Evening star., 1921-03-13
DEMOCRACY VERSUS

PRUSSIAN MARXISM. BY Clar'
ence F. Birdseye. author of THE
Reorganization of Our Colleges
etc. New York: Fleming H. Revel
Company.
n UGH has been written abou'
Nu American government of the
people and by the people
that is. about the politics OF
our government Little attention has
been given to consideration OF
American government for the people
that is. to the purposes of our gov
ernment This book sums to def
mite and detailed study of those pur,
poses. Its first step sets our historic
background in an avowed purpose OF
American democracy - embodied in
our Constitution. Succeeding steps
show the ways in which this purpose
has persisted, evolving its own prin'
ciples, recognizing the laws that this
purpose and these principles have I'M
posed, modifying means to meet new
conditions, enlarging measures TO m
clude the new growths of democratic
wellbeing. In specially informing
treatment the author takes. one by
one, the great departments of our
government to give concrete dem
onStration that each is but a part OF
the common purpose of the whole
that this shall be a government for FOR
the people. Side by side with this
study of our great democratic pur-
pose, the author carries the dogma OF
PruSSian MarXSm = an autocratlt
class doctrine. not different. in es-
sence, from HohenZollern autocracy
despite it's claims for social equality
The value of this book, a very real
value, lies in the clear and objective
analysis of the various governmental
agencies by which the original pur-
poses of this government are being
fulfilled. 1t is the story of our vicis-
sitouS achievement-of holding to our
democratic purpose through whatever
stress may betide. of progress toward
government for the people through
any and every fortune. One of the
few really valuable books on our gov
ernment>
MEMOIRS OF LIFE AND LITERA.
TURE. By w. H. Mallock, author
of The Heart of Life" etc. New
York: Harper & Bros.
There is every reason for this book
of recollectionS to be a captivating
one, as it is. Its author is himself
a writer of distinction. There is, be-
sides. under this professional ex-
terior. q man who is keen to the sur
passing appeal of all human nature,
and specially alive to the gifts and
powers of those of his own craft. His
eager years were spent in rich pc
riod of English letters. His associates
were men whom every one is Jealous
to know in some fair degree of inti-
macy. Upon this foundation these
recollections build into an open and
companionable body of intercourse
with such men as Ruskin; Carlyle;
Swinburne. Byron's grandson and
Shelley's son, and many another about
whom one is endlessly curious. There
are touches of travel here-Cyprus.
Florence, Hungary, and across to
America. There are pictures of
1ish life in London. Oxford scenes
look out from one chapter and
the authors own family antecedents
from another. Discussions on the poll
tics both of England and America
march along together. Estimates of
book is rich and absorbing from
each and all Of these points of view
since here the recognized writer and
the man of broad life and outlook
are one and the same.
THE FOOLISH LOVERS. BY st. John
G. Ervine, author of Mrs. Martins
Man" etc. New York: The Macmil-
Ian Company.
John MacDermott. boy and man.
of Bal1yards in Ulster. is the hero of
this tale. Not a hero in the old sense
at all. who goes out to fight and
conquer. The fighting. such as it is.
Is done inside OF John MacDermott.
for he has no enemy to compare with
his own hard-headed. cantankerous
self So, wherever John is. whether
at home in Ballyards fighting against
or over in London trying to be a
great writer. he carries his enemy
right along with him. so that the
fght is a pretty continuous affair.
The tale gets its title from the fool
fshness of two young things setting
out in life without scrap of where
withal save their own young bodies
and their own young hopes. When
John Is conquered at last, and he is
conquered. 1t is by the good sense of
his wife and his mother. This COM
bination hauls him down from his
clouds and takes him back to Bal
yards to do the thing he can do.
rather than to grouse forever about
the thing he cannot possibly do. A
hundred bits of Irish life lurk out
from this story of so complete a
Irish speech. of Irish points of view.
of Irish corners of landscape gem
the pages of this exquisite work of
Irish artistry. Ervine works in the
method of realism. but an Irishman's
realism is another mans poetry.
IN CLAY AND IN BRONZE. By Brins-
sey MacNamara, author of "The
Clanking Of Chains" etc. New
York: Brentano's.
The author calls this a study in
personality" 1t is the story of Mar
tin Duignan. Rather is it a process
the process by which Martin Duignan
Is turned inside out for investiga-
tion and report 1t is curiously
brazen exposure. Not a scrap of pri-
vacy is left to Martin -Duignan. All
the littlenesses. which one guards Sc
scrupUlously step into the open day
here-all the utilities. all the faults
also that make the virtues seem few
and far between. Martin as peasan,
with the soil soaking into his
thoughts and his modes Of expression
Is here. Then comes Martin the
dreamer. who. like our beloved "A
E." draws enchantment from far
places and dreams of the ancien,
glories Of life. Then one sees Martin
the pagan-he stands pretty low here
one thinks. But this is obviously nc
half-hearted exposure. And, finally
there emerges Martin, the man. One
is not quite able to see how the at.
titudes of Martin toward life could
have evoked an artist in writing, ac.
claimed of his fellowmen-but SO II
turns out to be. There is a good dea
Of wallowing in the mire here. lot
Of unmanliness-but 1t may take ode
blends to work out the all-feeline
soul OF the artist. 1t does, of course
as one comes to think of it. They are
all here. More than that, there is re.
markable craftsmanship here.
THE WASTED ISLAND. BY Elme,