Evening star., 1928-05-27
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

RED RUST. BY Cornelia James Can
non. Boston: Little. Brown g. Co.
TIME pioneer has passed on to the
men and women OF this country
their most precious inheritance.
i From him comes the courage
that faces even defeat with in
trepidity, the robust health OF long
toll in sun and rain. the hardihood that
converted forest trees into the log cabin
the patience that coaXed food out OF
the soil, the spirit that endured loneli-
ness in a new land with neighbors miles
apart, that suffered sickness and death
stoically, that Stifled fears Of the In
dians, and that, in the course of time,
built security and prosperity and happi-
ness for all of us who have come after
him. Such Is, In part. the legacy Of the
pioneer fathers to the children of the
New World 1t Is good for us to renew
ourselves frequently from this deep
source of our present well-being. And
there are opportunities for such a re-
newing. There are still pioneer patches
within this vast country Of ours. And
there are those who, realizing our deep
debt to the pioneer spirit and life,
are devoting their very considerable
talents 10 keeping this spirit and this
a case in point. Written but a short
time ago, this novel is. nevertheless,
drawn straight off from the pioneer
stage OF existence. A new settlement
in the northwest provides the back
ground of the story. Not two genera
tions ago the Swedes were entering the
prairie lands Of Minnesota, region
then as new as was New England two
centuries ago. Not to remain new for
so long a time. however, since this Is
the age Of swift change and phenomenal
growth. Still, much as II the new set
tlement we're under her own eye. Mrs
Cannon has built novel Of the Middle
west that stands. In both substance and
flavor true pioneer story. one, besides,
that possesses positive qualities of per-
manent attraction of steadily increas-
ing interest In the person of one young
man the door of this story Of early life
opens toward the present by way of
this young fellows zeal to improve his
wheat crop. Implied in this single point
is the whole of agricultural science,
now so active in the grain-growing Sec
tions. A diverted romance in which
this youth has potential part, allows
the author one ircnic gesture toward
the actual content of young girls love
as set off against her opportunity to
fulfill her destiny by wedlock BY this
time every one agrees that there Is a
fine story. Why, 1t Is prize novel"
and that is surely quite enough When
the stir of this fact settles a bit YOU
will have true enjoyment in reading
Red Rust for its outstanding excel
lence as piece of work. Thorough
preparation against any error of fact
lies under It. A true development or
growth projects 1t. Actual human be-
ings, behaving upon occasion as you
and behave. commend it, Perfect
restraint at every point Of possible ex-
cess sums the whole to beIievable picture
OF the life involved. just as this and
the other qualities and powers already
named give 1t the stamp Of art itself.
r =
THE ALSO RAMS: Men Who Missed
the Presidency. BY Don G.. Seitz.
author OF Uncommon Americans"
etc. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell
Co.
N no more than half year from now
there will be another "also ran"
This important event. so speedily ap-
preaching, gives extra value to book
which at any time Is packed with the
substance of wide political experience
projected In the plainest OF plain speech.
Here they stand, Is of them. Next No
vemher another one may be added to
the company. AS they are here. how
ever. Aaron Burr heads the list WILL
liam Jennings BRYAN foots t. Almost a
century covers this band of defeated
men. Among them are many names of
distinction, many undeniably great
characters. Calhoun, Clay. Webster.
Fremont, Douglas. Greeley Blaine. step
out to meet the reader here. Not all
the men who wished to be President
should have been. Two. Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster. surely deserved TO
be"-Don Seitz himself saving this
These taoloids OF political history,
packed with information OF special
point and with observations Of deep
significance. are such as illuminate the
politics OF this country. such as OBJ
jectify the nature and growth of our
Government. such as set the varying
purposes and patterns of public service
Drawn bodily from their SURROUNDINGS
OF authentic history. they are them
selves the story OF party politics en-
bodied in the ambitions OF these de.
feated men. It Is hard 10 imagine any
thing more alive than this summary Is
In the hands OF Don Seitz BY virtue of
his own vitality he has brougfN' each of
these presidential aspirants back TO life
to state his case, or to plead his cause.
straight TO the reader.
In chapter, Our Presidents" lead
Ing up TO the body of the book itself,
Don SeitS shocks-~or tleliehts-~the
reader with an epigrammatic grip upon
one and another OF our Chief Execu-
tiVcs, Listen; His fame washing
ton'sl was not helped by his admins
tration." "Of jefferson It can be said
that he was more concerned with en-.
forcing his views than managing the
affairs OF Government" THAT he (Lin-
colnl was consummate politician goes
without saying, That he became
martyr obscures this fact In popular
memory He was surrounded by poll
ticians and spoilsmen OF the most rapa-
cious sort His cabinet was a conspiracy
against him. Could he have enforced in
1t such submission as Woodrow Wilson
effected In 1ei7-l8 the war between the
States would not have run half the
course II did" And so on with many
another of the Presidents. Just one
more This gave them Calvin Cool
idge, close, canny and careful. who cut
down taxes, kept good fellows at dis
tance, stuck to his job and satisfied the
country as none OF the predecessors
were able to do. These are merely
samples OF the Don Seitg brand OF wis
dom applied 10 politics. No one has to
agree with him, but any reader Is bound
TO be stirred and walked up over these
studies of men defeated. each In his
prime ambition at the hands OF his
countrymen.
BUSINESS THE CIVILI2ER. nv
Earnest Elmo Calkins. Boston.
Little, Brown 81 Co
aver so years ago John Cotton Dana
~ wrote that which serves as intro
duction TO business the Civiliaer,"
Presumably talking 10 himself as
MANY sensible man desirous Nf At