Evening star., 1930-12-16
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. G. M.

L II
MAY IT PLEASE THE COURT. James
N. Beck, LII D., D. Lit Edited by
o. r. MCGUIRE of the Virginia bar.
Atlanta: The Harrison Co.
Within recent years knowledge Of
every kind has been compelled to change
its bearing, to modify its ways Of app
proach. This, In order to keep itself
alive and responsive to the demands of
strikingly new situation. No longer
does the fresh blood Of more and deeper
learning serve. This must be fused with
new order Of public mind by way Of
simple and direct contacts with It.
Times have greatly changed In this
respect. Even to this day we can re-
member the yet cryptic character of
of the cloistered scholar rs well. The
growth Of democracy has changed this.
The rise of the people as q whole to
partaling in public affairs has created
the need for learning of every sort to
make itself ineligible as useful direct
ing fact for the new man, the new aver
age man.
stepping out In ready response to the
call. The modern geologist or chemist,
or other whatnot Of the wizardry of sci-
ence, is telling his story as high adven-
tlIre OF quite communicable brand. The
doctor Is doing this too-doctor, lawyer,
merchant, priest. All Of them telling
the great epic Of modern life in q gJlsto
and straight drive Of fact that sums to
an enormous institution Of public edU-
cation. Incidentally, these, too, are in
many instances showing writer's q new
art of literature.
However, that Is all general. Here
Is case In point: ] have in hand q
book Of addresses that have been gath
cred out Of store of these from the
active professional life Of James M.
Beck-lawyer, writer. Solicitor General
OF the United States, honorary bencher
OF Grays 1nn," all these in turn, and
now James M. Beck, member of Com
greSs OF the United States.
THESE addresses, IL in all, are sourced
In variety Of occasions, celebrative or
commemorative In purpose. They come
together here in the unity Of their com.
mon content. This bond Of union IA
some engagement with the law, that
most fundamental Of modern institu-
tions.
Generally historical in its first divi-
sion, the second part of the study IL
gwen over to specific arguments upon
general vital matters that have within
recent years involved the country itself
IN controversies Of vital claim and
counterclaim.
Having read. or studied a book Of
serious purpose and Of sound substance
Ia meeting such good intent, involun-
Whose book Is this?" who win draw
from 1t the response to his Conscious
need?" 1t seems to me that in its
second part this book Is for the lIse
OF the lawyer himself. Quite az much
700, Tor the use Of the ambitious and
eager law student. Here Is q BODY Of
argument, as such, upon immediate
WAL concerns for the country AS q
wnoie: : Current interests-"The Revolt
Securities Case Control of Trusts. .
The Constitutional Right Of the SEN
ate TO Exclude a Senator -elect," '"The
Flexible Tariff" in its relation TO the
Constitution-all current subjects. SO to
speak. AL within the public mind at
the passing moment. All removed from
tne press OF nervous agitation into the
cooi alnance OF the case and the law
working together, Very clear work.
IN reading, you may dissent. You NAV
not. But II you do, IL will not be from
any involved unclarity on the part of
The first part Of his book belongs.
without disclaimer, to each OF IIa' IN
this largely historical survey of the law.
Two definite reviyals stand out-the
supreme Court and the Constitution.
Xes, know. We pretend to know them
Doth. Maybe we think we do. Did we
not know the second of these. word for
WORD? We did. We know other rit-
ualisttc forms word by word-yet we do
not love out neighbor half as well az we
love ourselves. We still bear false wit
ness, upon occasion. We still-welI. no
mater; what I am saying is that in
TINS historic overlooking of the hlnda-
mental law OF the land James Beck has
stance, with its active Cooperation IN
this immediate situation and that one.
In other words, the Constitution comes
alive, goes to work, is no longer q name.
mere relic, part of the Venerated In.
cunaDula OF our beginnings. And am I
trying to say that nobody else has es-
sayed In this laudable enterprise of put
ting heart and liver and gizzard into
tne great document? No, I'm not say
nobody" or somebody. I'm irving to
tell you that James Beck has done this.
Inc supreme Court In It's clear rela-
ton TO the Constitution itself stands
mere, sometimes menaced, sometimes
misunderstood-bu here it Is In its
original character as interpreter and
defender. Readable, quite readable, /
osSuAe Sou' 70 even the average me and
The book sounds quite like learning
III admit. 1t Is that. It has A cast AZ
the technical and exclusive also. It has
tnat cast, mollifled and ameliorated by
the personal element Of the author him
self. Moreover, If 1t were really unap-
proachable, 1t Is, after all, our particiI-
lar business, our immediate concern.
Inc author has lighter moments
tnan those about which we have been
talking. Not really light, you know,
but clear easements, nevertheless. He
goes back, telling us how the LAWYERS
worked and played in Tudor DAYS. He
draws q warmly delightful picture of
Gfay's Inn Hall, London, as part Of
that old story Of the law. As master
OF the bench Of Gray's Inn, MIR. Beck
has Q special interest there. SO he
tells its history as one Of the active
Coming home, here Is fine tribute to
Elihu Root, our own great statesman
and great lawyer. Here Is the story
OF Beaumarchais, Of his givinp-and
our torgetting-in the Revolutionary
days. am mentioning these TOPICS
because they give to the book a dis
tinctive flavor OF romance, Of adven-
ture: They bear witness that this
master Of law and logic has, besides,
= oSl oAt VI 1SSnnS ana CnOugnt tnat,
maybe. law alone and logic alone-or
even the two together alone-do not
entirely I'LL and round to his utter
most. However, in plain speaking.
here is a book Of quality for special
student and intelligent general reader
to take into the house Of his mind and
heart.
X
MOUNT VERNON. BY Minnie Kendall
Lowther. author of Arlington" etc.
Philadelphia: The John G. Win
ston Co.
r story Of Mount Vernon always Is