Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-13
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
l. G.. NJ.

Inc lone sea IiIBHl. we, tIlS Dooh
In hand; commercial aviation as a
practical and pressing problem of the
industrial future. This exclusive
trio of personal possession and pre-
occupation serves to embody and pro-
iect the sum and substance of Charles
Lindbergh thus far. And these pro-
vide the only considerable means for
anv fair estimate and Judgment in re-
spect to this remarkable young man.
In order to approach SUCH appraiser
it is necessary to separate the essen
tial Lindbergh from the externals and
uncertainties of mere popularity. Inc
immense public enthusiasm reused by
him everywhere, taking erect over
seas in the homage of potentates and
powers, expressing itself at home in
elaborate celebrations of welcome and
applause-all this was but our own
part in the great event. And all this
has little to do in the long run with
Iindbergh and his work. as each day
is now making plain. 1t is important
to make such cleavage between this
Young man and the rest Of us, be-
tween Lindbergh and an applaudlng
public 1t is necessary to strip the
boy down clean to himself, because he
is a symbol of a new world in new
hands.
Here are youth and great achieve
ment, Joined at q time when science
in it's multiform applications is chang
ing our fairly staid and reckonable
world into a panoramic stage for the
working of daily miracles, such as IN
palmer days no fabulist would nave
dared to offer to the most fantastic
imaginings of man. And at the most
spectacular point in this amazing
whirlgig of world change, at the very
tiptop of human audacity, in the face
of a terrible and relentless nature,
there appeared this lone boy. And he
achieved the impossible. Not only
this. but he reduced the seemingly
superhuman act to terms of relative
simplicity by virtue of his own atti-
tude before it, by virtue of the per-
sonal qualities which he contributed
to it. So, whether he will or not-and
it Is pretty certain that he does not
will it-Charles Lindbergh today pro-
iects for the whole world the spirit Of
modern youth aspiring to the vast
new fields of opportunity.
X X X X
The Iindbergh period. covering to
date only about three months, pro-
vides a study whose deep value to the
on-coming public Of youth offers no
battling obscurities, no Fostering sub
tleties. Open and aboveboard, from
start to finish stand the main features
of this period, crossed by certain minor
lines of demarcation. First and fore
most is the triumphant flights of the
Lone Eagle. "a good job put through"
One can easily imagine the young flyer
wording his victory in such fashion.
Then follow the weeks Of public dem
onstration in Europe and finally at
home. Here is a different thing to do,
harder even in certain ways than the
tremendous thing already done. I'm
sophisticate and unused to the ways
of public adulation from the might
ness of the earth, this suddenly Great
ed world-hero stands fast by his native
modesty and simplicity, thereby I'M
consciously making for himself the
high role of ambassador of friend
ship between the United States and
Europe Superbly as this role is car
ried out, it is clear that public func-
tioning in the cast of star performer is
not the real Lindbergh business. Then
Lindbergh disappears, only rumor fol-
lowing him here and there on some
errand bent. After something like a
six-Week retirement the boy reappears,
his new book in hand, "We," the story
of Lindbergh and his craft, the Spirit
of st. Louis. Summing this boys
story of his life, it is found to be eX-
actly like the ocean flight itself-that
is, the two are identical in straight
line approach to the business in hand,
in singleness of vision, in simplicity of
execution, in rigid exclusion of all
irrelevancies. Another job put
| 4 10
Not put through all alone, however,
this time, for, having assembled the
facts of his life up to this it's highest
point, Lindbergh then characteristic
cally turns it over into other hands for
record of the public reception so en-
Enthusiastically offered him by the wide
world itself. All of a piece this Lind
bergh, ready and competent and mas
terful with work and accomplishment.
Less easy, however, not nearly so
much at home in the face of praise and
public adulation. The third stage of
the Lindbergh period is now in the
making-the stage covered by the fly
ing tour of the United States in the in
terest of commercial aviation. Here,
once more, Lindbergh is all business.
This is no triumphal circuit of the
country. 1t bears no relation what
ever to the European festivities nor to
the Washington and New York re-
ceptions to Lindbergh. In attitude and
execution it is identical with the great
ocean flight and with the writing of
the life story. These are the three
pieces of work that Lindbergh has I'M
dertaken and Is putting through to the
finish. In this round-the country
flight the crowds that now assemble
are, to Lindbergh. material for the
reception of his program of CONNER
cial aviation. He is under contract to
preach the gospel of this new and
amazing industry and that is just what
he is doing.
The crowds may think this is a
holiday and a celebration in honor
of the young American. That is their
mistake. AT every stop a serious,
humorless young man, without sin
gle gesture Of pleasantly and greet
ing, steps before them to say. Com
mercial aviation needs first a supply
of adequate airports''-a thought
which he Celebrates soberly. and even
ponderously. Just the same Lind
bergh as the one who flew the ocean
and wrote the book about it. Indeed
one could summarize or review these
three events fully by the single
formula of Lindbergh's characteristic
treatment of whatever he undertakes
Out in the West a good deal of mis-
understanding arose from this young
mans logged attachment to the sin
gle theme in hand For instance, in
Minnesota, the home State, did this
feeling of disappointment rise. Nei
ther side was to blame; each was SIM
ply unconscious of the others point
Of view. The Twin Cities and Little
Falls, the home town, were naturally
in a perfect ferment of excitement
over "Lindy's" ome-coming. In all
three places flags of welcome were
flying, everybody was out possessive
and confident of peculiar and per-
sonal share in this famous boy of
theirs. Then he came. He was
whisked through the streets at n rate