Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-19

thompson, author OF THE People
OF Mexico" etc. New York: Z. P.
! Dutton & Co.
- WEATING jungles, smoking
volcanoes, mad sunsets, swift
revolutions. ghosts Of old buc-
~ cancers, fat punches of golden
bananas, delectable breakfast
doors OF steaming coffee, these gath
cred up hit or miss under five
sum the average mans notion of
Central America. Nevertheless, this is
"a reckoning bundle of promise to the
traveller tired Of the worn highways Of
the world. Right at home, too. Only
three days from New Orleans, only
an overnight from Panama into Costa
Rica, with New York but a week away
from Panama. down the Atlantic and
across the blue Caribbean still a-trem.
BILE with wild tales Of old pirate and
Ynarauder. Stin, Central America is
not. vet, tourist country. Before the
vacation traveller takes possession.
roads smooth and swift running must
be made. Hostelries with more than
the comforts Of home must be built
for him. Scenery must be assembled
in neat pictures and history herded
into open stalls for the ready seizure
of the speeding visitor. This day is
well on its way. The competent alder
manic banana and the subtle coffee
bean are the pioneers that are opening
UP the Rainbow Countries" at a
promising rate Of achievement.
Meantime. the traveller is able to go
there in comfort by book. Mr.. Thomp.
son having gone on ahead to spy out
the land is home again with packed
budgets of fact and bulging portfolios
Of pictures which, together. serve to
give the reader all the essential facts
of this region to the south Of us, with
many seasoned and logical outlook,
also, upon the probable immediate
future of Central America.
A travel guide must possess two
essentials of equipment. He must
know his ground-up and down, in
and out. across and slantwise. And
he must be the practical man, con.
cerned with seasons. routes, time
tables. accommodations. Beyond these
essentials he is all the better for en-
thusiasm. vision. poetry even. On an
equal footing with his prime qualities
there must be the power to organize
the nlany-sided material of the place,
so that the traveller may come away,
not with A raGbag of miscellany to
forget Immediately. but. instead with
broadly comprehensive view so
logically knit together in its parts as
10 command permanent hold upon
the memory.
lace Thompson proves to he in this
trip TO Central America. Back from
this hook Journey one has vivid
picture of each of the five countries
and of ali of them together. Upon
this there rises good view OF the
people in their present situation, in
their history. in their aims for the
future. The general outlook-social,
economic. poiitica stands here as
rational expression of racial trend
acted upon by the circumstances OF
The present and by a welldefined
ideal for the future Of United States
Of Central America.
went with this author. an excel
lent example of the general ignorance
upon the subject of these countries.
While there ! had time Of radiant
enioyment--he's that kind of man
Now. If YOU please. have at least an
intelligent grasp OF subject that is
surely most interesting one and
probably much more vital one than
we, in our ignorance. are able to
realize. At any rate. IL Is case of our
neXt.door neiShbor. and il is good, all
around. to know our neighbors.
* x x
A TOUCH or EARTH BY Leila
Warren. New York: Simon &
Shuster
TT is doubtful If the fapper will soon
again get fairer hearing than Is
accorded her in "A Touch of Earth.
II is readily conceivable that the au-
thor of this novel would deny vehe-
mentlr that her girl belongs to the
class which is harder to define than
60 recognize as she goes tapping by.
-. ,,-trt ,n,t
Of that courageous. independent. gal
liant band which. despite it's many sill.
Illnesses. is teaching many an older
woman lessons in bodily comfort and
personal freedom. But. to get back TO
this story of a girl from childhood 10
the day when she took a strong and
decent stand against her own weak
ness that. INDUCED. would have been
great treachery. There are certain
outstanding features in this novel.
certain strong and subtle points. The
family itself is one of these, features.
Such a family as every child ought to
have behind il is here. The story
more than justities itself from this
alone. An enviable family. I'd read
At. II were a family. just for inspi-
ration. very subtle touch here, as
deep.seated as life itself, is the one
nesS Of Jick and her father, a mys-
terious. beautiful. tender relation
rarely recognized for it's full value.
Another interesting point comes out
in the girls choice Of a husband. Like
almost every girl in the world. Jick
was in love--in love with life and her
dreams and herself. So she took
Travers. who was at hand and wanted
fer--rlice fellow. right to the end.
Another point that gives the girl
sort Of universal girlhood is that SUB
Innate hero Of her dreams. Her hus-
band? Bless you, no. He was all
fight. but he was just man. This
one was more like one OF the minor
Gods She called him Lancelot. There
fore he wasn't So much of god after
all. In the course OF time this Lance
lot really came. Up to this point the
story. in Jick herself, embodies SO
much of every girls life as to become
a thousand confessions instead of one
plain story The climax OF this ro-
nance IS its triumph, one too worked
out word by word throughout the
course OF the whole. When the time
came for Jick to choose. within her
self. for this is no tale of scandal, be
tween Travers the husband and
Lancelot the dream. she was just the
decent. fair.dealing, fine fellow that
Iick would he. despite the innumer-
able fouies of this gifted and very hui
man creature. Now, that seems 10 me
a fine task for any writer TO set for
herself. | think a woman would have
had to-. write this book. Mind YOU.
fhis is no mawkish romance. You Will
he shoCked-if YOU are that kind
With the frankness of the whole mat
ter. Don't he shocked. Just think
about il instead. Admire the real
labor that the novel reveals. Five
wears Of work. II turns OUT. went into
this story written by a young woman
whose home is here in Washington,
who went to our schools and in whom,
certainly. We feel a distinct pride for
the sincerity OF a very beautiful art
that she has proved in "A Touch OF