpretentious story one
hnds heroism Of the thrilling kind.
and fine. deep seriousness and
sense OF grim resolve-all Of which
comes across to the reader in a new
baptism Of personal conservation to
the cause for which this high en-
deayor stands.
GOLD AND IRON. By Joseph Herges-
heimer. author Of Tho Three Black
Pennies" etc. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf.
Here are three >of Joseph Herges-
heimer's long short stories, each Of
which gives added evidence Of the
writer's originality Of invention and
skill of Workmanship. The FIRST Of
the three, wild Oranges" stands
among the three as the most strik-
ing and unusual in outline, though
in structure 1t does not surpass i, the
remaining two. This is story of
much with effects beyond the nat-
ural as outside Of the natural. The
curious and fascinating action is
built up in an inaccessible coast
wise spot of Georgia around the iso-
lation Of a man who did not fight In
the civil war. either on one, side or
ever its origin may have been. there
grew slowly a state of sec1usion i'm
posed. at first. from without. but
feeding finally upon the mans own
fear Of association with his fellow
isolation and loneliness saturates
the picture. A tree-hidden estate.
with ~unkempt tangles of vegetation
gathering in secretive pillows about
1t, a stately mansion fallen into pitt
ful decay. the loneliness of the port
less sea upon it the whole is a
masterpiece of decay, and oblivion.
The man. like some wild and fright
ened bird, fits here and there. his
flying exit felt, rather than seen. A
daughter brings the story to life. at
the approach of q vessel on which
another man Is also flying from the
weariness of sorrow and the multi
tude Of life's urgenciea A strange.
uncanny servitor- of the old estate
a half human, terrifying creature.
brings an element of danger into a
situation that calls out the browsing
manhood Of the intrusive sailor. 1t
is a tragic story, except for the
shadowy romance that works Its
way through the dire events <of its
unfolding. In q, most impressive
the materials Of mystery and lonelt-
ness and gloom and fear. setting
these in an atmosphere that serves
to multiply and deepen these emo
tions intellectually. Not q pleasant
story, but a truly remarkable one. A
somber Poe invention.
THE DEvELOPHENT OF JAPAN.
BY Kenneth Scott Latourette. New
York: The Macmillan Company.
The quality that steps out to meet
one from every chapter Of Prof.
Latourette's study Of Japan is the
writer's own enthusiastic admiration
Of the Japanese. The astonishing
progress of that nation within the
past half-hundred years has seized
upon his imagination, animating with
full-hearted sympathy this survey Of
the development Of Japan. The study
to tn hn q N n h0