Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
y IDA Oil BERT MYERT
Clearer Impressions From the NezOer Books
about Public Men-7he Greece Of Today.

NegV NOUeLs.

NEIU
that Of overpopulation suddenly imposed upon
Greece, by way Of the incoming Of outsiders
equal to half of her already dense numbers.
In effect, this is, in the authors own words.
an intriguing case study" not only of the
economic result Of an exaggerated overpopula-
ton, but it is also q means for the study, in
such situation. Of both home and foreign af-
fairs The book is . projection Of Greece,
in the Stupendous changes wrought there by
the World War and the enormous economic
pressure as the most significant Of these
changes. The problems Of this situation.
named and stated each in turn, become the
immediate concern of this historian, economist.
international expert and traveller. When say
traveller mean geographer, for that is what
DR.. Mears is, as is proved by the opening
chapters of Greece Today" wherein there is
laid out bold and clear picture-map, II you
will-of this more or less vague region. Vague
by reason of the fact that to the hurried reader
old places and new, old names and new, blend
to make confusion. Here the matter becomes
clear and definite. BY way of this clear route
the reader is led from point to point N an
examination of the people and their interests.
Animated himself deeply interested, the author
brings one, almost at once. into his own mood
of putting himSelf-heart and mind and trained
intelligence-into the problems that so deeply
concern the people OF Greece today. A book
for the student. for the traveller, for the
economist OF comparative Dent, ana tOE Tie
mere reader who likes to 60 about the world
by way of the book route.
THE LEAGUE OF Discomfort BY Francis
Bleeding author of 1.-The Seven Sleepers,"
ETC. Boston: Little, Brown b Co.
A CCoRDNG to his custom In the business
Of the mystery tale, Mr.. Bleeding demands
at least more than one country for free run OF
his adventures. So, gathered here in South
ern France, are men Of strange habit. OF
obviously secret plots-preSumably, In the
fashion Of the passing hour. plots against Op-
pressive governments OF special ingenuity in
subversive dreams are these men grouped in
an old chateau, where strange doingS take
place. But, there Is no cause for real alarm
on the readers part. since Col. CRANKY IS
already pointed upon their rendezvous. armed
and equipped as the law requires. In his COM
pany to insure good measure OF detective
ability under greatly increased hazards, are
three friends. one of these Is q lady, the young
wife of one of the men. Attractive, most at
tractive. and this fits exactly into the tempera-
ment OF one of the conspirators, who is not, 1t
seems, completely engroSsed in affairs Of state,
In the overthrow OF his own government first,
and then of all the other tyrannies In exist
ence You know about how the business adj
vances-that is, you know II you know Francis
Bleeding, plus Col. CRANKY. Well, it does 1t
just that way. There are some awful moments
In the affair, but, at the last gasp. you recall
that this is but story after ail-and so you
come out of the seizure. A special point here,
. delightful point, is the background of this
adventure. The intimate views Of Southern
France-Arles. Mines, Point du Gard, AVignon,
each brought out in some familiar mood, some
endearing mood-theSe give . lovely bloom TO
that which is pretty dour business in the way
OF criminal bent and achievement.
INK: Novel BY John c. Mellett. In
dianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co.
PRHTERs link" and the story of q news
paper We admit, in somewhat casual
agreement that the newspaper is one Of the
greatest Of modern institutions; that II it,
suddenly and generally, ceased TO exist, the
world itself would come TO definite pause. Few
Of us, however, have any fair sense of the
newspaper Is q daily drama Of exceeding in
tricacy In plot and character, in policy and
sustained progress toward some distinct and
cumulative issue lying far in the future. It is
this drama Of the press that John Mellett pro-
jects through the medium of link" small
paper concerned chiefly with carrying reports
Of definite usefulness to the not overlarge
community around it--business reports, imam
cial ofacial, civic projects and the like-such
a paper becomes the leading character in this
story. Behind 1t, as its motivating force Is
young man whose notion about this paper of
his is ito tell the news" Sounds easy and
you'd think this bright and determined red
head" had slipped into q fair and open job
Try it. The trying out of this "open-and-
above board" plan makes a story which is In
effect a parable whose substance runs to the
tune of that ancient camel trying to make It's
way through the needles eye" seemingly
defunct street-car system, program of city
building a conspiracy of bootleggers, an en-
feebled police department. a high civic spirit
embodied in banker and magnate of parti-
colored benevolence, welfare workers, Kiwaninas
and Rotarians-indeed the whole how-d'ye-do