Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-03
Reviews Of New Books

ED 0AY-D0NBEYep A Newell By
Sir Harry Johnston. author OF
ssThe Uganda Protectorate," ETC.
Preface BY 81. q. Wells. New York:
The Macmillan Company.
TN his preface Mr. Wells says:
This II one of the best nrst
novels I have ever reaA have
long had . lurking persuasion
that nearly any man Of experience,
who cared to be frank about his bust
ness. could produce at least one better
novel than the sworn and addicted
novelist. We have too many mere
novelist's novels. Sir Harry does much
in this book to rescue the novel from
its present unhappy enlargement
the posings and pretensions Of art
and to restore It to literature" OF the
extent and quality Of this authors
experience there is abundant evidence.
He has been both explorer and dis
coverer. He has been fighter and
leader of far expeditions. He has
governed remote provinces. He mas
conducted scientific expeditions. He
IS an artist and a smasher Of old
idols set up to out-worn customs, 10
dead-and-gone methods Of education.
to defunct imperial stun wherever II
may be found. Here this full man mas
emptied himself into a story. Whether
he went in head first, or feet hrst. ap-
pears to have been the least OF his
concerns. To get into pile fact upon
fact, event upon event, to present the
English temperament, male and re-
male, in one and another characters
tic English situation, to rollick about
for the sheer fun OF the thing, TO
sprawl all over the empire at will
this was the clear preoccupafion OF
this truly inspired novelist. The novel
would make the theerist Of fictional
construction crumple up in lifeless
bundle Of disbursement. What IT
does to the mere reader-bored 70
death with the theory Of the novel
and pining for a sure-enough story
is to fill him with clear joy. This Is
life the way 1t con- ports itself. Lie
. does sprawl. It is inconsequent 1t is
a disorderly makeshift performance,
with only now and then a passing hint
OF plan and sequence. Sir Harry
Johnston has chosen q bigger master
Therefore he has produced q wonder
of stimulating fiction, which In Its es-
sence Is one OF the most convincing
reflections Of the many-sided aspects
of English life.
XtAN66hOUD OAxcs by ma 49,
erts Rinehart, author of THE
/ Amazing Interlude," etc. New
1 York: George n. Doran Company.
Z One was sure that Mary Roberts
Rinehart WIS at her best In THE
Amazing Interlude." But Dangerous
Days'' offers an even better best than
that charmingly tender war story gave.
This Is a war story. too. That is to
say, 1t Il stepped in the brew Of Amer-
can agitation before our actual entrance
into the war. Confident in mind and
amazingly adroit in manner. Mrs. Rine-
hart dramatizes q section OF American
ME that, by virtue OF its own personal
war to itself. living gayly. instead. on
the comfortable dodge, Let George do
H.'' With insight and 'unfsflin6 hurnor,
with an unqualified artistry Of portrayal.
with q serious appraisal OF American OBJ
Msation In this world cataciysm. Mrs.
phisticate hand the very serious mat
ters with which this romance has to do.
These are upper-cfust society folks
pleasure mad. selfish, blind. on the out
side, but. when the call really gets
through to the actual persons under
afain-that human beings: are pretty
fne, say what you viii TO Be sure. in
this development one woman turns out
TO be unconquerab}y- selfish. Only one,
though. And To- be- sure. she almost
ruins her boy by trying to keep him out
Of the war. And. to be sure, once more.
she well nigh wrecks the fine man, her
husband. who gives Of himself and his
wealth and his %brsiness, despite hers.
small intrigues 10 thwart him. Again.
she Il only one. The rest OF the folks
here come out. Just as American folks
did all over this country, to the pride
of the whole world. All this Mrs. Rine-
hart handles In q mastery manner.
making Of this brilliant and artistic in
vsntion, = genuine bit Of American pa
trlotism, turned lightly to the uses Of
current literary realism. Mrs. Alns.
Aart's best story. Anybody's best story
for many day.
WITH THE YANKEE DIVISION m
FRANCE. By Frank p. Sfbley.
Z With maps and illustrations. Bos-
I ! ton: Little, Brown & Co.
New England national guardsmen
made up the personnel Of the Yankee
pivision-the 2eth. This was the
FIRST Army unit to sail, as division.
from the United States for ovefseas.
One Of the factors in this distinction,
which, as q matter Of course, was so