Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06


by holding to certain turns of phrase CT to
other personal modes of direct communication,
this happy face-to-face meeting has been
achieved.
At Green Acre. Maine, was held the first
session of the Institute of World Unity. Its
sgSt lecture course was given by Mr.. Gibbons
on the subject indicated by the title Of this
book World brotherhood appears to be the
goal sought by the World Unity Foundation.
Reasoning, plausbly. that knowledge is the
first step toward such issue, that acquaintance
is q step in the direction Of brotherhood, the
foundation sought the beginning of such an
advance by way of the historic equipment OF
Herbert Adams Gibbons. Knowing this writer,
and having read this particular book. you are
bound to agree to the sagacity of this move.
The study follows a clean course from dynastic
politics of the past into those more natural
alliances of blood neghborhood that, in the
course of time, produced the nationalism under
which We ourselves live and with which we
have, at least. a surface acquaintance. The
bulk of the six lectures is devoted to the
many lines of influence, the varied forms Of
advance, under which nationalism made its
way out from the old dynasty idea. Surprise
after surprise waits for you at this point in
the work. One-not the first, but perhaps the
most striking-is that the French Revolution
was the starting point of this new political
concept Another is that the great Napoleon,
more than any other statesman, contributed TO
this nationalStic idea Read this topic as Mr..
Gibbons presents it. No greater Illumination of
this historic growth could possibly come your
way than the one that he here turns upon that
stage of world growth. Many many times you
viii stop, merely to ask, without hoping for
answer Just why such full knowledge of his
tory, such ripely seasoned views, such ease and
confidence in the field of mans growth-why all
this could not come to students everywhere, In
place of the SapeSS routine of events that are
passed out to minds that are in the making
and that, therefore, need just the wisdom that
o man like this one has for them. However,
the discussion goes on, naturally toward in
ternationaliSm, which the author projects in
the same spirit as that in which he deals with
nationalism. But toward a dissimilar end.
II the dynaStic form gradually passed into the
idea and fact of nationaliSm, then OF course,
in the long ages of development that are to
come it, too, will move on into International
ism. Then, says the world unity advocate
Brotherhood will have perfected itself and
world peace will follow, as the night the day.
Not at all, says Mr.. Gibbons as he gives the
reasons-going back for examples and proofs
to the family itself-why there viii be an in
ternationalism even when nationaliSm has
reached its highest point Of development. So,
while the lectures must have enriched the lis
tenerS at the Green Acre school, just as they
are bound to enrich the reader everywhere,
the goal of world brotherhood is far away-so
far as to be unrealizable in any conceivable
future. That is not the point to general read
ers. The point is that right in hand is an il
Illuminating study of history, important in
theme, rich in projection, by the most dis
tinguShed, and at the same time most useful
Historian in the United States or anywhere
else. Extravagant? You read all that he has
written on history and it's allied subjects. You
can then answer the question yourself.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW. By Henry
James, Introduction by Haywood Broun.
New York: The Modern Library.
HAVE you read it? If you acknowledge the
art of Henry James and love it as well,
you have read THE Turn Of the Screw" one
Of the greatest of ghost stories, certainly the
most gruesome Of them all. For some reason,
or no reason, !, like Broun, had not read this
James story. Now have read it. How often
do We hear, II simply couldn't let that book
alone" I've said it and so have you While
meant TO be truthful in such statement, and
thought was, not until this uncanny tale came
my way did I really know what a complete
thrall was. I knew then-and still do, when,
like a hypnotic I return again and again to
the spell of it, Let Haywood Broun tell you
how il felt to him. He also was late in read
ing it: For two or three days after it came
would not even open the parcel. I knew per-
fectly well what was going to happen to me
that would wake up staring in the darkness
of the night, seeing the baleful eyes of the
butler at my window, watching the covering
figures of children in the shadowy corners of
my room, bound helpleSsly in the spell of this
man James. whose piratical hold over other
mems imaginations I could do nothing what
ever against. 1 opened the book, read little
of it, then little more and, of course, finished
it in precisely the hideous thralldom that had
been its authors wicked purpose" He tells
more of the special horrors brought upon him
by the unholy art of Henry James in passing
invented horrors over into the readers actual
ity of impression and effect. 1t is the stealing,
pausing, brooding suspense, think, that holds
cOmnletely at the of thee