Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-21
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

THE CONSTITUTION AT THE
CROSSROADS. BY Edward a.
Hartman. lecturer on international
law in George Washington Law
School. New York: George IL.
Doran Co.
"HlS volume projects an exami-
nation into the legal aspects Of
the League of Nations, the
4 permanent organization OF
labor and the Permanent
Court OF International Justice 1t
also prupoundS the two questions that
at the present time are acutely before
the American people. The first of these
IS. What are the legal consequences
of membership in these new organiza-
tons" The second is, Are these
consequences desirable tor the people
of the United States?" Setting aside
the second question as belonging to
the realm of i4conclusive debate, the
author devo:eS mis- time and effort to
the definite and conclusive legal as
poets of membership in these organi-
cations by the United States. Main
tanning that an understanding of the
law in this matter is the foundation
for any intelligent action In respect to
II. the author takes up the subject
FROM its legal and constitutional
standpoint. The method employed by
Mr.. Hartman is that of a comparison
and contrast between these relatively
new organizations and the ConStitu
ton of the United States. Not, there
fore. study of international law but
a study of constitutional law instead
is made in this exposition and dis
CuSSion.
AS a means to the desired end. the
author makes ii perfectly definite
and admirably co-ordinated analysis of
each of these three Orga niZations. He
goes back to the origin of each and
to the conditions, to the international
situation, out of which each 3prang.
He cites the membership of each Civ
ing the purpose and the qualifications
OF such membership. He explains the
workings of the organizations. the
obligations of its membership. the re-
sponSibilities of individual national
membership under the law. He de-
scribes also the interviewing duties
and obligations that exist inherently
among the three organizations. SO
carefully has this analysis been made
both In respect TO its content of fact
and also in the examinations that have
cleared it from a conflicting clutter
of noneSSential elements that one can
hardly think of a more reWarjling
study for the intelligent and patriotic
man and woman than this very oppor-
tune book offers.
Having made such analysis the au-
thor brings the matter To the ques-
ton OF prime Importance, What are
the legal consequences of member
ship in these organizations? And
here Mr.. Hartman brings the matter
to the Judgment bar of the Constitu-
ton itself. I'm forming the Consti-
ton of the United States the Is orig
inal States abandoned their right TO
settle dispues among themselves by
war and created a Supreme Court.
with jurisdiction over all contro-
verSieS between the States of the
Union. 1t is the belief of many that
nations in general should abandon
their right to make war upon each
other, and should submit their con-
troversies to judicial settlement" 1t
IS this belief that created the organi-
cations under discussions here. How
far the Constitution OF the United
States may be affected by a member
ship in either league or court
is ''one Of the vital questions of the
day The Constitution is at the
Crossroads" While the relations in
volved are international in character
the questions involved are constitu-
tional in nature. And here follows
very instructive examination of some
of the most vital and far-rea ching of
these possible questions from the
standpoint of their legal significance
and their legal effect.
y very important study that by
some means should he brought to a
serious general consideration. In this
very matter there is d prodigious
amount of feeling whose origin is
hearsay, or personal predisposition
These irresponsible guides should
give way to some organized and in
"a st nf
book. as a matter of fact
x = =
THE CHARWOMAN'S DAUGHTER
BY James Stephens, author Of I'm
The Land of Youth" etc. New
York. The Macmillan Company
THE clear lure of this little story
lies in the Irishy of its projection.
Nobody but an Irishman-maybe, no.
body but James Stephens himself
could accept the full content of a
charwoman' life and at the same
time make the daughter of this estate
ii heroine of romance. Abating none
of the poverty-indeed, embracing the
whole of it-Mr. Stephens makes this
not only the setting of lovely story
but embodies within 1t as we'll the eS-
sence of the Irish character. 1t is the
charwoman herself who carries on
here. Mary, the daughter is a beau
tiful something to look at, as yet a
lovely but more or less inart1culate
vision. Mary. we are sure, is going
TO have her day. We gather this
from d half promise at the end of the
story. And Mary will be something
TO expect from this writer In the
meantime. there is Mary's mother
the warm hearted, generous, captious,
warning charwoman whose attacks
are speedily followed by outbreaks of
warmth and friedlness that are truly
Of the fine Irish blood A laugh goes
all the way here-no boisterous mirth,
mind YOU but smiles lurking in every
corner here, sometimes over the pure
fun peeping out from some little
cover, more often. however. over some
tender turn of word or gesture that
brings the smile that is not made Of
laughter at all. A charming, charm
ing eXperience-that Of spending an
hour in the garnet of the charwoman
with Mary and her mother.
THE SWINGING CARAVAN. BY
Achmed Abdullah, author of 1.-The
Thief Of Ba gdad,' etc. New York:
Brentano'S.
IT is not altogether as the critics in
one way or another keep saying.
that Achmed Abdullah knows his
Orient. Not altogether, as they re-
iterate, that he breathes out It's at
mosphere from generations Of blood
affinity with the East. Not entirely
because he is able to choose new and
strange places-some remote corner
of Persia, a secret retreat of Turkey,
a stretch of Africa's Mediterra
shore at its most picturesque points
of historic impliCatiOn. Not alone