Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-21

nights were nights of semi-deltrium
when there were two Pat OBriens-
one. with a decided yellow streak. who
was perpetually begging the other one
to lie down and die-to give up, to let
1t go. And Lieut.. Pat remembers how
he used to call out to the north star to
stand by him. and not let the other fell
low poster him with his yellow solicita-
tions. A big story through whose
black dangers Lieut.. Pat finds time for
some shadow of a joke, here and there.
and whose laughing face and out-and-
out 1rishry now are proof that the real
stuff of the heroic f1ier has suffered no
actual harm. The tale reminds one
the man whose business it has been to
invent marvellous adventures. The
truth has gone SO far beyond any pos
sible invention that that man must in
deed be in an unhappy plight.
THE IRON RATION. BY George Abel
Schreiner. Illustrated. New York:
Harper & Bros.
THE Iron Ration. explains Mr..
Schreiner, lis the name for the food
that the soldier carries in his pack
when in the field. 1t may be eaten
only when the commanding officer
deems this necessary and wise. When
the iron ration is released no COM
mand that the soldier should eat Is
necessary. He is hungry then-fam-
ished. Usually by that time he has
been on half. third and quarter ration.
The iron ration is the last food in
sight. There may be more tomorrow.
But that Is not the motive of the COM
mander for releasing the food. What
he has to deal with is the fact that
his men are on the verge of exhaus-
ton" This book portrays the gradual
approach Of the period of the iron
ration" to the central powers Of war
ring Europe. Mr.. Schreiner spent three
years of the war time in the countries
Of the central powers. studying the
conditions underlying the food supply
and watching the stages of its passage
from plenty to want, and from want
to practical restitution. In answer to
the early boast that the central powers
the writer gives a very illuminating
description of the admirable efficiency
of the Germans in the production of
foods in the method of distribution
by their scientists and experts. The
writer traces also the effect Of this
fundamental food shortage upon the
superstructure of German life at the
of legitimate and Interesting strain
upon certain phases Of the German
future. 1t is a readable account of
an important aspect OF the German sit
uatlOn, ana one that Is drawn at nfst-
hand by a writer who is intimately
acquainted with the German language
and the German habit of thought. by
man. too, who mixed freely with
every grade of German society In or
der to gather the full truth of the food
situation in that country.
A Defence OF IDEALISM, Some
Questions and Conclusions. By May
Sinclair. author of 1.-THE Three Sis
ters," etc. New York: The Macmil-
Ian Company.
Outside the metaphyslcians - who
take harmless delight in tying knots
in the philosophers of rival savants,
just to show how straight their own
theories are lying-th that sum of
thoughts and activities that is accept
ed as idealism needs no defense" One
may as reasonably set up a defense
for the sun in its shining. for the
stars in their courses. for the seasons
in their behaviors. Still. If May Sim
clair did desire to try her hand at
defending idealism, either as a fact or
as a philosophy. why in the world did
she not do this in the way in which
she IL able to do it with power and