The Washington times., 1922-12-03
LADY SUSAN PENS
A SPRIGHTLY :
VOLUME
Her "reminiscences Furnish
Material Well Calculated to
Soothe and Entertain the
Jaded Reader. q
By ANIES KENDRICK.

v0u0u N0dOoIs
BY AMES KENDRICK.
4 FTER a respite Of two
"a weeks. during which period
4 u we did nothing more ardu.
Gus than loaf and invite the soul,
We find ourself engaged once more
upon the literary rockplle. In our
extreme innocence We had fondly
Imagined the absence Of our fine
italian hand from this accustomed
place would be unnodced by the
great reading public. but not SO.
Our mail has been all cluttered by
letters from angry readers. de.
string to know why and wherefore.
We feel impelled to bring this to
the attention of the managing
editor.
One thing we accomplished in
the interim was the completion Of
the "Indiscretions Of Lady Susan"
by Lady Susan Townsley Apple
toni. One of the chief charms Of
her sprightfy "reminiscences is the
immense variety Of the lands to
which she accompanied her hus-
band on diplomatic assignments.
Not only has she known the great
people of Europe, but also those
Of America and Asia.
One Of the stories about the
Kaiser, in the '1ndiscretions" is:
"What," I said. looking at the
Berlin Victory Column. docs that
ugly stout lady representa-" Ugly?
Stout?" the Kaiser gasped. "Why
that is my Victory! She repre-
sents our great triumph in the
Tranco-Prussian war" WELL" i
remarked, IT think she's rather i'm
proper. You should. let down her
frock." He roared with laughter
nor did he forget my poor little
joke, for when years afterward
my brother went to Berlin he said
to him, "Tell Lady Susan my Vic
tory is now in the fashion, This
being an allusion to the short
skirts by that time in vogue.
EOR more. than six years the
= theme of William McFee's Com
mand" doubleday. Page & Coz has
been growing. assuming proper
tions and definite outlines as Nc
Fee gathered fresh Impressions Of
the Levant or added new details
to the conception of a character.
In the meanwhile. McFee sailed
as chief engineer of one Of the
great white fleet Of the United
Fruit Company. committing" as
he says. between New York and
ports of the Spanish Main. Dur
ing this time he has written an
other novel, Captain Macedoine's
Daughter" many essays and
sketches for the Atlantic Monthly
or the Bookman, and occasional
critical reviews. but always this
story has been shaping in his
mind. Like "Casuals Of the Sea"
II is the slow growth Of many
years.
Command" is the fruit Of Nc
Fees earlier adventures in the
Mediterranean, on tramp ships
bringing copper from Africa and
ore to Rotterdam. as an officer
in the British navy, serving on
. transport in the Aegean. nosing
through the fog that besets the
mariner In among the Cyclades'or
exploring the oriental intricacies
ef Smyrna and Constantinople.
1t is also the fruit OF his ma
ture perception Of character and
power In delineation. Spokesly,
the young naval officer. is the
principal character of the drama,
Q man whose patriotism becomes
confounded with his personal am
bition, a superbly impenetrable
young egotist. in whom the monot-
onous routine of the sea bred an
impatience with life for withhold
ing the command he 80 obviously
deserved.
Smyrna during the world war is
\the setting for the latter part Of
the book. 1smir, the Turks called
II. The beauty of the water front
which now lies In ashes is woven
into the fabric Of the story as
distinctly as It's delights were
woven into the day dreams Of the
vivid young heroine, Evanthia.
This is the picture that the first
mate of the Kalkis saw, as he
looked down on the great, fair
CITY rising from the sea.
"The city formed a vast cres-
cent upon the flanks Of Mount
Pagos. On either hand the great
curves Of the water front sprang
outward and melted into the con.
fused colors of the distant shore.
From their vantage point on the
roof Of the Sports Club. they