Evening star., 1928-05-29
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. e.. M.


THE CRIMINAL AND HIS ALLIES,
Martin Cavanagh. The Bobbs-Mer-
rell, Co.
Many thousands Of times within the
past century and half has the United
States held itself UP 10 the rest of the
world as gloriously triumphant eX-
pertinent in democracy, as a govern
ment actually made by the people
themselves, actually sustained by them.
The unacceptable logic of such claim 1s
that the people, severally and collec-
lively are directly responsible not only
for the kind of government under
which they live but for the perpetual
ton as we'll Of its original high purpose
and its original high fulfillments. In
other words, the United States has pre-
cisely the measure Of good government
that its citizenship permits 1t TO have.
At this point protest enters. Here are
long and loud personal disclaimers Of
any part In public abuses that are as
obvious as they are many and subver-
siye. The denial, however, does not
hold Only a common observation Of
humanity proves it to be more good
than bad, proves honest intent to be
more general than evil design. The
straight road Is ever more inviting than
the crooked one, more companionable,
more heartening. Therefore, at any
point of impending common danger 1t
is only for the outWeighing bulk OF
good citizens to press forward In ro-
bust remedial activity The general
franchise is the American weapon Of
righteousness. This and commonly
honest purpose among men determine
the quality Of our government, pro-
vided---
"The Criminal and His Allies" Is a
challenge to the people Of this coun-
try. 1t Is also an accusation. 1t sums
to the unassailable statement that the
United States possesses the most money,
the most power, the most laws and the
most criminals of all countries. 1t is
within such summary that both chal-
lenge and accusation lie. Judge Cava-
nagh takes the ground. takes it with
reason, you will agree, that every cltl-
zen of the United States who is indif-
ferent toward the subject Of our crimi-
nal record, who is a Stacker In respect
to the making of our laws and toward
the enforcement of these, Is himself, as
matter Of ultimate fact, IN potential
alliance with the criminal and with
crime.
The enfranchised citizens Of the
country, by way Of their legislative
agents, make the laws Of the land.
This power stands as the DuiWark oI
the republic On level with 1t IN
importance is the doctrine of law OBJ
seryance. These two declare the stand
ard of the commonwealth and test the
capacity OF the people for set-goYern-
ment.
It Is upon such foundation that
Judge CaVanagh erects the body OF
experience and definite conclusion set
out in The Criminal and His Allies"
From the actual workings of this COM
bination he draws the startling accu-
sation of general public completely IN
the criminal activities OF the country.
Unconscious and innocent, maybe, but
completely nevertheless. And. BY the
way. the active and responsible agents
Of government in a great country have
no business to be either unconscious
or innocent in this respect.
Set out here Is the result OF 80 years
OF daily practical dealings with vio-
lators of the Law. Innumerable stories
of crime here become plain statements
OF fact. Thousands Of perverted beings
step into this open disclosure. From
such immediate contact the writer
moves further out TO examine the laws
through whose workings the fate OF
these criminals is settled. Without
mercy he points to their inadequacies
and utilities. Outworn laws. whose
chief use Is TO provide obstructive
measures calculated to thwart the
straight course Of justice. Much, he
points out, is being done to correct
this evil. Much remains yet TO be
done Coming nearer TO all Of us,
Judge Cavanagh talks plainly Of the
evils and ineptitudes of city control, of
police regulations and performances, Of
the free trade in firearms, OF the
automobile as brigand and highway
man.
Scholar, lawyer, judge and man, this
writer has nothing to say that lies
outside his domain Of interest and
activity. Much the greater part Of this
matter is OF hrst-hand origin. It is
the scholar who examines the law in
its history and present Embellishments,
who studies the professional criminoi-
ogist, who takes a look at the faddiSt
and sentimentalist In their attitudes
toward crime and its punishment, who
declares stoutly, convincingly and
amusingly against the great majority
OF popular intelligence tests" and
studies In degeneracy." A robust and
fortnight man quite destitute OF SYM
pathy with the not uncommon notion
that the criminal is unable to help
himself, that the reasons for his err
rancy are too deep for him to reach.
or even to realize. and that, therefore,
he should not suffer the extreme pen
atty of the law. A man of old-fash-
ioned thinking. you will say, who has
no shade OF doubt that many a child
has been utterly spoiled by a total
sparing of the rod.
A valuable study. As striking, too
as 1t Is sound in substance. High at
tainments in his own field as both law
yer and judge, wide research in the
remoter aspects Of the subject, rug
ged assurance OF opinion on outstand-
ing phases Of crime, sturdy avowal
OF public completely in wrongdoing-
these are the powers and qualities that
underlie this remarkable study OF the
criminal record OF this country and of
our own part in IT..
THE GREEN MURDER CASE. BY S.
s. Van Dine. Charles Scribners'
Sons.
If fiction in its most important pur-
pose Is 10 reflect the life OF the period
with which 1t deals--Why, then, the
novel of crime and its detection should
stand at the head OF the list of new
books. And as matter fact 1t does
come near TO occupying that very post
OF honor. Here Is new one-and a
much better one than comes this way
as a rule. Yet, so engrossing is a tale
Of wrongdoing that readers suffer. glad
ly. many q slovenly yarn spinner just
for the Joy Of looking In upon strange
things that the human can be led TO do.
However. the story In hand is an ex-
ceptionally good one, one calculated TO
stir thinking In the reader, to turn him
for the time being into detective on his
own account, checking up this Philo
Vance, who seems to be having things
nretty much hts own way in the slleth-