Evening star., 1924-04-01
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISM. Sir

ADVENTURES IN JOURNALISTS. Sir
Philip Gibbs. Harper & Brothers.
We know it as Fleet street Sir
Philip Gibbs calls IL the Street Of Ad-
venture, including within this name
not only the famous old London link
between Ludgatc Circus and The
Strand, but Newspaper Row In every
other great city, as well-Sew York.
Paris, the older Vienna. 1t In within
this street that the career Of journal
ism is brooded from fedgling 10 free
hight. career compact throughout
with the colors Of adventure-Or 30
we gather in our first moment here
with Sir Philip. In the next instant,
however, he in fair dealing is setting
up at the head Of this street Il no
thoroughfare" to all such aspiring
entrants as are tender-fOoted, or
WeaK-Rneed, or slack -muscled or
thln-skinned. or out of gear In even
one or the little bones whose com
munity business IL is to hold man
outstanding and foursguare TO the
urgcncicS Of this adventure Buff
on the other hand, you are seasoned
10 work OF the unrenitting sort, and
II, besides. you are Of the breed that
can stand, contained, under ready
blame and scant praise and brusque
encounter and curt dismissal. the
money prize not within dozen rows
OF apple trees of even middle place
why. then, come on into this Street
OF Adventure, which, everything said,
is. nevertheless, the great Street Of
All the World.
We know Sir Philip Gibbs-war cor
respondent. lecturer, novelist And
here We come to know him in the
role Of journalist in action The man
behind the scenes in each or the
carrier roles. At the front Of the
stage in this later one. In al Of
then, however, very much himself.
Naturally, the personal character 70
these adventures in journalism gives
to the book in hand an effect o. I'M
mediate and informal contact that is
less obvious in his other writings. A
frank, friendly. pleasing approach,
TINS. to host of adventures by way
OF which we come face to face with
kings and criminals and princes and
politicians and impostors. with, in be-
tween, all sorts and conditions of men
working out through many a strange
combination of circumstance and ap-
peal
Among the adventures set down
here Mr.. Gibbs gives, fully for the
first time, the one that secured him
what he calls his (only important
scoop This covers the discovery
and subsequent exposure of DR. Cook.
Delays and mishaps in getting start
ed upon this assignment were of a
number and nature to convince the
already discouraged reporter that he
could BE- no more than a vanishing
point far to the rear Of any news Of
the great explorer. Then d miracle
helped out by short cuts and sudden
shifts and no slight degree Of audac-
itE on his own part-placed him on
Dr. Cooks own ship steaming toward
Copenhagen. Not journalistic rival
on board He liked the big man.
thought him typical of Anglo-SaXon
explorers; hard, simple, true" To be
sure, he was eXCited-laughed a good
deal. talked volubly, had uneasy, rest
less hands. strong, seaman's hands"
But what could one expect" There
was only one north pole. and 50 many
were after that one. No wonder the
man was excited over his triumph.
The reporter was excited, too, wor-
ried chiefly about his own ignorance
of Arctic matters generally, eager to
get the great man started on his
story Might he have just look at
some of the official reports? There
were none. The diary. perhaps? No
diary. Then. possibly. the astro-
nomical observations? None. sud
den whirIwind Of fury swept the eX-
pIorer. Others had been believed on
their bare word-Nansen, Amundsen,
Sverdrup. Why not he? a miserable
and apoloEetic reporter Veered off into
conciliatGry questions about the num-
Der of his dogs. the weights of the
sledges. the manner of his Journey
ings No diStruSt. no unbelef-yet
However. the interview became an
inquisition, both victims. both equally
perturbed. For by this time Mr.. gibbs
knew that he was looking upon fear.
and that he was drawing out a fan
tastic tale. obviously questionable.
clearly incapable Of correlation to
reasonable and consistent cohesion.
Landed, he hurried away with the
story of a fake discovery. 1t was
printed The heavens of wrath
opened upon this scoop-crazed press
man DenunciationS from outraged
partisans. Everybody knows the rest
Of the story. Probably only Mr.. Gibbs
knows Of the anguish of that reporter
while he was making good on TINS
now celebrated story that placed br:
Cook clearly in the prince class or
impostors.
A different story: AT Windsor IN ST
Georges Chapel. I saw the burial OF
King Edward. His body was drawn TO
the castle on a gun carriage by blue
Jackets, and the music of Chopin's 'Fu-
neral March," that ecstasy of the spirit
triumphing over death. preceded him up
the castle hill. Against the gray o.d
walls floral tributes from all the people
were laid in masses, and their scent was
strong in the air On the castle slopes,
where sunlight lay, spring flowers were
blooming, as if to welcome the home
coming Of the king. Kings and princes
from all nations. brilliant in uniform.
crowded into St Georges Chapel, ana IL
was a foreign king and emperor VINO
sorted them out, put them in their right
places. acted as master of the ceremony
and led forward Queen Alexandria as
though he, and not King George, were
the chief mourner. 1t was the German
kaiser. The kings of Spain and Portu-
gal wept unaffectedly, like two school-
bows who had lost their father, and, in
deed. this burial of King Edward in the
lovely chapel where so many OF ms
family lie sleeping was strangely Affect
ing. because it seemed like the passing
of some historic era, and was so. though
we did not know it then, certainly"
X X x x
Mr.. Gibbs describes the coronation
of the new king in Westminster Abb
49,, .4I ool.ipp down the nave / saw