Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-19

Van Nostrand Co.
ND the Lord God formed
" man of the dust Of the
"A ground" So the record of
\ Genesis runs. To this pro-
nouncement Of Revelation
modern science has given literal sig
niicance Sourced in multitude Of
demonstrations that man AS pro-
gressive being is truly OF the soil. upon
which he subsists or perishes. The
| Human Habitat" offers concrete evil
dence of this great historic fact. Here
! Is example of the new geography, that
inclusive science which covers not only
the earth itself but all that the earth
has produced in the way of Elephant,
animal. human life. Here Is A study
of soil and climate. of physical environ
nent. as the paramount force, repres-
Sive or expansive, of civilization and
human progress. From the four cor
ners of the earth the author draws ma
terisl in support of the thesis that man
is indubitably of ''the dust OF the
ground" Moving pictures pass before
the reader. pictures OF many peoples,
all OF whom are measured in their ad-
Vancement by the largess or poverty OF
their natural resources. Here are
desert tribes and polar groups, varying
supreme fact that they are that which
their climate and their soil declared
that they must be- The studies ad-
vance into the more favoring circum-
stances OF earth TO show why and how
the progress of these regions Is OF
soiinder substance OF greater scope, OF
more promising outlook than can be
the case In quarters where earth itself
sets narrow limit.
This study In the new geography is
In effect study of progress which Mr..
Huntington defined AS the increasing
ability to dominate the forces OF ma
ture." 1t is under such Interpretation
of progress that this informing and
deeply interesting survey OF peoples is
projected and amplified in respect to
the causes OF their advance or retro
9ression.
A long call between this view OF
geography and the one that has so
| long held attention. This, alive ana
dramatic, an adventure In scientlnc
handling and Interpretation, where the
other was a wooden Gathering OF place
names and confusion Of unrelated
statements. Research associate IN
| geoRra ply at Yale, Mr.. huntington
brings to this work the investigating
mind, the spirit Of hunting down the
truth. the modern zeal for an interest
Ing medium for the vital facts OF human
life in It's natural Surroundings An
important study. as 1t is individually a
most engrossine one.
BIRDS AND BEASTS OF THE Ro-
MAN ZOO. BY TIL Knottnerus-
Never. Translated by Bernard
Miall. New York: The Century Co.
THE Roman Zoo is. one takes it. much
| like any other zoo--like our own
| here in Washington. for instance. save
for certain classic connotations that the
Roman institution holds. Whether
| Roman or American or whatnot. the
200 is place of fascination to youth
of all ages. Some sort Of kinship.
clearly. between the man animal and
| these others An enviable person IN
MANY ways Is the man who lives day
by day with these creatures, getting into
their ways OF thinking and feeling and
behaving. The book in hand is the
book of man who for many years
had charge of the ZOO at Rome. 1t Is
out of such experience that these stories
are made Friendly stories as free from
senttmentaltty as they are from the
assumption that these are greatly in
doteS 90 along together here In DEM
onstration that, within their sphere of
thought and desire. there is not so i'm
passable a bridge between them and
man as is generally declared First,
there are tales about our next of kin.
/ the monkeys. Then lions and tigers
and bears come forward with their I'M
derstandable. and reasonable, ways of
looking out upon the situation, A book
Of packed information and one of
equally substantial interest. Naturally.
the whole picture brings up the question
that never gets an answer--titat is.
whether such captivity pays for the
scattered and scanty lessons in zoology
! that these institutions provide The
author Is himself interesting from the
fact that as little boy his absorbing
passion was for animals And here
grown man. he is still following that
urge. Not often does life turn out this
way. There is evidence here. in plenty
that this work is chosen one. and not
that of fortuitous acceptance What
IN the effect OF such book really. on
the boys and girls that read it, In
formation Oh. certainly. But what
does 1t do TO their feelings on the sub
lectP | wonder, 1t ought to do great
deal and In the right direction.
-
WHILE THE GODS GRINNED Rv
John Hastings Turner. author OF
The Lilies of the Field" etc. New
York: c. p Putnams Sons.
IT is the Workman, after all, that
counts. The material really doesn't
matter, AT least that is what YOU will
be likely to say after reading this story
II Is the story OF a girl. When YOU
come upon her first there she Is. a w!rv
bit OF a thing, fighting bov on a
rubbish heap. she licked him, too in
regular man fashion This Girl il the
story. There is nothing Else 10 1t. except
a nlonstrous ogre whose name is Life,
his heart Allied with sinister ennitv for
this slip OF humanity his hands bear
ing down upon her in every sort of
aidront and abuse. Nohodys child.
though claimed by a clever old make
believe as his daughter TO keep his
shoes black and his sausage warmed.
Then the good people came to the res
cue, sending. Fay Wynchbec-~that is
her name--off to France to be trained
In convent She ran away. She
would. BY canal route and i'm the com
pany OF rough men she finally landed
on the English coast After this the
story partakes of the Cinderella stripe
Adoption, claimed relationship. and the
rest OF 1t. That does not matter. What
does matter IL that here, coming out
to meet you and me, il one al the most
valiant and gallant figures that ever
stepped out of a story, that ever walked
alone the highway Of life that seems
to be all cruel. at least all cruel for this
child, Straight Houest9 Both of
these clear through Is this little girl
and this growing older girl. Nothing
10 make child of here. exeept the
ortS and odds of want and loneliness
and r~care But what a child she is
In this heroic story there Is not n line.
not word of fnawkishness or OF un-
truth. Instead here she liz with every
thing against her. except her valiant
soul and her straight feeling for doing