Evening star., 1926-12-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRhCEWELL.

II VIII Rogers were to put out a
Joke book, no one would be surprised
But when the First Assistant
Postmaster General OF the United
States, who is also former Governor
OF New Hampshire and former
president OF the United States Civil
Service Commission, issues a book
entitled Spice for Speeches." gov.
ernmental Washington sits up and
takes notice.
One looks twice at the name on the
title page. John Henry Bartlett, tn IN
his doubts are resolved when he
catches a glimpse of the photograph
Of the Governor" as ne is univer.
sally called, used as a frontispiece.
Behind those glasses are eyes that
can twinkle. That rather stern
mouth 0n the photo) can as readily
are two Bartletts. the Official and the
unofflcial.
1t is this latter John II. Bartlett.
who is revealed in this modest book
OF 100 pages or so, just issued by M
A. Donohue 4 Co. Here Gov. Bart.
lett throws of his reserve, and serves
us up some OF the choice stories
which he has been collecting over q
period OF years.
The 68 stories ION or from celebri.
ties" contained In the first chapter,
will, perhaps, prove most entertain
ing to cotemporary Washington, in
cluding, as they do, anecdotes OF
President Coolidge, Chief Justice
TAFT, William Jennings Bryan, John
w. Davis, Senator George II. Moses
VIII Hays, Justice Harlan Fiske
Stone. Senator James f. Watson,
George r. Wales Of the Civil Service
Commission, and many others.
This is an informal book. as a joke
book ought to be. homely compila.
ton Of stories that have struck the
funny bone Of the author, some OF
them original. others frankly old
some taken from other publications.
and others handed down by word.of
mouth.
The four other chapters are headed
Mostly About Little Folk" "Busi
ness Mems Stories," "Matriuony
Law, Liquor and Left-overs," and
Laughter In Literature" One will
realize ofYhand that these are
standard jokes.
Yes. here we find the Scotchmen
and the Irish, and the Hebrews, and
all the others who have done heroic
service in jokes for these many cen
turtles, used again. but with Gov
Bartlett's own particular twist. Not
even the Ford Is forgotten!
Now, this is as It should be. Such
stories as these are the very anec
dotes which We laugh over every day
in ordinary life. Some one tells US q
good story" we laugh. repeat 1t to
others, and SO It goes the rounds.
I'VE have intended no politics, nc
propaganda, no disrespect, no dis.
hkes-only fun," says the author.
Surely, he makes good his promise.
While not every story will appeal to
every one, that is something that
cannot be helped. It is the fate OF all
such collections.
Hurnor, close packed, runs the risk
OF surfeiting the reader. Wit, crowd.
ed too closely, tends to leave one cold
There are enough stories In this little
book, however, to please every one.
The following anecdotes, culied
from Gov. Bartlett's "joke book" the
first to be issued, to our Knowledge,
by any politician Of equal prominence
are given to allow the reader here
to see what the book under review
offers.
Our idea Of book review Is to tell
something about a book, 30 that the
reader Of the review will have some.
thing to go on, when he finishes read.