Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-17
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
/. G.. NJ.


ard-McCann, Inc.
A week ago last Sunday. on March 8,
a general and spontaneous birthday
celebration paid tribute to the achieve
ments and character of Justice Holmes
of the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Stepping out promptly to meet that
occasion, to take part in 1t, came mr..
Justice Holmes" from the house OF
CowardMcCann. An act OF partaking
calculated to add the permanency Of
book form to the swifter passing OF
oral eulogy or daily press report.
Assembled in this volume are dozen
addresses, or thereabout, gathered out
of the past 10 years when, upon one
occasion or another, the work of JUS
tice Oliver Wendell Holmes took on a
deep significance by virtue of its judi
cial acumen and integrity applied to
public concerns, by virtue also of its
scope and point of vision, OF its .vigor
and spirit, of the Immediately current
quality of its analysis and interpreta-
ton and decision.
These addresses are drawn, in the
main, from periodicals all OF high
standing. 1.-THE New Republic" 'Har-
ward Law Review and other publica-
lions of comparable excellence. They
represent the opinions of profess
sional men of the law, Of students
and investigators, of writer's notable in
the field of public affairs. John Dewey,
walter Iipprnann, Felix Frankfurter rep
resent the general rank OF these con-
tributors to the study of Justice Holmes.
The book, in sum, is Of Geographic ef-
feet. Twenty years on the Supreme
Judicial Court of Massachusetts and
30 wears in Washington cover half
century of vigorous living for this man,
living in the ways Of public service
throughout.
I'm the spirit and energy Of his mind
he is the Youngest member of the Su-
preme Court" says one. And the mod
ern philosopher, John Dewey, says:
Il do not doubt that the day viii come
when the principles set forth by JUS
tice Holmes, even in minority dissent,
will be accepted commonplace, and
when the result of his own teachings
will afford an illustration Of the justice
of his faith in the power OF ideas. When
that day comes, the spirit OF Justice
Holmes will be the first to remind us
that life is still going on, Is still an
experiment, and that then, as now, to
repose on any formula is to invite
death."-The conclusion of John DeWeys
study of Justice Holmes and the LID
eral Mind"
TT is fitting" says Coward-McCann,
chat on his ninetieth birthday some
special mark of respect should be paid
him, and we take pleasure in publishing
Mr.. Justice Holmes" son of ia
NOUS father, he has achieved his own
world fame, although austerely abJur-
ing all the worldly ways by which fame
is sought"-and so let us gather him in
to ourselves at this beautiful pause.
u
GEORGE WASHINGTON ALNIANACK.
1882 1882. Bicentennial Edition.
Washington Columbia Printing Co..
Inc.
In no time now boys and girls all over
the country will be spending O. let OF
time in the company Of George WASH
ingtcn.
For next year the big birthday cele-
bration is to come of, the 200th birth
day anniversary of that great man.
And. being good Americans, the young
folks want to take part In the affairs,
now planning, to do him honor. Out
of the zeal of host of good teachers
and out OF the fair intent of many
writer, the boys and girls already know
much about Washington. Even so, ne
is still a shade off, little unreal, not
quite like themselves. 1t Is important
to bring the great man nearer while
we are Young, and Soft-like wet clay,
workable and receiving OF beauty ana
worth and high outlook and fine actions.
Just now I can think Of nothing bet
ter fitted to suit that neXt-year event
than George Washington Almanack.D
Better suited to the school children,
mean, in their getting ready to have
part in it. First, this is little book
cheap. too-ready to the hand OF every
student of the matter on foot. Easy to
carry about, maybe on Saturday, when
"saeing Washington" or going to Mount
Vernon" 1t is a beautifully pictured
booklet. Some artist did that work, the
six points that here surround George
Washington with things he really did
or with dreams Of his that have since
come true.
And the reading is of the best, init
mate talks and simple topics in which
all have an interest. Washington was,
obviously, concerned about boys, in
what they were to do little later and
in how they were to get ready for that
doing. He, himself, liked farming,
really. He told a lot of things about
how to make farm stuff grow. He had
a way of keeping his accounts, way
for any boy to follow in good humor,
learning a useful business habit along
the way. He had clear ideas about
education and they sound very much
alive. as If he we're telling about 1t right
now
A very attractive little book, made by
knowing people. 1t rounds up about all
that one needs to know of Washington,
at the start anyway. From it we come
upon a real person, one interested In
the things about which we have con-
Germ today. Keen to the well-being OF
the country just as we, big and little,
old and young, are today. Not so big
a country in his time, but Just as dear.
lust as well worth the best that every
one has in him. Toward the end or
the book are permanently useful items
"a time table of WaShington's life,
covering every important event in 1t,
his farewell address. Some of his
Let us hurry up to get one OF these
"Almanacks" and get to the interest
ing business of coming upon George
washington in a way that is both de-
pendable and enjoyable. Then, next
wear. when the big celebration is on
we shall be all ready to go along taking
a real part in it.
x y *
Just a word: wonder If we quite
realize our debt to the leagues and
guilds" set up for the use OF readers
who. but for these organizations, would
be buried under books with no prospect
of deliverance 1t is the business Of
these organized groups to dig out from
the overgrowth of books. and books,
and books certain ones that promise to
be worth the while of readers It is
move of good business, but, somehow.
there is a subtle reluctance on the
part Of the reading public to have
book choice made for them. Except
when "everybody's reading it," then
the rush becomes tremendous, regard
less of the competancy-generall the
incompetency-of this everybody" to
pass Judgment upon any sort of print.
One would like to say word here