The Washington herald., 1918-06-16

which Frank Poe built
some time ago. It has been rented
for few months by Charles O'Boyle,
who also had II a while last season.
The house which Dr. NevfI Munroc
Hopkins built but has never occupied,
IL vacant just now but the Hopkins'
do not expect to occupy It. They will
at the home of Mrs. r, A,
M. Hopkins Lieut.. and Mrs. Waldo
johnson, who had 1t for the best par,
of a year, left last month, he for
some training camp-he II a lieuten-
ant in the aviation corps-and she for
their beautiful place at Cooperstown.
N. Y,
DR.. Hopkins has just published
new book, "Over the Threshold OF
War"-into the stirring and awe
inspiring scenes, the personal expert
ences of the great European conflict,
written in a charming narrative style
from a truly remarkable diary of the
first few months of the war, taking
the reader into the feverish atmo-
sphere of England. Germany, Russia,
France and Belgium and back into
Germany again during the dark days
of the gathering war clouds, and In
the early months Of the crash which
followed. There are 70 illustrations,
many from snapshots by the author,
also drawings, documents and COL
ored proclamations. All proceeds from
the sale Of this book will be donated
by DR.. Hopkins to the Fund Of the
Belgium Scholarship Committee. 1t
is for sale at all book stores ana
published by ]. B. Lippincott Com
pany. Philadelphia. DR.. Hopkins, who
is a major in the ordnance corps Of
the army, is chairman OF the Belgian
Scholarship Committee in Washing
ton. He is also the author of The
Strange Case of Mason Brant," THE
Raccoon Lake Mystery" and a num-
Der of other books. mostly mystery
stories.
The publication of this important
diary has been purposely put OF until
the present time In view of Major
Hopkins lecture work for the home
less orphans Of France and for desti-
tute Belgian scholars, and is now
added to the early historic books of
the war. As a writer Major Hopkins
Is remarkably versatile and excep-
tionally gifted. He possesses a style
that attracts and holds every class
of reader. whether he treats of mys-
terry, romance and humor, in lighter
vein, or of the more serious subjects
of engineering. economics and So
ciology, or of wartime days in
Europe.
His statements are concise, accurate
and to the point. and he has more
over the happy faculty of appreciat-
ing Just what phases Of the subject
he writes upon. about which the pub
lie want to know.
In the present volume, the chapter
on old Russia preparing for war is
particularly absorbing, and gives US
one Of the last glimpses Of the now
dead autocratic regime. He saw Rus
sian war activities under a Tar, and
during the mobilizing of the Russian
army he rushed across the frontier
through Germany to Paris, where he
was attached to the American EN-
bassy during the days of uncertainty
which followed.
His graphic account of the hap.
penings at the embassy during the
panic of Americans- under the. ex-
citement OF war, is comic. pathetic,
and absorbing, showing human ma
ture at its best and It its worst,
and Is probably the most complete
account ever published Of that bit
of history made within the Ameri-
can embassy walls during the burst
of the storm of war.
After assisting to care for the
clamoring Americans and frighten-
ed Germans who sought the pro-
lection of the American flag, he
secured permission to travel in the
war zone. and to visit certain little
towns and the more Important cit
les in the path of the German ad-
vance, and he gives absorbing con-
versation of deep human sympa-
thetic touch, with the peasants, and
a thrilling account of an execution
of three German spies, and of a
fierce battle in the retreat from
Mons, at which he was an active
witness.
His account of the curious be-
havior OF the "eight ladies' with
which he was "saddIed" for q fort
night or more is very humorous in
deed, and draws forth the full SYM
pathy of the reader for the lone
man in his predicament. Undoubt-
edly he sighed many a sigh of re-
lief when he took them on the Amer
lean cruiser Tennessee as refugees
to England and dumped" them, and
then returned carefree to Germany
under pretext of official business
with the German Patent once,
where he had certain inventions
pending action. But he never visits
the Patent ONCE so absorbed was he
in studying the psychology of the
German people under such manu-
factured falsehoods as the reported
blowing up Of the British Channel
Squadron and the fall Of the French
capital
He was arrested by German pa
troll in Belgium and forced to re-
pair certain captured Belgian motor
trucks, which he afterward bravely
made unit for service again, and
gained a narrow escape to Antwerp.
Only a man with an inordinate
thirst for dangerous adventure. and
an iron nerve could have carried
out the many remarkable undertake
ings. securing the camera snapshots
he made, and only an exceptionally
gifted writer could have presented
the facts in such, Q modest, easy and
nonchalant narrative style.
One Is most profitably entertained,
and the book may be considered as a
bit Of early war history well worth
preserving.
The story of England before the
conflict, with London's enticing, smoky
atmosphere, Is charmingly told. The
author then takes US with him to
Berlin, where we see the military
preparations long before war is ac-
tually declared. When the first NUT
terings of the struggle are heard, we
are with him in St Petersburg, now
Petrograd. Moscow and other Russian