Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-23
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the BookIoper.

refuS0 heaps ana rows OF cheap, draD
houses. This is in substance the mes
sage Of Ralph Adams Cram in his
introduction to a delightful book of
travel by Nina Larrey Duryea, NAL
lorca the Magnificent" Speaking
solely from the viewpoint of a lover
of unmolested beauty, he says: "A
friend once said that New Mexico was
the only truly civilized State left in
the Union, and with no more exag
geration one may say that Spain is
still the most truly civilized State left
in Europe" Mallorca, one of the
Balearic group of islands in the Med
iterranean, is under the control of
Spain, and here, less than in any
other place, do you experience the
shock of the sudden issuance out of
paradise into a livid scar of Industrial
ism or the lurid by-products of its
genius" But Mr.. Cram advises not to
delay too long visit to Mallorca, for
the spirit of advancement is moving
on the face Of the waters, that already
are troubled, and one can mark ap-
proximately the course that has it's
end in oblivion" The first wave of
beauty destruction broke over NAL
lorca some centuries ago, when Spain
was afflicted by the red, fool fury I"
of republicanism and mobs gathered
to wreck some of Mallorca's beau,
tiful churches and generally destroy
good that evil might come" Modern
times have brought other disturbing
changes. The beach south of Palma,
the chief city. is degraded by cheap
seashore hotels and villas; Orchards
of almond and olive between Palma
and Terreno are scored by the harsh
cuttings Of new streets; in one cleft
Of the rocky coast is the tall chimney
of an abandoned brick factory (Mr.
Cram gives thanks that the factory
was unsuccessful and had to be aban-
doned); and, most ominous thing of
all. one side of a tree-sheltered inlet
of the sea, near Porto Pi, has burst
into an enormous eruption of bricks,
galvanized iron and structural steel.
Towering elevators and cranes slash
the sky, piles of coal and chemicals
form sordid hillocks, spur-tracks run
here and there with rumbling cars
and clanking din, while over all black
smoke and nauseous fumes stain the
air. 1t is factory for the manufac-
ture Of chemical fertilizer, and is the
forward-looking development Of the
richest man on the island
X X X X
In spite OF these signs Of progress, +"
Mallorca is still lovelier than most
places. "Terreno is a maze Of walled
gardens, while there is always the
looming forest of Deliver towering be.
hind and the incredible bay just be-
fore" Mountains lie along the north
Of the island, and to the south stretch
seas of almond trees, white in blossom
ing time, and gray-green olive trees.
The coast is an alienation of wild
promontories and cleft glens. all thick
with the rich foresting." Mr.. Cram
says the Balearic Islands were once
called the Fortunate Isles" and iden.
tines them with the Islands of the Hes
perides. One who comes once within
the charmed circle Of the sapphire seas
that ring Mallorca" will have no rest
until he returns. and perhaps he will
decide never to leave again. Mr.. Cram
expresses the fervent hope that, be.
fore the beautiful island is entirely
spoiled by the hand Of Industrial man,
mob. more justified than the mobs
which destroyed the churches and
monasteries. will rise against the fer.
tilizer factory Of Porto Pi, and then
the water may clear again, the trees
and shrubs and flowers creep over the
new mounds of debris, the birds come
back" Nina Duryea's book fulfills the
promise of descriptive charm which
Mr.. Grams unique introduction leads
one to expect.
The autobiography of the master of
fairy lore, Hans Christian Andersen.
has been added to the series of Scan.
dinavian classics issued by the Amer.
ican-Scandinavian Foundation. The
translation is that Of Mary Hewitt,
The True Story of My Life" by Hans
Christian Andersen. The style is the
simple style Of the fairy tales, and all
the events of life are treated as lad
ventures" Life was surely long
successful adventure for the son Of
the poor Odense shoemaker who. with
little education and no money, started
out to make his way in the world as
an actor. By the time he had found
friends who had helped him to an edu.
cation he had given up the idea of be.
coming an actor and had begun to
write plays, verse, novels and fairy
tales.
Florence has preserved much more
of its medieval city than Rome.
Rome, like a palimpsest. is per.
petually changing her character
says Herbert NJ. Vaughan in his book.
The Medici Popes." There are a
few landmarks which have endured
through the centuries. The low.
domed Pantheon, the vast broken cir.
Gle of the Colosseum, and certain of
the ruined Thermae link the Rome of
the Middle Ages with the Rome of
the caesars, on the one hand, and the
Rome of Victor Emmanuel and Musso-
nm; on the other. Mr.. Vaughan gives
a description of Rome as it was in
1918. during the High Renaissance.
Inc area Enclosed by the old city walls
was not filled with closely packed
houses. as today, but was covered
with vineyards, gardens, groves. and
even with thickets of brier and mvr.
tie, SO dense that deer and wild boar
occasionally sought shelter within
their recesses." The Palatine, Coelian
and Avantine Hills, now sections of
thlckly settled Rome, were then wood.
ed slopes, dotted with a few farms
ana converts, or with decayed heaps
or ancient buildings, which were now
forming convenient quarries for the
architects of the new palaces and
churches springing up on all sides"
The classic Forum, known by the
humble appellation of the Cattle Mar.
ket, stretched as a long, marshy.
81 uo-eoFeIeu eApdnSe, wherein a few
snafts OF antique temples still rose
aloft. but the Via Sacre and the
foundations marking the heart of the
proud city lay hidden beneath crust.
some 80 feet in depth. of superin.
cumbent soil and rubbish" ONLY the
very center of the city was densely
populated, and there sanitary condi.
tons hardly came up to modern
standards. THE population of Rome
computed at various figures. but
probably numbering about so 900
souls, was chiefly huddled into the
narrow space lying between the Can.
ltol and the Tiber and into the
transporting quarter of Trastevere.
the denizens Of which have always
affected to boast a pure descent from
the ancient Romans themselves. $50
Ihese two districts together consti.