Evening star., 1919-10-12

matter over In India, surround 1T with
the English army life Of that region,
enlist a few natives as faithful serv-
ants on the one hand and incorrigible
fakirs on the other, add the English
secret service, sprinkle the situation
with native uprisings. make the girl
innocent and beautiful, sponsor the
remaining husband both as man and
gentleman, bathe the whole in the
Indian atmosphere with which this
author Is on such terms of poetic
intimacy-all of this done, and you
will follow up the Strengthening out
of the entangled to-do in a thorough
absorption of interest. Romance. ad-
venture, mystery. intrigue and atmos-
phere surround the appealingly hu-
man pair with whom this author sets
out for your good entertainment.
THE SECRETS OF ANIMAL LIFE.
By j. Arthur Thomson, NJ. A.,
IL. D., author of "The Wonder of
Life" etc. New York: Henry Holt
& Co.
Costly, and therefore undesirable,
may be the middleman in economic
life. In the realm of ideas, however,
more often than otherwise, he is
clear necessity to the average man.
Between the scientist and the COM
monty schooled man, for instance,
there is need for some one to step in.
to reduce technical speech TO common
currency, to dissolve rigid tables to
dramatic moments of fact, to trans
form dry deductions to flashing
glimpses of the amazing panorama or
author of this volume. Thirty short
studies present here one or another
of the secrets of animal life. The sub
jects selected are representative ones.
range of information. From study
of the curious behaviors OF 1ndlVloual
animals the writer moves into the
larger circle of animal development
and it's problems. The concept or eVo.
luton provides the basis for many or
these chapters. The names of these
chapters Indicate the happy and at
tractive vein of the discussions them-
selves. Mans Arboreal Apprentice
ship" points to our unmistakable an
cestry. The Unseen Coal spreads
the process of evolution to unimagln-
able human splendors. And so on,
through the long list of topics, the
writer presents captivating views OF
the wonders that science has uncover
ed in respect to many aspects OF am.
NAL life. There is nothing dull about
this book. On the contrary, IL Is a
spirited adventure throughout. rms
fact coupled with its variety OF
theme, it's content Of general interest
and its soundness Of substance, makes
of this volume a most valuable con-
tribution to the popular consideration
of scientific fact.
THE CRIME. BY the author OF L
Accuse" Translated by Alexander
GRAY. New York: George H. Doran
Company.
One cannot forget the vigorous ar
raienment of the central powers for
the crime of the great war by Ger
man writer in the book Il Accuse.
Nor does he fail to remember the i'm
passioned denials that this volume
evoked from Germany itself. The au-
thor met these denials full in the face,
head on. Now, the author of Il Ac-
cuse" continues, by way of this study,
a general study of the aims that actu-
ated the allied nations in the prosecu-
ton of the war. as he also re-empha-
sizes the aims of Germany in making
war. Original documents. the first
hand utterances of statesmen-Eng-
lish, French. American and German
constitute the material from which
the evidence in hand is drawn. This
evidence weighs the purposes Of the
allies in forming a league of nations,
whose object is to secure the perma-
nent peace of the world. But through
out this volume the intelligence and
the acumen, the logical rectitude of
the author, the experienced handling
of testimony, the vigor of statement,
the mental honesty, the fearlessness
of attitude-these are devoted, in part,
to a reassertion Of his original claim
against the central powers in general,
against Prussia in particular, for the
origin of the war. These memoirs
stand. in view Of their source and by
virtue of their treatment, monumental
nd
lying the war, and of the spirit that
animated its prosecution.
THE CHANGING DRAMA. By Archi-
bald Henderson. author of "Eu-
ropean Dramatists," etc. Cincin-
natl: Stewart & Kidd Company.
A scholarly and sympathetic sur
vey in which Mr.. Henderson goes
back over half a century of the drama
for the sake of noting it's course of
development, of making clear the new
purposes that have animated it with
in this period. Of recording it's cor
respondence with the changes that
have marked the social spirit of which
the drama is properly the reflection,
when 1t is not the pioneer. The IL
Illuminating and suggestive study
marks period in the growth of dra-
matte literature. 1t also foreshadows.
out OF cotemporaneous life itself.
the character of the drama that, from
the year 1919, will gradually take the
place of that which is influential at
the moment. The book is an admir-
able summary, as 1T is also an indi-
cation in comprehending particulari-
ty of the new drama that will rise
out of the new vision. out of the new
purposes. out of the new xpansions,
which the tremendous present is sure
to Impose upon every form of art