Evening star., 1921-10-02
SEA POWER IN THE PACIFIC. By
Hector c. Bywater. Boston: Hough-
ton Miff1in Company.


X ER. BYwATER'S study Of the
NH American japanese naval
Yvu problem comes in season to
contribute substantially to
the full body Of fact that must in
form the deliberations upon the lin
itation of ornaments. 1t is. in ef-
feet, comparative study of the Unit
ed States and Japan in respect to
naval programs and common out
look upon the future of the Pacific
In detail, it is a comprehensive state.
ment of the actual naval strength OF
these two countries, coupled with a
contrast of what appears to be the
national animating force behind the
naval program of each. The study OF
the two navies, in purpose and admin
lStration, in men and material, Is
complete and authoritative. the
author having spared no pains in col
lecting data relating to this subject
The outreach of the United States
toward the orient, with the clash OF
interests that this advance may pro-
duce between our own country ana
Japan, is the salient fact that gives
, point and Immediate usefulness to
this clear restatement of the problem
of the Pacific. Deprecating war, the
author at the same time admits Its
possibility. At this point he sum-
marizes the questions at issue be-
tween the two countries. The next
point is to count, in the event of con-
flict bttween the two powers. the
tremendous handicap to the United
States in an unfortified Guam-which
stands to the Philippines as Helgo-
land stood to the German Blight, as
Wake Island and Midway Island:
stopping places between Hawaii and
the Philippines. are carefully an
alyZed in their requirements as es-
sential factors in case of war. the
author gives passing attention to the
plan, advocating by so-called anti
imperialists. of giving up our holdings
in the Pacific. This is a negligible
thought, that sets aside any obliga-
ton to the peoples involved in so
forming study. substantial in its least
aspect, rich in fact, reasonable in at
titude. and generally appealing in it's
manner.
BRASS: A Novel Of Marriage. By
Charles G.. Norris. author of The
Amateur" etc. New York: +. r.
Dutton & Co.
"Annul a marriage? 'Tis impos-
sible!' And then. as you recall. Mr
Browning goes on to say that Whether
the ring about your neck be brass
creme you all the same" Mr.. Nor
ris' novel. drawn off from section
,of modern life, is in support OF the
poets avowal. 1t is in substance,
body of concrete evidence deal ling
with the supreme fact of marriage
and the futile effects of diorce No.
not preachment in any sense OF the
word Instead, a bit of realism taken
straight from any community IN the
country. For the purpose of true and
intimate portrayal the author does
set this story in California, his own
home Against this familiar back
ground he follows two brothers and
sister through the marriage of all OF
them. and the divorce of two of them
The marriage that holds, does so by
virtue of the good faith in which
it's partnership is accepted. 1t is not
always romantic. More often it is al
most unbearably hard. But. the
thought that the two stand or fall to-
gether is very sustaining one. The
two marriages that fall through do
this by way of the overeogism-the
plain selfishness-of the four con-
cerned. Divorce and remarrlage,
with good deal of haphazard living
in between, serve to portray much
of unnecessary suffering and no gain
in happiness. 1t is long story.
wherein the literal wear-and-tear of
living together is set off against the
more generally destructive forces OF
breaking the bond and living apart.
Mr.. Norris keeps close reckoning
with the characters that make up
this social drama. Each one lives
himself out here in the plainest and
most unreserved fla ashton. 1t is. there
fore, a very real -Story-hardly
story at all. Rather is one looking
on at close range or even into MS
own life for the human nature that is
SO frankly and faithfully depicted. In
construction and outlook the novel Is
reminiscent of David Graham Phillips
or OF what that writer would have
been by this time. =
author of 1.-The Flail." New York:
Boni & Liveright.
Novelists Nowadays. a good many
of them, are making the marriage
state their chief concern. Oddly
enough-or isZit odd, after all?-men
are doing the most penetrating and
the most honest work on this theme.
The novel in hand hardly sets out to
he a study of marriage, but, finally,
it proves to be that. The really fun
damenta1 thought here is that every
body is possessed to make every
other body over into the pattern that
he himself has set. 1t is this human
mania that SpoilS innumerable lives,
divertirg youth from its own bent
into an alien and artificial channel.
This is what happened to the chief
figure of this story. The boy was an
artist by nature. First, his mother
took a hand in making him "suc-
cess in life. 1t was his wife. how
ever, who finished the artist in him
completely and turned out real
figure in the world of. business. And
how he came to hate her! And how
1ninutely and in-seeingly this domes-
tic drama of aversion, dislike. wear
mess, hatred. revolt are set down
here under the daily routine of be-
ing members of the family. Aston
ishingly faithful work. this, terrify-
inglX faithful work. One of the ex-
ceptiOnally strong novels on this
theme that men are turning out these
days.
OH. SHOOT! Confessions Of ah AEi-
tated Sportsman. By Rex. Beach,
author of THE Spoilers" etc. IL
lustrated from photographs by the
author. New York: Harper & Bros.
Here Rex Beach goes a-hunting--
sometimes with fishing tackle and
sometimes with a gun, or camera,
or typewriter He pretty nearly
covers the United States. after bear
and geese and the cougar and hermit
Indians and out-and-out Yaquis. None