Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25

meant this to be an inferior race, crc-
ating 1t for the service OF the lords Of
life, the white people. It points next
upon DR.. MotOns own knowledge OF
the Negro. upon which he has built
this intimate and open study, the out
growth of his own. leadership as head
OF Tuskegee Institute. Obviously the
first of these two uses of the statement
Is worthless. THE second only Is OF
moment in this consideration. The
prime requisite for the reader OF this
book Is an open mind. If you do not
chance to be fortunate In this respect,
let the book pass. At the outset one
must grant that the American Negro
in the short span of his freedom has
made q clearly phenomenal advance.
But go years ago he had no existence
save as a thing to be bought and sold,
like other chattels. Today here Is
free people taking no small part In the
common life as laborers, professionals,
experts, as responsible citizens In the
family, the church, the various organi-
cations bent upon general wellbeing.
Giving such recognition to the plain
facts, We are now ready to go along
ton We are able to make fair estimate
Of the place of the Negro in every field
Of public activity. When the author Is
talking of the Negro himself, Of his
feelings toward his own progress, Of
his feelings toward the white people.
there is no question as to the accuracy
Of his observations, as to the sympathy
of his approach, as to the value Of his
decisions. When, however, he steps out
in an effort to make similar entrance
into the mind Of the white man con-
corning the Negro-his powers and
rights and performances-why, then
there will be no lack of denial on the
part of those so brought to Judgment.
However, this Is not the essential pur-
pose of the study. That, clearly. is to
open the way for better understandings
by giving from the standpoint OF the
Negro some of the intimate sources Of
feeling and thinking that engender the
behaviorS of these people, that account
for their ambitions, that explain them
to more or less uncomprehending and
more privileged race. Both interest
ing and Immediately useful Is this way
wise, fair minded study of the Negro
In his advance toward substantial and
clearly contributive citizenship.
~ 49,
LITTLE CAESAR. BY w. R. Burnett.
New York: The Dial Press.
p EDUCED In scale almost to the
~ vanishing point itself. yet, never
theless, this little Caesar Is clearly
of the tribe of Julius. Napoleon, VIII
liam II, Mussolini. To be sure. the
usurpation Of this small conqueror eey-
ers no world reach, as did theirs. Moth
ing more, indeed, than one Little Italy
on the north side of Chicago falls into
the hands of this modern Caesar. Yet
here is just the same self-love as In
f1ated those bigger lords of life, just the
same ambition, the same usurpations
and tyrannies. The story Is primer
of the growth OF lust for power. In
sum it Is the chronicle of the rise OF
Rico-Cesare Bandello-upon the ruin
of his chief. Sam Vettori-a ruin care
fully planned and brought to issue by
Rico himself. It is very colorful bust
ness this, that so absorbed the heart OF
Rico and the gang. Murder easy. muir
der; thsfts big or little as Providence
permitted. and every other lawlessness
suited to the dignity and defines Of
the band provides the action through
which Rico rose to leadership. But
nothing, not even Caesar. can go up
forever. The laws of nature and OF
life are against II. In time there must
be a descent comparable to the dis
lance and to the velocity acquired IN
the upward sweep. So 1t was with
real as plain fact itself this novel
stands. AS swift as the speediest drama
can demand. AS colerful as the garish
hues of a sun-baked Mediterranean
port of Africa, as brutal as bullflght,
as human as passionate life itself Is.
as vengeful and vindictire as hot blood
is likely to be. All of this Is IN the
story Of Rico, little Caesar. Yet 1t has
no flowers of speech, no immoderate
gestures Rather is 1t blunt story.
saving of material, leaving much to sus-
pension and pause-then forward again
in terse to-do with the hazard of
crime and its concealment. A very un-
usual power in the use Of material Is
manifest Economy. order. progression
combine here to produce most ORA
matte story. made. from one of the
many aetualities of life In this amaz-
ing present. A first novel. 1t seems. a
brilliant promise for other novels by
this author.
GOOD GEsTEs. BY Percival Chris
topher Wren, author of Beau
Geste." etc. New York: Frederick
A. Stokes Company.
REAU GESTE and his brothers can
~ already beast q longer life than
commonly falls to the lot of story folks.
Three full size novels have they sus-
tanned with so great gusto that the
French Foreign Legion ls 10 tHousdaos
of readers a vivid and picturesque aetu-
atty. Now for good measure, to the
deserving of the three Gestes. Maj.
Wren draws off from their various fields
of service with the legion o round
dozen of adventures wherein miracles
come to pass and the devil hlmset
takes part, wherein presentiments de-
liver their goods and dreams walk out
into the wide daylight of indisputable
fact. Whatever the situation and the
demand, believable or not. there are
the Gestes-Jehn and Wigby and Beau
living UP to the gallantry and square
maniiness that have so endeared them
to readers. Humor runs along beside
daring and danger here. Everyday
happenings merge into situations that
bulge with Iazard-and escape. Bright
colors wrap the desert sands In every
hue of reckless undertakings and GER
tain triumph. Just q group OF stories
woven around Beau and Digby and
~