Evening star., 1920-11-28
THE ARMY OF 1918. BY Col. Robert
r. Mccormick. New York: Har-
court Brace & Howe

1t comedies the existence of
war and admits the possibility
of its functioning in the future
lof human adjustments. Therefore,
the point Of the study covers the need
for scheme of general military
training as the bedrock Of prepared
ness. 1t is. also. a backward-looking
book. In this capacity it is critical in
character. Unpreparedness is the
basis OF this critical summary.
Sketching the outstanding points in
Americas unreadiness for war. the
writer renders these points objective
by transferring his consideration to
| the battle fronts of Europe, where the
registered in an immense and needless
waste of life and treasure. One chap
ter in this survey stands out, in part.
by virtue of the fact that 1t has not
been presented to the general reader
in this driving fashion. In other
| fundamental appeal is to the people
behind the armies. This chapter Col.
Mccormick names THE Crime of ST.
,lence"--the crime of censorship
that SO rigidly shut the facts Of the
war away from it's real supporters.
| the people. The writer declares cen
sorsnip as unavoidably vicious, his
ltorically the most efficient instrument
of despotism. He arraigns it as the
violation of principle-that of the
veloped in the long struggle for civil
liberty that has. finally, set off repub-
lican from autocratic forms of gov
ernment. To make this general state
ment concrete, as his method is, the
author then outlines the evil effects
- l. -
fOstensibly to keep the press from ex-
posing military plans to the enemy,
the censorship resulted in press bu-
reaus established by the armies.
These, N effect, became the channels
of false reports of military operations
and avenues of adulatory exchanges
between high ranking officers. The
| writer goes SO far as to say that when
we came into the war the allies were
beaten nations, because of this an
! tagonism to the press. That is to say,
that postponements, letting down OF
petent leaders and a world of other
ldelinquencies may be traced directly
! to the state of ignorance in which the
censorship held the supporting world
| behind the armies. A free press is,
essentially, the agent of an intelli-
gent self-governing free people. 1t
is just this background Of popular
support that makes the French army
the finest in the world. according to
this author. 1t is this margin OF
sponsive people that sets the French
army above it's only rival. the Ger
man army. which is backed by an
obedient. but blinded and un-
informed people. Dealing in fresh
and compelling manner with few
gives to the reader a finely critical
survey of our country in the war. To
this he adds the constructive outlook
THAT rounds the book to one OF eX-
cellent values for future uses.
AN AMERICANS LONDON. By Louise
Closer Hale. New York: Harper
Bros.
One opens this book bit languid-
ly, expecting to be led about London
by merely another guide. And with
in the first half-dozen pages he falls
Into an adventure of discovery. the
discovery of a genuine simon-pure
humorist. When humorist is nnaily
known and acknowledged and cata-
lorued. as such, he turns out to be
about the most depressing creature
THAT God ever made. But to catch one
new. is indeed a Joy. The theme here
is the very familiar one of being In
lLondon-this time. just following the
war while war conditions OF living
are still in effect. Nothing to get very
Imuch excited about in that. Mrs. Hale
is simply living there for certain
period and fer a certain reason. THIS
is the bare basis of what turns out
to be a record of such entertainment
as only a keen-sighted. warm hearted
refined and fluent writer could weave
out of the plain and pathetic things
of every day.
t-vvr, ~.oneavn IN THE xuAn znNE
| BY Ralph D. Paine, author of ''Th c
i Fighting Fleets" Illustrated
Boston: Houghton Miffiin Com
pany.
! The pleasure yacht doing its bit as
a war vessel is a fact that makes
romantic appeal to the imagination
This is the story of such a transfor-
nation and good accounting. during
the war. on the part of ]. z. Morgan's
yacht. the Corsair. From the mo
ment that the Corsair answers the
war call to the day of honorable dis
charge her story is one Of thrill. such
as used to lie only in the stories OF
Elizabethan seafarings. Dressing the
Yacht for war-rather, undressing it
giving it a place in the first convoy
group. and assigning it to important
war tasks on the other side-these
are the progressive points along
which Mr.. Paine leads one in the ex-
citing story of the Corsair's patriotic
service. The story is an Illuminating
chapter in the naval activities of
which the Corsair itself is. in part, SO
substantial a representative.
tPREsENT-DAY PARIS AND THE
BATTLEFIELDS. By Sommerville
I story. New York: D. Appleton &
/ Co.
| Mr.. Story wrote this book, pri-
marily, as guide book for the
doughboys in Paris. Therein lies its
value to the civilian tourist. who. in
Paris. finds himself unacquainted
with the city or the French tongue.
AS he should. Mr.. Story gives one.
first Of ALL the general plan of Paris.
Within this area he places the great
and distinguishing features-those
features that set Paris off from other
great cities. There is just enough
atmosphere and effect, just enough
! of personal designation to make the
whole vital and worth the attention
of the only generally informed trav-
eler practical guide that, In being
practical, has not neglected to be IN
teresting, also.
THE SILENCE OF COL. BRAMBLE.
BY Andre Maurois. Translated by
Thurfrida Wake. New York: John
Lane Company.
During the war NJ. Maurois was
attached, as interpreter, to an Eng
Iish regiment. Probably as bit OF
personal easement he, in the between
whiles of interpreting. transferred
typical English officers mess to the
pages of this delightful book; To
The imnerturbable Col. Bramble he
pays the honor of naming the book.
within its covers there are others O.
the English brand-the champion Of
british sport. the doctor. the chap.
w.,tinr Frenchman these English