Evening star., 1928-12-09


dianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
~ HURCH, School Press--these
4 are the deeply influential ele-
ments Of modern life. The
~ press, by virtue Of its compara-
tive youth and its robust serv-
ice, stands beside the other two in
something of the role of infant prodigy.
Certainly it rivals the school in supple
menting formal learning with an extern
sion course that goes on, past school
days, throughout life. This Is, however
merely a collateral effect Of the news
paper. It's basic work of telling the
news identifies 1t with every public
activity-society, politics, religion.
government, industry, finance, with
every whatnot of human performance
and interest. Such spread and power
for the press have been reached in
little more than century. Primarily
the newspaper was the organ of party
politics, an individualistic affair, con-
cerned with the high worth of its own
political supporters on the one hand
and on the other, with the utter
worthlessness of its opponents.
The newspaper widened its borders
materially under the initiative Of James
Gordon Bennett, the elder. 1t was he
who first made the daily paper ''im-
pudent and intrusive" And to do this
he became the first real reporter the
American press had known"
The story of the phenomenal growth
OF the daily press, certainly the most
influential single instrumentality of
modern life, is an exciting story. In
the beginnings of this impetuous ad-
vance the elder Bennett had a large
part: Courageous, daring, far-seeing,
original, callous to abuse, he became
in his promotion of journalism and in
the building of great daily, a doughty
warrior whose battles are as stirring
10 read about as are those of march,
ing armies, or those of medieval knights
in armour.
Don c. Seitz Is Of the clan. Journal
ism IS his field. Here is where he has
won honors and distinction. So to the
telling OF this story of a great paper
and its makers he brings both knowl-
edge and zeSt, both experience and the
power to set it to fitting drama. So
here we go back over the road with
him as he points upon this and that
gain for the newspaper through the
ingenuity and persistence of the elder
Bennett. Any number of the common
press features of today had their start
In the mind OF this indomitable Scot.
Bennett. 1t was he who, more than
any other, widened the conception of
news" to cover every activity that
promised information and interest to
the great reading public. This new out
look brought no end of hatred in its
train. This he minded. not at all. AS
for material, the world was his oyster.
He fought the national bank In his
daily, he pried into financial operations.
He invaded the sacred precincts of So
ciety for copy. Times certainly do
change. He intruded upon private life,
so his hot enemies said And he was
thrashed in the public street for some
thing of this kind. This made no dif-
ference with him. Indeed, ne counted
a good hatred, salty and bitter, as
substantial asset for an ambitious editor.
The modern scoop" had its origin
in the methods of this man to get the
news speedily. The seed Of the Asso-
ciated Press was planted by him. The
use of the telegraph, Of swift couriers,
OF every possible means OF hufrying up
the news was most ardently accepted
by him. He was the first to- illustrate
the daily paper Originality and pluck
coupled with great ability stand to the
account of this pioneer journalist. And
the Herald, under father and son, grew
and expanded and lived--well, you know
about this. Here is superb adventure
giving the life story Of two men and a
great daily paper. 1t is set out in clear
and dramatic statement. Its effect IL
that of a gorgeous pageant Of progress
whose complete Justification and honor
lie in the quality Of the whole American
press of today.
GONE TO EARTH. BY Mary Webb,
author of Precious Bane," etc. New
York: E. p. Dutton and Company.
UCLEAR-EYED, 1.-the, 1t stood for a
moment in the clear sunlight
year-old fox, round-headed and velvet
footed. Then it slid into the shadows,
A shrill whistle came from the interior
of the wood, and the fox bounded to-
ward It,"
Where you bin? You'm stray and
lose yourself, certain sure' said a girls
voice, chidingly motherly. And IL you'm
aloSt, I'm alost; so come you whome.
The suns undering, and there's bones
for support
with that she took to her heels, the
little fox after her, racing down the
callow in the cold level light till they
came to the Woodus's cottage"
This Is the story of two little crea-
one hunted to death by hound-dogs,
the other by hound-rnen. Both are
wild, fearless, untaught in the ways of
men, defenseless. So, they are fair
game. This beautiful story is set In a
corner of wild Wales, a spot with which,
clearly, this writer Is deeply familiar.
The look Of the mountain land, the feel
OF the cir, the ways of the people, are
all a part Of her own consciousness and
sympathy. And from this setting Is
drawn the tragic story that, page by
page, aches with the beauty and terror
of life. A poet Is at work here and a
really surprising dramatist. Simplicity
Is the keynote of portrayal that here
searches the depths of the human heart
in its bitter strife between evil and
good An austere command OF ma
terial matches and embodies the cruelty
of life itself. The innocent defenseless-
ness of the two creatures secures the
tremendous poignancy of the whole IN
It's effect upon any one who may nave
courage to take this beautiful work of
art in his hand. Yet, there is no strain
for effect, not line of that. In the en-
tire story. A truly fine artist has seen
this thing and, being a true artist, has
been able to deliver 1t over in the stark
passion Of her own power. In the
crowd of more pretentious volumes /
passed this one by for several days.
Then, one night I took it up In the
spirit of IT may as well do 1t now as
another time Within q couple OF
pages was gone and did not come
back till the reading was done. In
deed, am not back" not really, yet.
A great adventure, to be sure, to come
upon book like this, most uncom-
mon adventure.
X n
WHILE RIVERS RUN. BY Maurice