Evening star., 1923-01-28


BY Jehn Buchan. Intraduetion BY
Mai Gen. J. c. Harbord, u. g. \.
Boston,: Houghton Mifhin Company.
~ HALL a history be written while
the events are hot or after they
L get cold? Both, OF course. II
there we're not some one to seize
upon the matter while It Is In the doing.
TO set it clear to its general purpose, to
define each of its parts with rsfeTanee
10 that purpose, to sift facts for their
truth and significance. to collect, to
co. ordinate, to summarize: II there were
not some one to do this immediate
service, the "cold' historian would be
buried under 4 mountain OF unrelated
details of which he could make neither
head nor tail. John Buchan 10 that
immediate historian Of the great war.
And what got him ready for this workf
In the first place, he is scholar Of the
live type. He is a lawyer, tried In the
weighing OF evidence. He Is a writer
both historian and novelist. He
fought in the Boer war. He was news
front in the early part OF the war. Ae
served as lieutenant colonel in the In
telligence department, and. finally. be-
came director of information for the
the work itself? First. it is intensely
interesting throughout. Next, II 10 as
ionishingiy clear where one might look
for some slight obscurity IN 90 snor-
Ruchan is looking at 8. battle, or . cam.
pslgn, or feeling into the solidarity ana
morale OF a body of troops-whatever
he is looking at, he sees II organised
organized-which Is different. This ae-
counts for both the clarity OF the work
and for the quality OF drama that in
heres here throughout. The average
reader will read it with absorption. The
student will take 1t in a slightly en-
larged meaning, but either will agree to
he intensely interesting character OF
the story. Maj Gen. j. G. Harbord.
l.. S. A, has given a fine Introduction
. 10 the book-ine from the standpoint OF
the military technician, from that Of an
appreciative soldier. and from that OF
the man who is himself able to express
noble sentiments in words OF rare dis
tinction and sincerity.
GEORGE WASHINGTON. BY will
liam Roscoe Thayer, author OF
Theodore Roosevelt" etc. Boston:
Houghton Miffiin Company.
And the bothered small boy said,
Why couldn't George. washington
tell lie? Couldn't he talk?" A
fippant little story to use in respect
TO this very serious study. But, Mr..
Thayer gave ii to US himself and IT
does cover the whole difficulty OF
George Washington In the hands Of
historians. He has been made In
credible by the smother OF human
virtues piled upon him. Now Mr..
Thsyer. trained and widely acceptable
historian, undertakes to rescue an
altogether real man from the i'm
pedimenta OF impossible goodness
niled upon him by literary fashion
that hid frailties in its heroes and
exalted them to heights OF rectttud6
that popular belief and interest quite
failed tc reach. And out OF this study
one gets the great service of Wash
ington to his country and to the
world. and it is. moreovcr-and this
is the point OF the whole matter--it
is the service OF man-not the
fninistrationS of Il demi god. nor, on
the other hand. the functioning of
coldly inhuman machine. A fine study
OF most useful purpose and effect.
CHARLES JOSEPH BONAPARTE,
His Life and Public Services. BY
Joseph Buckliu Bishop, author OF
Theodore Roosevelt and His
Scribner's Sons.
In convincing detail and inspiring
summary. Mr.. Bishop here gives the life
O Charles Joseph Eonaparte. Service
20 neishhorhood. to state, to nation
. this is the keynote Of that life. Natu-
character. rigorous training and high
standing in the profession of the law
produced combination that raised
this service to the highest efficiency.
Public Office Of increasing honor and
responsibility widened the scope OF
this service immeasurably. Mr.. Bona
parte was, by nature, a reformer OF
whatever, under his hand, needed re-
forming. And his day coincided with
that of the spectacular and perfer-
out with SO much gusto by Theodore
Roosevelt, with whom he was SO
closely associated. One Is interested
here to remind himself that reforms
are still going on quietly, and, large
ly. through the medium of better un-
derstandings. through wiser regula-
tory measures. through less of decla-
nation and more of adjustment and
the right cooperation. In those days,
however, trust-busting was a modified
broncho-busting, become the greatest
of indoor sports. Mr.. Bonaparte was
the one quiet figure in this turmoil
of making a perfect world. And even
he looks bit excited in the better
reform methods of the present. How
ever, this was a necessary stage In
the work. and this book presents with
fidelity and appreciation one of the
stanchest and most distinguished
figures of that important period. The
Bonaparte was so significant part.
OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERs. BY
Horace Kephart, author Of "The
Book of Camping and Woodcraft,"
etc. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
A new and enlarged edition of Mr.
Kephart's book about the noun
taineers of the southern Appalachians.
For eighteen years the author has
been in close touch with these
sequestered people He finds them
people of substantial character and
of curious origin that has been
generally misunderstood and. there
fore, misrepresented. Realizing that
his story must read like something
made up, in spots at least, Mr..
kephart takes pains to remind us
that there is not line of nction nor
one of exaggeration in this record Of
most picturesque fact. He makes q
hundred stories of the man Of the
long-rifie and peremptory challenge
stories that not only bring out the
Characteristic traits of these noun
taineers, but that show, as well, the
human material. Swiss, Palatine
Germans. Scotch-Irish. these noun
tain folks are a drift from the north,
from western Pennsylvania. and not
moor southern whites. as tho legend
has 80 long run. Hidden among the
mountains. the mountains and the
today. And they are the most
homogeneous people OF the United
States. This is Appslachia-"ons of
the great landlocked areas Of the
globe. more English in speech than
Britain herself. more American by
blood than any other part of America,
r0a 10 "A