Evening star., 1919-03-02

apparent causes that led to tho revo-
luton. The unmilitary character OF
the peasantry, their new preoccupatfon
with the impending land grants. the
insidious and unresting work of Ger
imam propa agandists-these sum to the
main causes that led to the overtura-
, ing of the government, the abdication
of the czar, the experimental Govern-
ments that followed, and, Gnally, to
the total decentralization of the Rus
sian fighting forces. That which sets
this book off from the thousands on
the subject of Russia that are NOW
flooding the country is that it was
written by an active participant in
the Russian fighting and by . mill
tary authority Of distinction and ex-
perience. With such topics as en-
gage the writer he is familiar through
training and practice distinct con-
trast to the thousands of writers. each
of whom has theory of Russia and
the RUSSIAN people, theory of ques-
tionable substance and in most in
stances unconyincing effect
by Kemper p, Cowing Edited
by Courtney RyIey Cooper. Illus
trations by Morgan Dennis, T. S
NJ. c. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
9otn Gov NcI TIE Story Oh ITe
United States marineS in France as
told by their own letters from the
war front and the field of battle. 1t
is a glorious story. A clever idea
lies back of the making of this book.
Some one said to some one else
Lets get hold of the letters of the
marines and publish them as one of
| the biggest war stories ever told"
That is about what was said. So
friends at home were asked to send
ny lei fro hair
And you may be sure that there were
volumes of interesting war stuff for
warded to these bright book makers.
From them were chosen the letters
grim war stories told in the easy
phrase of counting the work as
merely a part of the Hun game. Here
are bits of fun and a. deal of genu-
inc humor. 1t is q. bright and buoy
ant story, as a whole-not from the
circumstances themselves, however
They were drear and hard and awful
But from the gallant souls Of these
boys the story comes out in chunks
of sheer unconscious courage. and
with many a CLINT of pure gayety. A
big heart warming book that makes
the reader very proud and possessive
over these American marines.
HIGHWAYS AND RYwAYs OF
FLORIDA, BY Clifton Johnson. au-
thor of "The Rocky Mountains"
etc. Illustrated. New York: The
Macmillan Company.
This is a part of Mr. Johnson's
American Highways and Byways"
series--a group of observations and
studies designed for the traveller in
this country and for the stay at home
reader as well. The story begins with
"a sketch of llistory-with Ponce de
Leon, de Soto and the rest. One
wishessit had not. Why does not the
writer of travel books begin with
himself, and with the present and i'm
mediate things that strike hiE1 as
chasa acteristic and appealing, putting
these down with the sympathy and
arti stry that he is able to command
If he would do this he would capture
the reader within five minutes-that
is if he be qualified to write at all
Ind he would hold him, too. No, he
cannot do this, for he is in the grip
fof the old scholastic collegiate idea
of order and system Everything must
begin at the beginning, or as near to
that remote point as possible. The
average reader is not interested in
the beginnings of a distant past. He
wants the fun swing of eyentS-the
high tide of things-as they sweep by
him at the moment So one would
do surprisingly well to begin with the
now, with the surrounding immediacy,
weaving in, should chance permit,
such bits of history, legend, hearsay
as each particular place may suggest
by it's richness of bygone days. How
ever, Mr. Johnson has not sinned un-
forgivabIy here, for. where another
would have lost himself in historical
dinginess, he has moved on quickly
into the present of Florida. It's face
today it's attitude In the present, its
interest in everyday affairs are set
down here in interesting detail. The
book has the dehniteness of direction
that good guide must have. It is
abundantly illustrated with typical
scenes. Moreover. it possesses the hu-
man touch of comprehension and hu-
NOR and a fine artistry of description
apac5nte