Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03

A ll1L pIOCeSSlOLl, Hail
~ hundred years long or there
"A about marches by. Presidents
4 4 from Harrison to Coolidge, with
captains and outriders in at
tendance. make up this great political
parade. In the lusty ardors for which
he is so we'll known. William Allen
White here bends himself to near and
intimate portrayal of the members of
this distinguished pageant. Having
done this, he stands of and weighs the
entire line against the quality and
manifest destiny of the great country
which 1t represents.
At one moment this man of i'm
petuous vigor separates the procession
into kings and dynasties and waiting
Warwicks as king makers, into rebel
lions and reservations and young
princes of democracy" Again, he looks
upon it as natural history and biology
-earthworm, anthropoid ape, cave man,
all brought over as enlivening Simili-
tudes of the growth of political concept
and practice as these are embodied in
the political leaders under examination.
But no matter what rhetorical fig
ures Mr.. White may use to serve his
purpose. No matter how often he
changes them. No matter if he mixes
them. The point Is that he is COM
! pletely interesting. even exciting. En-
crossed actively 10 politics all of his
producing years, grown both informed
and wise in that pursuit, trained by
the exacting school of journalism in an
appraisal of the political field from
every point of view, waywise with
words of pith and punch, of color and
clear artistry William Allen White is at
| all times an excellent means of spending
ones time.
It is to these numerous character
sketches-for in effect this is the sum
ami substance of Masks in a Pageant
that the author brings such equip
ment, one that provides complete
adequacy Of content as well as clear
delight in his work on the part of the
| reader. There Is not a single study
here from which one could not quote
with profit to every one. But, of course
that is out of the question. Familiar
with the political background from a
newspaper mans long intercourse with
| 1t, keen to the human nature of the
laborers in this field. acute In psyche
| logical reaction and its appraisal
| familiar with the run Of history through
which man has made his more or less
| speech, William Allen White has here
| produced, in seemingly light vein, a
| very substantial and useful survey OF
the political administration of thi:
| country for half century. And Is he
always right and sure in his conclu.
sions and divinations? Probably not
A man so interesting In his effects must
| become more or less enamored of effects
| and therefore seek to produce them
Mind, don't say that this man does
But he might. excusably might. How
ever that may be you will find in this
| book body of truth as the author
| sees it and as he so Justify puts 1t over
| Every time hunted him down he was
| rightr-frequently generously and tact
| fully right besides. Projected in a mooc
| serious consideration nevertheless, anC
a mighty interesting thing to read anc
think about.
| X X X
EYELIDS OF THE MORN. BY Wijnant
johnson. Illustrated by the author
New York: D. Appleton & Co.
A STORY of youth. The friendship
= Of two lads gives this matter foun-
dalton and go. Soon, however, after
no longer boys at school. Young artists
in Paris, instead-a poet and sculptor
Then. young soldiers in the great war
Then-well, that is all.
Now, the friendship between two men
young men, Is surprising theme
Nothing else in human affairs quite
comparable to it for depth and sin.
certify, for a sturdy standing by with
| out question under every circumstance
Do not older men possess the power
to sustain this friendship? Hardly
ever. And women? Oh, never. In
half million years, maybe, the women
But there Is q long and deep history
against them in this respect. How
ever
Once inside this story you realize that
it is in the hands of young man who
is going along, quietly, with this pair
sensing their moods, feeling into their
| minds with long, delicate fingers OF
sympathy and divination. The things
that boys think about, and conceal, are
here-bewildered reaches into the flu
ture, odd groupings into a past of un-
reality, yet a vivid and immediate past
to them. Places and experiences and
friendships away back beyond the
border line Of here and now unite these
two by way of broken admissions and
half-confessions. They live the school
life of a couple Of lusty lads, reaching
each other intimately only in seconds OF
special revelation. Lessons and girls
and the usual TODD of schooling time
push these boys along, naturally and
simply, to the career chosen by each,
and to the war-a particularly career
less matter in this case. Calamity!
Meanwhile, inside this story, you are
sitting by, very quietlike, for thing OF
moment Is going on here. No mistake
about 1t, an artist Is working-his theme
before him, he is shaping it into life
by way of himself, his own seizure OF
youth in its shapes and colors, by his
own frankness of disclosure, by his way
with words, poets in-seeing way that
not only puts life into the theme, a
way. also, that delivers the matter
bodily into the mind and heart of you,
sitting quietlike and looking on. This
is a first novel.
This writer is young man. He
must be. Else he couldn't have done
this thing. I'd use the word charm"
in respect to his writing power If that
word weren't already worn to rag.
I'll just say, therefore, that you have
waiting for you story Of power and
beauty upon theme of general con-
Germ. upon the subject Of youth in its
momentous urgencies and deep signifi-
cancies.
X
OTHER ARABIAN NIGHTS. BY H. I.
Katibah, A. B.. Beirut, S. T. M,
Harvard. Illustrated by w. NJ.
Berger. New York: Charles Scrib-
ner'S Sons.
WWHAT shall tell you," asked the
w old story teller, sitting in the
soft Syrian darkness, a group Of chill
dren squatted around him eager for
him to begin, "a story that Is all truth,
q story that is half truth and half lies,
or q story that Is all lies?" Tell US
story that is all lies" chorused the
children. Not imps of darkness these
young ones. Conscious rather, no doubt
as we ourselves are. of the agreeable