The sun., 1919-03-02
ACCORDING to Orders"

ish army who has seen hard service in
France. These are obviously not swivel
chair stories composed by one safely re-
moved from the danger zone. They seem
to have been written-and probably were
during the pauses Of actual fighting, for
they have strong effect Of tense reality.
The dramatic details are such as only
first hand experience would give and are
utilized with the art Of one who knows
how to write. There have been many
books written in the past four years by
those who had been in the war, but lacked
the craft Of composition, as there have
been equally many by men and women
who knew how to write, after fashion,
yet had no real knowledge Of battle. F.
Britten Austin knows his war and is able
also to write about it.
Capt Austin appears to be well ac-
quainted with the German language and
the Prussian mind. These studies in
action-some Of which have not sufficient
plot to be called short stories-revcal the
Teutonic spirit in military emergencies,
responding with varied emotions but un-
varying obedience to the commands of
superior officers. The German eyery-
where is shown as acting according to
orders whether he be the private soldier,
the under officer, the spy or the civilian.
This book is an interesting document in
fctiona psychology. The characters stand
out for a moment in individual distinct
ness, then blend together in strange like
ness to each other. The reader feels about
each one Of them as the veteran private
did about the young officer. "The private
wondered impersonally how long this one
would survive; in his long experience he
had seen 30 many come, strut their little
hour of harshly aecentuated Importance
and disappear" The soldier in Peace,
the man who has lived in America, thinks
himself different, but is like the rest. He
reveals himself as he meets an American
in No Mans Land the day the armistice
is signed.
az am going back myself pursued
KOnnecke. Tn going right back to Gods
own eountry-sure enough American citi-
zen frst thing You know
"The American turned slowly On his
heel md faced the grinning German. He
surveyed him deliberately from head to
foot Konnecke waited oomplaeently
through the pause as if expecting a pat
on the back.
"You are some optimistr said the
American grimly.
with an abrupt movement he seized
K0nneeke by the shoulder and spun him
round so that he looked down the dreary
vista between the trenches. The battle
lines in this area had met In q village;
but of that village there was nothing
more than q fsw heaps Of pulverized
brick, scarcely to be remarked on the
naked desolation Of the ridge.
"'See hereP continued the American
with q sudden viciousness in his tone,
pointing to that obliterated village.
That's you. guess the States can get
on very well without YOU"
Zone would know this to be an Eng
lshman's writing, for no American refers
to his country as "the States")
There is much vividness Of picturing
power in the descriptions Of men and
scenes. The reader seems to be witness
ing for himself the things Capt. Austin
describes, the rhythmic companies march
ing past, the slippery yellow mud, the
pale gas clouds drifting over the fields
Like evening mists, the dreadful contor-
tons Of the dying, the hellish smoke and
flames Of burning villages.
In The Iron Cross the spirit Of the
German people, as Austin conceives it, is
expressed in the answer that the Russian
woman soldier makes to the German pris-