Evening star., 1923-09-11
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM

UNDER ITALY. Clayton
Sedgwick Cooper. The Century
Company.
Next to Impossible. FOR ythe cool
Anglo Saxon to slip into the hot. skin
of the Latin. Therefore, mutual per-
plexlty and misunderstanding are the
natural reactions of contact between
the two. To the man of the north
Atlantic, the Mediterranean man is a
mercurial and theatric being, un-i
stable in opinion, fickle in action,
much too deeply engrossed In the
mere stage business of his every per-
formance. Especially does this i'm
preston hold with him In respect to
the italian, the most highly self
dramatized of all Latins.
Today, two general concepts of Italy
appear to have right OF way. One of
these expresses but a half-truth, the
other even less than that. The for
mer pictures this country as place
or surprising natural beauty and
splendid ruins where poets and paint
ers delight to loiter and through
which swarms OF sightseers press
under the regular seasonal urge of
self-iniprovement. The latter, NOV
ing out of the past up toward the
present. projects land Of romantic
adventurers who, every now and
then, rise up, in the name of patriot
ism. to do spectacular things for the
military and political glory, OF Italy.
solini with his "biack Shirts" dan
nunzio in mad flight to suocor
Ffume-these are In the foreground
OF this second picture. And some
Nsrta L. NxmN -
actual ltaly--modern Italy whose feet
are square upon the ground, even
though, 1t times its head is clearly
lost in the clouds.
%**
Two years ago. under the wise IN
itistive of President Harding, there
was formally inaugurated by this
country a new mode of dealing with
international disagreements. A sim
pie plan, whose open purpose was to
avoid conflict by the plain process of
first clearing away whatever of mis-.
understanding might exist among the
nations involved. This done, the
lty OF cases, disappear, reducing to
the vanishing point any need for the
arbitranent of arms. The policy for
mulated at that time became Mr..
Hardings great legacy to the pro-
motion of world peace. Any indi-
vidual, as well as any nation, who
seeks TO do away with a general mis-
understanding of this people or of
that fs worthy heir to the political
vision of the great American leader.
And this is the point at which Mfr.
Cooper appears with a study of Italy
that clearly entities him to an active
and honorable part in the program of
promoting understanding as the
basic element in continued peace and
international good will.
X Il
No country is, at the moment, more
in need OF standing in Its clear real
ity before the world than Italy. In
appearance. its present affairs have
already gone far ahead OF this au-
thor and they are still on the go. AS
a matter of fact, however. the present
crisis stands as substantiation of the
stability of his study. vital example
of the national character as Mr.
Cooper sees 1t and portrays 1t.
In this study the authors first act
is to close the door. respectfully. but
resolutely,. against that old Italy of
glorious history and art and tradition
and sentiment. That period, in so far
as this particular exploitation is con-
cerned, has had it's day. 1t shall
not here be permitted to obscure
bustly- and progressively a part of
modern life. Less SUMMARY lis Mr..
Gooper's treatment of theS"romantic
adventurer"-the Garibaidfs. the Mus
solinis, the d'Annunzios, For these
are rooted in1the national character.
so these must serve. in part, to illum-
mate andsto interpret young Italy.
\ = -
To understand the man of italy.
the Individual. is of prime Importance
to a comprehension of the country it
self. The individual is paramount to
the mind of this emotional. express
sive,. artistic. dramatic people. Not
to be understood at all. as the au-
thor reminds US. unless we are able
in some degree to get the Latin
point of view. Then only can we
realize that to the Italian 1t is al
Their gods are sunshine and song"
II find the earth not gay, but rosy,
Heaven not grim. but fair of hue.
Do stoop? / pick a posy;
Do stand and stare? Airs blue"
So far in' this study the Italians
sound like children, and such they
lare-except when it comes to fighting.
Then. a cause and leader, espeeisi- a.i
ously into danger and death. This
Ssrnic and dramatic devotion tc a
leader accounts for Mussolini today
and for the amazing exploits of other
Mussolinis In other days
"Fsscismo, the New Italian Ma
itionalism," is a study of the political
theory and the political achievement
Of Benito Mussolini and his follow
ers. who comprise the great majority
of the young. men OF Italy. What
ever uncertainty one may at the
moment be holding as to the wisdom
of Mussolini's international attitude,
he has no doubt whatever as to the
value OF this mans work for the sta :
hiIity and progress OF Italy in it's
national. affairs A courageous man
] this, who daIes to change MS own
mind, and does, when he becomes
convinced that his own soeianstlc aa c
velopment of his country. A ORA
| matic and arrogant and quick -actlon
man who offers his followers danger
and hunger and death" in theatri-
cal gesture that ma eyokes ,ns ,ost sas whofs
hearted allegiance. The story of
ssFascismo'' SO clearly set out here is
the story of Mussolini and his works.
indicating in it's fullness the spirit
of the new Italy.
| y ~ "
There is here an admirably clear
and conclusive statement of the in
dustriai renaissance OF Italy. an or
ganized movement that is utilizing
the good working habits of the
people to promote scientific agricul-
ture and modern manufacturing and
| adeouate means of transportation.
italy has no coal Here.t however, is
| the story of her white coal" cleo