Evening star., 1925-06-23
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
!. G.. NJ.

ALASKA: An Empire in the Making.
John j. Underwood Dodd, Mead
& Co.
Give me good book route to fol-
low In the Summer time and the rest
! or the world is welcome to the heat
and the hurry and the scant returns
of Summer travel itself. This way
shuts of the lingering passport NAL
ady of the seasonal rush abroad. 1t
avoids the arithmetical anguish of
money equivalents and the handicaps
of successive frontiers, each under the
/ stern surveillance of the keeper Of the
customs. 1t shuts off. too, the army
| OF wild-eyed tourists Baedeker.ing
| the world in an unquenchable lust Of
learning. On the other hand, this way
invites to the shade Of trees beside
the brook, cool vistas opening out on
every hand. Or, as an indoor alterna :
tive, 1t suggests the breezy fan and
the frequent tub and the Western
translation Of the easy Asiatic sarong
[ for rainment. With the body so at
| ease and the mind fresh and un.
fettered by the myriad of minor ills
| that bulk so tremendously against
both pleasure and profit. 1, gladly, put
| myself under the good guidance of
some wayside traveller who, with q
! deal OF pains, has, out of his broad
experience, provided a delectable book
journey for the Summer time.
+ ** +
Not a slave to the slogan See
America First" 1 am, nevertheless,
| certain that clear profit, intellectual
and patriotic profit, lies in a more in-
innate acquaintance between the
| American and the great domain to
which he has fallen heir through the
passion for freedom that possessed the
! fathers. So, for my part, ] am seiz-
| ing upon opportunity for furthering
| this acquaintance. / am off for Ala SIX a
with John Underwood-sportsma n
| Journalist, miner, business man. ad.
quarter of the United States for more
| than dozen years, looks like the
very one to provide the general ma ny.
sided view that constitutes the goal of
the passing traveller.
Alaska, the name. evokes no
more than general and discon.
certlng ignorance, expressed in a
melange of ill-assorted terms. Sew
ards Folly" early Russian own
ership it's purchase by the
United States breaking the last tie
of Asiatic occupation in the New
World grave of many a lost
explorer and adventurer AT
Arctic rigor of climate the
midnight sun, with its weird light
and brooding gloom native In
\ dams land of the totem
Juneau. the present capital. and our
own Scott Bone, the recent gov
ernor airplanes lost imminent
ly menaced by ice mountains and
snow curtains the fatal journey
of President Harding-tfrat is abou,
all. A melange indeed and much less
than 50-per.cent examination on
the mere surface of Alaskan fact.
| X X x
Into Alaska. with John Underwood
and all along the way thereto, 1, ir
no time at all, realize that this bool
| journey duplicates the actual journe,
OF the actual traveller passing that
way. For IT is,- first, record OF
/ the senses - scenery, Spectacular
scenery, greeting the eye; sounds fall
| ing upon the ear, those Of waterfall
and grinding glacier. animal noises
| the notes of birds; the scent O,
strange seashores coming out tc
meet one. of brilliant flower fields, OF
unfamiliar plants. In this appeal te
the senses Mr.. Underwood gathers uE
! that special combination of natlIra'
features that spell Alaska and nc
| other one of the innumerable regions
| OF the earth. Upon this, as a ground
work. he weayes a sketch of history
Just enough Of history to meet one
! of the prime purposes of this out
! taans and in lines SO simple as tc
| bar possible confusion and an abated
interest The natural setting and
! the native people, these provide the
| warp and Woof of this weaving. An6
in 1t, soon, new and strange threads
| appear, beginning pattern whose
end lies far beyond the limits of this
book, beyond the influence of the
| present These outline the economic
| future of Alaska. so rich in mines
In fertile fields, in forests, in water
| power. In these particular moment.
OF the journey Mr.. Underwood. chief,
| by implication, urges the Govern
ment at Washington not to forget
TINS land of resource. this great
wealth reserve, not TO give IL penny
wise consideration, not to entertain
longer even a figment of that OLE
| fable of Stewards Folly" But thi.
part of the book. take it, is not TO,
me, vicarious Summer traveller int
| Alaska. Or. is 1t not for me. and TO,
you, and for all of us. since we. tn,
people. constitute the boasted Govern
ment of this free country?
| A great trip, in any event, this trir
to Alaska-taken at home in the com
fort Of the shade and the ease of thu
| sarong.
| x x
THE LOST GASES. A. NJ. Hassaneir
| Bey. The Century Co.
One can imagine no more calami-
tous loss, to desert, than an oasis
Therefore, the climax of this adyen.
ture, the high point of this desert ex-
perience, stands as the rediscovery
or a couple of OaSeS that 1opp for