Evening star., 1925-04-19

~ Sir Philip Gibbs, celebrated
war correspondent and nov
elist; Cosmo Hamilton Gibbs, success
ful play writer and novelist, and A.
Hamilton Gibbs, whose Gun Fodder"
depicts war as 1t is, now himself out
with first novel. There is a de-
cided family literary resemblance
among these brothers. All three are
/ looking at life along some one of it's
significant aspects, and from the
standpoint of the present in its effect
upon not too distant future. There
fore, all deal with themes that have
scope beyond the limits Of any single
story or any single point of view. All
are still entangled to a certain degree
In the effects and implications of the
world war. The realism of all three
is mitigated by the fact that none of
them chooses to write from the slum
stratum of life. Each works with an
easy hand that lifts the story into an
atmosphere of sophistication.
Paradise" for it's basic support
goes back to the scientists theory of
the "throw-back." It is the embodi-
ment of this theory in the person of
the Hon. Anthony Stirling ng-Fortescue
that provides the only means of in
terpreting the character of Tony. His
is the blood OF primitive times and
warning men. Therefore, in the mod
ern aspect of London society, Tony is
a ne'er-do-well, a waster, loVable and
engaging, but of no earthly account
Then the world war, Here Tony Is a
hero, as he deserves to. be. In his
native element. you see. The war
over, and Tony, like thousands of
others, has neither incentive nor op-
portunity for fair endeavor Had it
not been for the special providence
which 1t is the good novelist's bust
ness to produce at the right moment
Tony would have settled back into
the hopeless waster. This providence
acts in the form of an island in the
Pacific, Paradise" and II is here
among the primitive islanders, that
the Hon. Anthony Stirling -Fortescue
hnds himself in his proper character
or leader and benefactor. A very
beautiful love story goes along with
the other concerns of the Hon. Tony
story whose appeal is to the fine
chivalry of the fellow, to the high
dealings OF the real man that he is
with those to whom he owes both
allegiance and protection.
S0UNDINGS. BY A. Hamilton Gibbs,
author of Gun Fodder" Boston:
Little, Brown & Co.
I TNDER "Soundings" lies the big
implication that motherhood is the
supreme urge of all nature-of all
plant life, of all animal life, including
the human animal itself. That being
true. it follows that the female,
equally, if not to an even greater
degree than the male. is the ardent,
selective. insistent force in the per-
petuation OF life. This comprehen-
fdno TvoI I.rIr
II 1t be sound in theory, 1t stands in
direct opposition to the tradition that
has grown UP around woman, If 1t be
true-biologically true-it is greater
than tradition. And it is the struggle
between this elemental truth and the
untruths of the social organization
that sets up false and cruel standards
of morality.
1t is this fundamental idea of ma
lures own that takes Mr.. Gibbs story
In hand. The situation is created in
part oy the war. In other part il
rests on the thoughtful and indepen-
dent character of the girl who is in
volved In this tremendous life oues-
tion. interesting to note that this is
girl who has been reared by her
father, at once a parent and the best
OF friends. This expedient on the au-
thor's part is perfectly justifiable in
fact and more than warranted by the
release from those inhibitions that
overanxious and underwise mothers
so often employ in the care of their
daughters. There is here a frank and
unashamed fronting upon life. There
is directness of approach that
women alone never reach, At any
rate, the girl makes her choice, just
as man would make his. No, the
story proves nothing; can prove moth
ing. 1t is, however, the considera-
tton OF young girls inner life in a
mood and in a manner quite a world
away from the usual sex story that so
many young male writer's nowadays
feel themselves called upon to create
for the enlightenment of a question
ing world.
THE LIFE OF SAN MARTIN. By
Anna Schoellkopf. Preface by
Honorio Pueyrredon, Argentine
Ambassador to the United States.
New York: Boni & Liveriglt.
WHEN YOU go to Buenos Aires you
w wilrsee in the Plaza San Martin
the figure of a man on norseback-Gen
San Martin himself, whom the artist,
to meet the purpose In mind, has con-
ceived as looking down upon the bat
tie of Chacabuco, one of the many
intrepid soldier and ardent patriot.
The statue, like the plaza in which
1t stands, Is g. memorial to the serv-
ice of San Martin in the cause of
South American Independence; a
memorial too, perhaps-on the other
side of the shield-to the ingratitude
and belated homage of a people that
permitted San Martin to die in exile
and poverty.
The ultimate ideal of modernism is
a worldwide and permanent peace
The chief support OF this ideal is
clearly a common knowledge of the
history of all peoples. This includes
q general and fair conception of what
each people has SO far wrought as
the foundation for its further ad-
vance upon strong and enlightened
national life. For the Western hem
isphere it Is specially important that
their countries should know and un-
derstand one another. But formal
histories are bulky. difficult of access,
exorbitant in demands upon the over
full time of the average man. When,
however, this historic figure or that
one can be evoked from the confusion
of the national struggle and made to
stand clear in its national influence
and Significance, such evocatfon gives
to history is essence, its spirit, its
broadly Illuminating light.
Such, in effect, is THE Life of San
Martin" A slender book, but one of
substantial content, cast in bold and
inclusive lines. It's obvious aim Is to
set a living man before the reader-a
man who placed his country ever be-
fore himself, working for its inde-
pendence in spirit of practically
complete self effacement. With work
to be done in the cause OF South
America, Gen. San Martin became a
wonder of ardor, of persistence, of in