Evening star., 1930-05-04

" pom It's surface CnaS Is y story, an
epic of the World War gathered out
of the military service Of Smith
and his comrades. Underneath the
true adventure Of personal partak-
ing in the conflict, the book reveals another
character. Here it becomes o survey of the
wide field of war, with appraisals. expert and
waywise, of one or another outstanding phase
of the struggle in its tally with the direct pur-
pose and design of each. Understand, this two
fold content of the novel Is, in the end, its most
valuable and Illuminating feature. The expert
ences of Smith make a swift and vivid tale OF
wartime, of war in actual daily progress The
underlying views and opinions throw up to this
surface action in many q vital moment OF prob
lem and exigency. It is most interesting to
come into possession Of the fact that Col. Jen-
nings Wise is, perhaps. better fitted TO give just
this twofold projection, the picture above and
its high-liehting from below. than any other
writer who has, SO far conae into the open with
war writing. When the World War began he
was already soldier. He had written books
On military history and tactics. He had been
Instructor in a military institution. Then the
war, and the choice of Col Wise to be of the
Roosevelt contingent seeking to 90 across. You
know what happened to that plan. Determined
to go at any cost. at any sacrifice OF mere
personal status, Jennings Wise went into
training camp, served under men whom he had
taught-bent by hook or by crook to have o
part in the great war adventure. So he did 60
across. So he did become. first. the fighting
man, and then the commander within the SOth
Division of the American forces. It Is from
such twofold point Of advantage that Col Wise
delivers, first q fine s0ldierly adventure, and
second q body of seasoned military opinion
upon the facts of the Great War, opinion that
Is sure to gain attention from the only levels
where attention upon the subject can count.
saThe Great Crusade" is receiving enthusiastic
notice from men in the Army and the Navy,
from officers and men i'm these two allied In
stitutions. The book must. therefore. hold good
substance for these specialists In the art OF
warfare. The spirit of the book is noteworthy.
1t contains much that will be construed as
criticism It is criticism. 1t Is challenge to
waste, disorder lack of foresight. lack of readi-
ness unsoldierly behavior at q level where the
individual is in honor bound to be, not one
man NOR one commander. but his country as
whole instead. All this, effectively set out In
date and circumstance, and in the most un-
fortunate Of its immediate effects. Is here. ms
part OF the big book appeals to the common
business sense of running an Army. no less
than Of running a commercial enterprise. But.
Whatever Col Wise has to say In the way OF
expert appraisal and suggested methods OF
betterment, there Is never q shade Of passion
I'm these surveys and Recommendations.
most considerate writer on o theme that breeds
the hot word In everybody. very gentle man
where the rough hand might be expected
And, don't forget. a prime story teller rs we'll
What about the name? I think 1t refers 70
the large spirit animating Americas partici-
patton in the world conf1ict-"the war to end
war" peace without victory" making the
world safe for democracy and such other
sonorous utteranceS that in that day were like
the voice of prophecy. like the voice OF God,
even. No. no, the book leaves the matter with
the war itself It does not extend to any later
sunmatiens. That would not have done. This
a. Q wise man as well as o true soldier and
kifted writer. One of the big books Of the war.
One Of the most considerable.
THE WILDERNESS OF DENALL BY Charles
Sheldon. Introduction by C. Hart Merriam,
M D., Smithsonian Institution. Illustrated.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
RY one Of his colleagues in science Charles
Sheldon has been called "our most famous
big game hunter" OF him. DR.. Hart Merriam
also says: Among the hunter -naturalists of
America Charles Sheldon occupied unique
position. Choosing his hunting grounds in
some Of the most remote and inaccessible parts
Of the continent; possessed of physical strength
and endurance almost beyond belief, Of un-
bounded enthusiasm. Of powers of observation
second to none. and endowed with q conscience
intolerant of exaggeration, the accounts of his
hunts abound in vivid descriptions of localities
not previously explored while his circumstantial
studies of the habits Of animals rank among the
most valuable of the contributions thus far
made to the life histories of many species
particularly the mountain sheep, caribou, moose,
grizzly bear and wolverine" This. the opening
paragraph Of DR.. Merriams introduction to
1.-THE wilderness of Denali." points upon the
scope and substance of the book itself, gives
warrant to readers interested In the subject
that here is a body Of information against
which there can be no faint cast even of un-
reliability.
Denah is the Indian name for Mount McKin-
ley. This fact indicates broadly, the region
with which the record itself has to do. The
rariyrnarv uurnose of Mr. SheIdonS uersonal nm
dertaking was to study the white sheep the
Dali sheep of Alaska. Quite as a matter Of
course from this primary design the experiences
Of the hunter ramified in many directions,