Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-08
Reviews of New Books

A>~ ~ " - IA
TOWARDS MORNING.. BY l. A. r,
White, author of '-The Shining
Heights" eto New York: John
Lane Company.
TIME foundation Of this excep-
tional novel In an intimate
Il knowledge OF German life In
49,, Its general aims and In the
methods employed to meet them.
Upon 1t Miss wyiie constructs with
INFINITE skill the story Of a German
youth. From the babyhood Of Helmut
to his death in the war the story runs.
Much the larger part Of its course is
taken up with the effects Of the war
on the hber Of the boy, hardening that
which was once tender, brutalizing
that which was once beautifully gem
tie and human. The early days Of the
little Helmut make touching picture
here. Shy and sensitive. the boy lives
to himself in a world Of his own max
Ing wooden doll and q befriended
street dog his beloved companions.
Then come the school days, q vivid
skstching in Of the influences whose
steady course are later to transform
the boy into a bit Of state machinery.
And then. the war. with swift and
certain movements at this point the
writer paints in the outstanding ele-
ments OF the great conflict. converg-
Ing this movement always upon the
character OF the Northumberland es-
especially upon the character of Hell
mut-as they. and he. are caught with
in its sweep The story reaches its
high point Of pity when Helmut dies
ignominiously-"at dawn for disobe-
dienos In the face of the enemy'-be-
cause. through the sudden revolt OF
his own nature against the barbaritles
of war. he refuses to do the hideous
thing to which he Is assigned. A
poignant and pitiful story throughout,
with never a point OF overemphasD
or extravaganza In the use OF ma
terial to take away from the power.
leaves with one.
SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL M
LAT1ONS BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND GERMANY August,
1o1A-April, 1917. BY James Brown
SCOTT. New York: Oxford Univer-
~ etty Press.
Material otherwise scattered ana
inaccessible IN here made available
to the student Of that critical period
lying between the outbreak of the
European war and the entrance Of
the United States into the conflict.
From official documents the author
summarizes the significant events OF
intercourse between this country and
Germany during the two years and
moro Of American neutrality. a con-
siderable part of this authoritative
and comprehensive exposition bears
upon that neutrality. defining its pow
ers and proving its quality In the face
Of German accusations against both
Its intent and its operations. In enect
the book constitutes an exhaustive
concrete study Of the internationalism
tics. during the period under inves-
tigation. An admirably concise state
lnent Of the German conception OF tho
state. Of international policy and
law-as this conception has grown
and crystallised from Frederick the
in touch with the Prussian point Of
view, explaining thereby the attitude
Of Germany toward the United States
during our two years OF neutrality.
The high standing Of this writer a.
an authority on international law. his
national import. the concrete quality
Of this exposition. It's point, tts thor
oughness--these unite to place with
in easy reach fund Of valuable In
formation upon pressing and In
cluaive subject.
THE vOYD OF WARa Letters From
the Trenches. BY Reginald Far
rer. Boston: Houghtor Mimtn
Company.
These war letters make no attempts
on war strategy. nor do they aim pri-
MARTY to give definite information
concerning the monstrous conflict.
Rather does the writer jot down from
time to time certain things that hap
pen under his own eye, things about
which II will try to ravel out my feel
ings a. I come upon the knots" a. he
says In his first letter. And since he
is the kind Of man to whom happen-
ings contain moro than their bare face
value, ana since he has . etrikingly
Individual way Of delivering over TO
one these happenings In the full hav0r
OF their combined facts and implica-
tions-since these two things are true
Of him, this book turns out to be one
OF the most important and the most
pleasing war books that has come to
hand 80 far. From point to point
over the face Of France, and italy
too. Mr.. Farrer moves gathering
6rssh meanings out Of what has now
oome to be in our imaginings an age