Evening star., 1920-10-03


Haven: knights of Columbus.
~ YP to the great war, the X. OF
c. was. to the outsider, sim
ply one of a dozen other pop
ular civic organizations that
manifest themselves periodically in
conventions and crowds, professions
and parades With war time, how
! ever, both at home and at the front
the K. Of c. stepped definitely into
common recognition and homage for
the scope and quality of its service
Now by virtue of the work OF these
two authors there comes to hand
full history of this organization Inc
first volume tells the story of the rise
of the X. of C.--first, in the imaglna-
I'tion of young Father McGiyney, prleS'
of the diocese of Hartford, Conn. Ihe
story goes to show>the splendid reall-
cation OF the, young priests dream.
realization that, inside of forty years
reached a climax - astonishing. rms
recital goes into the subtler aspec.s
of this growth, into its philosophy, It's
psychoIogy-as well as into it's va
rious social and civic achievements. A
most interesting narrative. toucnea
throughout with the subtietleS OF
keen insight and delicate handing
The second volume is given over ~
the personalities of the K. OF c. a
roll of honor names the soldiers OF
this organization. Letters of COM
mendatiOn from high sources. names
of officers and secretaries are 1ound
here. The bulk of the book, however
is taken up with the names OF the n.
of C. patriots who fought in the great
war. Most interesting and most val
uable as a source of definite special
information.
ORDNANCE AND THE WORLD
WAR; A Contribution to the His
tory OF American Preparedness'
By Mai. Gen. William Crozier. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Everybody now knows" says Gen.
Crozier here, that we entered the
war with a very small Army and
wholly inadequate supply of arms.
ammunition and other equipment.
The book in hand is written IN .ns
belief that the people of the United
states should know something OF the
method by which it's Army was. pre-
pared to play it's part in the Worlo
war. AS head of the ordnance ue-
partment. Gen. Crozier here tells the
story of this work of PREPARATION: u
|is. in the main, the story of rlnes'
machine guns, field artillery, smoke.
less nowder-technical discussion OF
great special value. But II is more
than this. The discussion includes
besides. the organization of the ord
nance department. 1t covers a sketch
of it's history-its rise, its deveiop.
ment. it's status at the opening OF the
war It's relations to the War Depart
ment of which it is a branch, TO the
Congress upon which 1T is Dependent
for the wherewithal of continuation
and expansion, are given mere aions
with certain significant eplsooes Re
|lating to the sudden cali LOT saeadss a. ,
accented effort on the part OF the oru
rance branch of the War Department
In it's larger aspect the book IS an
anpeal to the American people 1oI
keener interest in the subject OF mn
|tary preparedness, an appear DaeN
upon the lamentable lack or prepaIas, :
ton that the outbreak OF Tue ~
the war establishment, Gen. Crozier
speaks straight across-to the amer r.
loan neopIe here with a directness .,
Statement for which his specia,
knowledge and large experience seano
as full and complete warrant.
vAGABoNDING THROUGH CHANG
ING GERMANY. By Harry a,
Franck. author Of "a Vagaoond
Journey Around the World etc
New York: Harper & Bros.
In this new journey Harry Franck
holds fast to his old method OF trass, =
the method of the vagaDontn, taa - and "a
not rule. for its guide. Nobody put q
horn tramp approves of this mode oI
travel hut there Is many ooIh
tramp plodding staidly along the as
nhaIt while. his heart is calling LOT
the open road. To these Harry f.aHsn
tsreueh ts German byways and foot
maths. Hei tells of his meetings with
the German country folk, of his taLKs
and theirs of his feeling under tnelf
words, of his looking into tneir minus
and. out of it all. gathering the I'm
pressions of them when ne gives n; nei
with so free a hand. A thousand Incl
dents. homely incidents, build into the
GENERAL picture of the fundamental
changes that have come to the Ger
man people through the pan-Germa.nlc
folly of her leaders. However, MT.
F'ranck is not out on tour OF 5uos-
ment. Rather does he> by incidence.
alone. point to the great changes. His
business is to record, out of the daily
life, just what Germany is doing TO-
day to meet the conditions of daily
living and thinking.
THE UNITED STATES IN THE
WORLD WAR. By John Bach Nc
Master, author of "a History of
the People of the United States,
etc. New York: D. Appleton & Co.
The book in hand covers the second
half of Prof. McMaster's two-voiume
study of the United States in the
great war The first volume deals
with the opening of the war and with
its successive events up to the year
1913 This second one deals more spe-
cifically with the part taken by Amer
lea in the struggle. 1t outlines the
tremendous home output of war work,
and then passes to the American sol
dier fighting at the front. This phase,
that of the participation of America
in the war, is treated with special def
niteness, with special emphasls. Inc
work includes a discussion of the ar
mistice, of the peace conference, the
treaty itself, and the ultimate fate
of the treaty. The text of the armis.
tice. of the covenant of the league OF
nations. and of the Senate resolution
rejecting ratification of the league is
appended to the narrative itself. The
book is infinitely more than a naming OF
events. 1t would be from such hand
One recognizes the sense of values that
it contains, its accuracy, its difference tc
original sources tof information. the
scope and substance of it's summaries
it's foresight and it's spirit.
THE ELDERS PEOPLE. By Harriet
Prescott Spofford. Boston: Hough-
ton Miflin Company.
A group of short stories, in each OF
which some deep-seated strain OF
New England character gives body
and direction to the incident in hand
The themes are all simple-just ev.
eryday happenings, common to al
communities. Here they are set of
distinctly, however, through the au-
thor's familiarity with the local set
| ting and through her intimate seizure
of the workings of the New England
| mind ThaSa ha sic elements are in.
terwoven with uncommon skill anG
| feeling to the end that the stories
! prove to be not only delight tc
| the average reader, but turn out tc