Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-17
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C.. NJ.
OIL Upton Sinclair. Albert e. Charles

L
OIL Upton Sinclair. Albert e. Charles
Boni.
The long story ends like this: "They
may grow UP to be happier, IL men can
find some way to chain the black and
cruel demon which killed Ruth Wat
kins and her brother-yes, and Dad
also: an evil power which roams the
earth, Gripping the bodies OF men and
women, and Turing nations TO destruc-
ton by visions OF unearned wealth, and
the opportunity to enslase and exploit
labor"
The story itself from the first word
moves straight forward toward the
ultimate pronOuncement already given.
1t is, therefore. by intent. a concrete
demonstration OF the economic injustice
that permits the wealth of the world
to collect In the hands of the few, while
an Overwhelming majority live below the
level OF bare security and far below the
level OF any degree of freedom and COM
fort. "Unearned wealth" is the familiar
war-cry OF Upton Sinclair and those of
like mind with him The free largeSs
of the carth--0il, coal, water, land even,
like sun and air--belongS in equal meas
ure to all. Or. so these say. It Is labor
itself-the hard hand Of toll. the bent
back of the burden bearer, the aching
and wearied muscles of the Workingman
that converts this natural wealth TO
the thOuSandSdaily uses of man. There
fore. as straight across as the clear
logic of the matter can send it. do the
rewards OF such tremendous industry
belong TO the lsborer What are the
facts? The facts are that the working
men are but the tools of the tremendous
enterprises that center upon the natural
resources of the earth. These are but
pick and hammer and spade, but wheel
and pulley and the other whatnot of
material production. with just about
enough OF reward to keep them keen
and sharp--as tools should be AS
matter of actually. ii is the few who
draw so abundantly from the earth's
treasure chest. 1t is these who organize
and plan. who find the wherewithal
who direct the great movements and.
finally. who gather in the rewards. Such
a system. II 1t be a system. Is fraught
with every sort Of economic. social.
labor. the actual producer. by way of
want and discomfort it reacts. finally
in a general deterioration Of the leaders
themselves. the money holders. till the
whole world Is facing the sinister gen.
eral corruption. Such. in the rough. Is
about the substance Of Upton Sinclair's
theory as this steps out in the clear
drama Of oil"
But there are others who. looking out
upon the same situation maintain that
the laborer is not all nor even the
greater of the two chief factors in the
industrial complex They do not hold
with Sinclair and his kind in this re-
spect. 1t is. these say. the man OF
vision and executive power who holds
prime place in the world OF industry.
1t is the man who sees the signs of
the earth's promise. who follows them
with means and measures for their sue
cesSful and triumphant delivery into
the common current OF daily uses: 1t
Is the man who can organize and ad-
minister the armies of production. the
man who knows his fellow men and can
lead them where he desires them 10
go. 1t Is the man who. before the
first spade strikes the soil. sees the fin
ished product administering TO the
wants of the world. But for the man
Of this sort. these say. the earth would
not yet have been scratched for its
oil and coal and precious metals. No
railways would have spanned the con-
tinent for the delivery of products, no
cities and towns. like bright beads upon
q string. would have bound the land
together in human companionShip and
enterprise. But for them armies of
laborers would yet have been anguish
ing for the labor that. as the world
runs. often turns the nottingham Of
today into the rich man OF only
few years ago This is. in the main.
together. however in a plain anxiety
over the effect Of wealth upon the fiber
OF It's poSSeSsor. upon his character and
outlook. An odd business. the effect
OF wealth upon the one holding IT, He
may BE- selfish. cruel. hard hearted as
he IL often said to be. But, let poor
man In the opposite ranks come by q
turn OF fate into fortune. and. In no
time at all. he. too becomes. by re-
pute. as unworthy rs the other A
queer business, that OF owning money.
Wealth appears 10 have affinitieS for
certain pockets. and /! an even distri-
button were once made. In no tin,~ a,
all these particular pockets would be
running over and others would have
reverted to their chronic state OF emp
uneSs. So, the distribution OF wealth.
panaceA OF certain reiormerS. cuts no
figure at all as an effective plan for
any economic and social ameliora,icn.
To get hack to Upton Sinclair and
"oil!" A novel coming appropriately
under the familiar designation OF
timely" Industry Is an uppermoSt
theme. and the oil industry ~ the mo-
meut stands well NJ the top OF the
list. In recent aspects OF the business
IL might have been made for the ex-
press purpose OF Upton Sinclair. social
reformer. OF course it VAS not,
Rather did 1t play into his hand and
he closed upon IL, Southern California
backs the story and into this setting
the author has poured an appreciaiive
recognition OF the peculiar quality and
charm OF the region itself While the
author. In explanatory mood declares
this Is TO be the story OF oil" he
has included many outlying interests
as q part Of the central consideration,
The moving picture industry with its
stars and producers brlShtenS the dalier
features OF labor troubles by way Of
strikes and professional trouble max
ers. An odd and grotesaue brand ~
religion objeetiteS itself IN curious
blend OF hypocrisy and selt-delusion OH
the part OF It's exponent. The plain
neighborhood moves about In the FASH
ION OF country localities everywhere
With these the author deals Ill good
picture making. In good hun,ur. III
genuine humor itself They all stand
together. however. as second fiddle I'm
the grand chorus OF the oil boom. sngi-
neered by J, Arnold Ross. oil king, and
promoter. Meeting J. Arnold Ross YOU
have met Dad" Dad and Bunny are.
by all odds the great features In what
many people are likely 10 call . truly
great story, Dad Is Runny'S father and
II. anywhere. YOU can find a more en-
joyable. eompanionable. eeautt ful
father land son business, we'd all like
to hear about IT, J. Arnold Ross Is q
great flgure dead wrong. according
10 Sinclair. but even this author hadn't