Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-13
FROM BROADWAY
TO THE TRENCHES
Sgt. Woolcott Writes Dough.
boys Book on Doughboys.
Other Var Books

From the risks and risqueries of
Broadway, where he was a first
nighter employed by newspaper to
'analyze, criticise and maybe deodorize
the new shows for the advice and in
formation of the public, Alexander
Woolcott, by virtue of the astonishing
mutations of the war, found himself in
Paris and at the various fronts as
reporter for The Stars and Stripes,
the official weekly of the A. f. +.
In The Command is Forward" Mr..
Woolcott has gathered from the files of
the Stars and Stripes a number of
articles written with the newspaper.
mans keenness of observation and
surety of impression. He had especially
favorable auspices under which to do
his war reporting as the field cores
pondent of the A. F.. +. official news
paper and made so much of his oppor-
tunities that this anthology of what he
considers best worth preservation of his
writings as a member of its staff makes
one of the most human books of the
war, n distinction which it shares with
a book on the earlier phases of the
career of the A. Il. F. by his fellow
Gotham dramatic critic, Haywood
Broun. Mr.. Woolcott has written no
work on strategy, no chronicle of battles
that already seem long ago, but very
lively. vivid series of stories in which
contemporaneousness and human inter
est vie for predominance
why We Fought" is the arguments
of an ex army captain in favor of the
league of nations. 1t is rather slight
in material and texture but presents,
in the word of ex President Taft, who
agreeably introduces the author, the
testimony of a witness who was sol
der on the fighting front" n
Helping. France" tells the inspir .
ing story of the reconstructive work of
the American Red Cross in the devas-
tated areas of the battle torn country.
The story is graphically narrated by
Ruth Gaines, who was q member of the
Smith College Red Cross unit. She is
remembered for her other books. "A
Villa in Picardy.'' and "The Village
Shield" "Uncle Sam. Fighter" gives
an account, partly impressionistic and
partly statistical, of the vigor of deter
mination. and energy of enterprise with
which the United States drafted.
equipped. trained, cared for aud utilized
the great army of nearly 1000. 900 men
which was the determining factor in
winning the war for the salvation of
civilization The civilian as well as the
DllllIuIl dSItClS anu NOlhluSo VI WV
great war machine are concisely stated
by the author, William Atherton
Dupuy, ..
experience as Red Cross chaplain
with the Americans in France, has
written graphic book describing the
war from an individual angle. He calls
it Padre and very rightly, for it is
permeated with the atmosphere which
is part of the personality of we'll
beloved minister of the gospel. His book
is simple and sincere and it gives good
idea of what chaplain does in war. a
subject on which many persons are
somewhat ignorant.
The American Front" by Ernest
Peixotto. who during the war was a
captain of engineers assigned to repro
ducing in paintings and drawings the
multifold scenes of the war. especially
as they concerned the American forces
and activities. prints by authority of
the War Department n number of his
striking drawings, which are supple
mented by text equally facilc and
graceful.
Elsie Janis tells in jolly fashion of
her career as an A. f. f. entertainer
in her book. 1.-THE Big Show" Miss
Janis. canceling all her theatrical enter
tanments, entered heartily into the
work of entertaining our soldiers in
France, and gayS more tnan 600 con-
certs.
''The Soul of the c. r. b." by Nine.
Saint Rene Taillandier, is the story of
the American Commission for Relief
in Belgium and northern France. a
story that will always glow brightly
on the pages of American history tor
its service and sacrifice. Coming, as it
does, from the pen of a noted French :
woman, the tribute is all the more eff
fectivc.
These books view the war from many
angles, and in nearly every case are
the record of personal participation.
ANY of them would be admirable for
Christmas giving. and most of them
would be permanently treasured.
THE SOUL OF THE, c. R. B. BY Madame
sain, Rene s.nin,eTs Tsilis%aiers Land New York
THE COMMAND is FORWARD: By Alexan-
der Woolcott New York; The Century
PAiDoRE' By By; sartwell Prentice New York;
uScLE sxM, M FfaHTER TiaEs., By e W 4; so Dupuy,
HEHPlNG Msp TsrF rFFRHNeE S'fsef S RSth E2 Gaines
York: e. p. Dutton Co, So
W HY WE FOUGHT. BY 7. G. Chamberlain
New York: Macmillan Co, 81.
THE BIG SHOW; BY Elsie Janis New
THE fEFh AMERIcAN FROST. BY Ernest
Peixctto New York: Charles Scribner s
Sons