Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-05
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By the BookIoVer.


movements. of student uprisings
labor strikes, mob riots and rumors
Of Bolshevisn. One fact at least
seems clear amid all the turmoil.
namely, that the Chinese OF all par
ties wish to be free from foreign In
reference. An orderly presentation
of the chief events In the history of
China during the past Is years, which
ia most helpful to an understa nding
OF the events of 1927, Is to be FOUND
in Part III of Qowen & Hairs out
line History of China" The whole
book Is interesting and very con.
densed, but many VINO would not
esnecia1Iy care to peruse the history
OF the Hsia. Chou, Chin, Han. Tang,
sung and Mongol dynasties, or even
that of the great Manchu age. Will
welcome a clear account OF the repuO-
lican era in China. beginning In 1911.
In the chapter, events Leading to
the Revolution" the authors discuss
the Boxer uprising, the organization
Of the Chinese students, especially In
the Canton region, the rise of Sun
Yat.sen. the part played by women In
the republican movement, the decline
OF the mandarinate, the growth in
power OF the press, the death OF the
Empress Dowager T'zu Hsi, the dis.
nnissal of Yuan Shih-k'ai from all
offices, the four-power-group foreign
loan and the outbreak of the revolu-
ton.
y ~ # y
With the beginning Of the revolu.
ton Yuan Shih.k'ai was recalled by
the Peking government to take com.
mand Of the forces against the revo-
lutionists. On October %, 1911, q re.
public was proclaimed at Wuch ang,
and Lii Yuan-hung was elected Presi-
dent. on November q second re.
public was inaugurated at Shanghai.
On November ] the throne at Picking,
in a last effort TO save it's power, had
promulgated constitutional govern.
ment, with Yuan Shih-kat as pre-
mier. Almost Immediately the astute
diplomat, WI T'ing-fang. well known
in foreign countries, took charge of
the republic at Shanghai. On Christ
mas eve. 1911, Sun Yat.sen arrived at
Shanghai from America ard was Of
fered by WI the presidency Of all
China. He accepted. formed a gov.
eminent and asked diplomatic recog.
milton from the powers. A union was
effected with the Wuch'ang republic,
and then overtures were made to
Yuan at Peking. which resulted in
the abdication of the Manchus and
the retirement Of Sun I'm favor of
Yuan as President of a united re-
public. A practical dictatorship Of
Yuan Shin -k'ai lasted until his death
In 1915, just as he planned to be
crowned Emperor. During the SUI.
premacy OF Yuan, the nationalistfc
movement, or kuomintang had gained
Roadway. 1t was strengthened by jap
anese and other foreign activities in
China during the World War. The
last two chapters Of Part III OF the
Outline History Of China" are en-.
titled THE Era of Military Adventur.
ing" and Toward the End of Foreign
Provocative" They bring China's rev.
olutionary history down to September,
1928.
Turning aside from political and So
Geological China, from revolutions and
rival generals, from strikes and ban.
ditry, Samuel Morrill, writes q book on
some OF tho fundamental and un-
changing things of China, the things
of beauty. Lanterns, Junks and
jade" is an antidote to the daily news
accounts Of riots, executions. barri-
cades and commandments In the neigh
borhood Of Shanghai. 1t is a book to
bring pleasant memories to one who
has visited China and to make one
who has not experienced It's charm re.
solve to travel there as soon as these
troubled times are past. There is an
excellent description of the exotic
Summer Palace, retreat OF the enig-
matte Empress Dowager T'zu Hsi, who
rose from the common people to be.
come secondary wife Of the Emperor
and finally regent. It's rooms filled
with treasures of porcelain, bronze,
ivory, paintings. carvings and en-
broidery and it's elaborate gardens and
artificial lake have been often de.
scribed, but not often with such com.
bination of appreciation and humor as
in Mr.. Morrill's book.
u
The attitude of an older child i'm a
family toward a new baby, which
r1onopolizes all the mothers attention
and interferes at every turn with es-
tablished family routine, is suggested
retrospectively by Sherwood Anderson
in Tar; a Midwest Childhood" The
child Tar was years old and there
was new baby always lying in a
crib" 1T was called Will and, when
she was at home, was always in the
mothers arms. What a little pest,
And to have a name, too--a boys
name. On Saturday nights,
sometimes, Tar was permitted to go
with his mother down into town. They
could not start until the lights were
lit. First Of all the dishes had to be
washed, Margaret helping, and then
the baby had to be put to sleep. What
fuss he made, the little wretch!
Now, when he might so well have in.
gratiated himself with his brother by
being reasonable, he cried and cried.
First Margaret had to hold him and
then Tar's mother had to take her
turn. 1t was fun for Margaret. She
could pretend she was a woman and
girls liked that. When there were no
babies around they made them out of
rags. They talked and scolded and
cooed and held the things in their
arms. Tar was already dressed and SO
was his mother. The best part of
going to town was the feeling of be.
ing alone with her. Nowadays that so
seldom happened. The baby was spoil
ing everything Pretty soon it, would
be too late to go, the stores would be
closed. Tar moved restlessly about
the front yard, wanting to cry. If he
did he would have to stay at home.
He had to appear at ease, say moth.
ing" Who does not sympathize with
little Tar, standing there in the front
yard, suppressing his tears. fearing
that the stores will close before he
and his mother get down town, and
all because of that horrid baby?
X X *
We Americans are treated rather
roughly, as a nation of Rabbits, by
an Englishman. G. e. NJ. load, in HIS
book, 1.-THE Babbitt Warren" Some
of us have been in the habit Of think
ing that Rabbits were not confined to
the United States. but had numerous
"warrens' in most countries OF the
world. Mr.. Joad does find some Bah
bittry Tor Babbittism) In England, but
thinks England caught the disease
from America. America leads the
pack. and II we want to know whether
the pack is heading for heaven or