Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

KING COBRA: An Autobiography Of
Travel In French Indo-China. BY
Harry Hervey, author OF "Congai.'
etc. New York: Cosmopolitan Book
Corporation.
7 IMAGINATION spontaneous and fan
ciful. quick seizure OF the dra-
matte In scene and situation, deep
/ feeling for the orientalism Of the
Asiatic coast. a way of his own
with picture words. This Is Harry
Hervey Fostering the Far East to de-
liver up more and more of its buried
life He tells us here about little boy
lingering an illustrated book. pic
ture stepped out before him. a picture
OF towers and terraces. And under the
picture was written "Angkor"--a word
that wheeled In his brain like brazcn
eagle" And opposite the picture COM
ing to meet him like friend were these
words: I'm the depths Of the forests
of Siam I have seen the star of evening
rise over the ruins OF Angkor." 1t was
many years after that the boy, a man
grown. set forth TO find the buried city
OF Angkor And King Cobra" Is the
story of that outfaring 1t Is the story
of the heart OF Harry Hervey seeking
It's own true sustenance from the ruins.
the jungle-buried palaces and towers
and temples of city thousands OF miles
from his own birthplace, thousands OF
leagues apart from the civilization that
claims him. Yet. never so much at
home. never so clearly in the midst OF
his own spiritual kin. Is this man as
when he Is digging into the long past OF
the Orient. The story moves like some
gorgeous barbaric pageant. Now comes
the muffIed baSso of kettle drums. One
hears the throb of marching men. the
cadenced clash of arms. II is the great
migration of the Khmers. Elephants
plunge above a sea Of jungle bearing
royal persons in all the panoply OF
state: palanouins sway in the crush
of thousands of troops The tempo
quickens. mounts wildly Again the
battles. Scream Of elephants. crash of
chariots: sweat and strain of graphing
bodies" so on and so on. This
is but legend. the ancient tale that
some battered monument reveals. But
1t Is all done over into vivid and gor-
geous life by the affinity of this mans
spirit with the story that Is before him.
He Is the story. he Is a part Of that
Older and buried day It is by the
urgency OF his own jealous kinship and
dramatic fury that the past moves so
urgently above the dull routine of the
present 1t Is quite remarkable per-
sonal experience to 60 along with the
soul OF Harry Hervey as IL draws It's
own kinships out of the buried pass of
Indo- China.
CLEARED FOR STRANGE PORTS.
BY Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt. Mrs.
Kermit Roosevelt, Richard Derby.
Kermit Roosevelt. Illustrated. New
York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
L ERMIT ROOSEVELT stands the
~ impresario OF this literary Roose-
welt travel and adventure. Explaining
the composition of the book. he says:
My mother. after number OF years
OF continuous petition. at last, during
q long voyage TO South America. wrote
The Odyssey OF Grandmother !"
Mrs. Kermit supplied the story. From
the Land Where the Elephants Are"
Richard Derby provided the two records
OF personal experience in Alaska. Ker-
nit Roosevelt gave the rest in hunting
and exploring accounts from the Far
East. Unusual happenings and expert
ences gather here in direct and simple
report from this family symposium II
Is the family SAVIOR OF the whole that
gives II unusual interest. though there
Ia clearly much of adventure In far
places TO make the book interesting
without such bulk OF personal ,mpli-
cation. Explorations are now so gen.
erai. travel books are nov so numerous,
that the reader hardly expects TO find
In them much of the strictly new,
much OF hrand-new information This
being the case. taken with the partner
ship quality OF the book In hand. one
Is tempted TO play the child's game
&hna&tmv Nf
has most completely absorbed the ex-
periences set down. has most graph
cally given out the color and tang Of
adventure, Prom the Land Where the
Elephants Are" Is a fine story. marred
I'm the eyes Of some. IL Is true, hy the
underlying purpose Of the expedition
but In Itself and upon the whole a
graphic. dramatic personal experience
nj undeniab'e interest and charm. II
Is all however. spirited revival of
travel and exploration and "b!S-ssr,s
shooting" on the part o. the Roosevelt,
family.
WAR BIRDS: Diary q. an Unknown
Aviator. Illustrated by CLAYTON
Knight New yorx; George II.
Doran Co.
AANE NIX 0t2S1 cNESe que 70 me
death Of Its author In aerial
combat, He waS shot down BY a Ger
man plane 20 miles behind the German
lines, lie vas given a deeen. burial by
The Germans and his grave was later
found by the Red Cross" Capt. Springs
siill speaking On the seventh ami
sersary OF hts death I brought out his
diary and began 10 type IL. HIS body
lies At Houpiines. near Armenticres-
hts spirit SIN haunts the pages Of his
diary" Not meant for wide eiissrseu-
tion. the diary though, through the gS>cd
ot'ices Of MIR Doraa and iis serial
printing In Liberty, Is reaching out 10
hundreds Of readers. oil Of whom are
fortunate 10 come upon personal story
of such high courage, al such flaming
youth, Of such daring ventures and
withal. of such hopeless outlook Frank
and unaxhamed the boy tells Of his
fear and hatred of the var I'm sick
While I'm waiting around all day for
the afternoon patrol think I'm going
crazy. ! keep watching the clock and
figuring how long I'm going To live. II
gives me dizzy feeling every time
hear OF the men that are gene I've
lost over a hundred friends. 81 they tell
me, but 10 me they aren't dead vet
They are Just around the corner.
think, and l'm still expecting Ia run
! INTO them any time As SOON a.
get into my plane and take Of I'm all
fIght again THAT il l feel all right