Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-29

purpose or method of achievement in potenti-
alitieS of worldwide effect. We know too little
about it. Save for casual press reports. save
for too positive opinions in favor of the plan
or against it by clearly partisan minds, not
much is known about the real nature of the
project known as THE Five-Year Plan" Not
much about the logic of the purpose that is
backing it. Not much about the status of it
today. nor of the actual means that are being
employed in Russia to create this new indus
trial state. To know more soouS it is the first
step required by Americans, by people the world
over. A common trouble is that the public be-
gins to talk without facts, to agitate without
information.
Father Walsh offers by way of 1.-THE Last
Stand" a survey of what is going on in Russia,
interpreting various aspects of the movement
according to the history of Russia, to its eco
nomic condition, to its social rights, to the
quality of its leaders, to the help or hindrance
being accorded 1t from the world outside and
10 its general concord with the aims and aSpira-
tions of progressive nations everywhere.
The survey is one that Father Walsh spent
years in Russia to secure, spent time wherever
material bearing upon the great project could
be found at hrSt-hand and of unaSSailable au-
thority. The habit of the scholar. the exacting
drive of the investigator, the students demand
for literal fact and tested truth are all here,
obvious in the quality Of this Interpretation"
1.-THE Plan" is on paper. hundreds of pages Of
1t definitely worked out by the Russian leaders,
checked and counter checked, in order that no
flaw should appear in this theoretical new
state.
An exhaustive scrutiny of this plan forms
part of the preparation for the book in hand.
All the carefully prepared measures of speeding
up by way of which Russia is to accomplish
induStrially what it has taken our country 200
years and more to secure are q part, a very
significant part, of the plan" AS background
Father Walsh cites few chapters of Russian
history near history wherein Russia allied it
self with turbulent and restless points through
out the world-India, China and otherwhere-as
n an even wider political plan than the ma
honal and domestic one may have been, from
the beginning part Of the vision Of the Rus
sian leaders.
All this is getting ready, all is preparation
for the Interpretation" ALI leading up TO
'SThe Last Stand" Only within the accounting
itself does the true drama of the study appear.
Then only does the clarity Of outlook stand en-
bodied in eloquence of speech, in briIliance Of
picture, in logic irrefutable, in conclusion
tentative, maybe, for this is no dogma Of as
Sertton-that one gathers for himself out OF
the splendid substance of this study Of modern
Russia. If this is history, it is superbly and
conyincingly portrayed It is moment, q day,
IN the endless progression of the pilgrim on
ward; it is surprising SUCH If it is drama,
staged from an hour of human existence, them
too, it Is of q genuine greatness Now, just
for a second and apart from the statelier move
ments of mankind, Just for second right here
as the average good citizen interested in our
own country and in other countries striving
much as we are TO live according to our lights,
let US sit down with The Last Stand" Over
enthusiastic for the worth and the beguilement
Of this book? How do you know? Have you
read it?
PREHISTORIC MAN: An Introduction to An
thropology. BY George S. Duncan, Pm. D.,
professor of EgyptOlogy and AsSyriology.
American University, Washington, D. c.
Boston: The Stratford Co.
ME. the commonalty, are more or less un-
w done. Between the evOlutioniSt on the
one hand and the archeologiSt on the other
to name but one case in point out OF several
our underpinnings are clearly giving away. It
turns out now that instead Of q modest 5000
years for our making it has taken all of 2,000,-
00O Instead of recorded history-proper
books and print Of some sort-the archeologist
has dug tome cut of the ground, its pages
buried cities its chapters fallen civilizations,
In this dilemma help comes from scholars
who have the rare art Of communicabilty IS
well These, here and there, on one subject or
af3other, simplify their learning to its elements
organize it into stable units, project it a
living personality, clothe 1T in garments of
color and invitation. This Is exactly what DR..
Duncan has done by way Of this little book.
Out Of his own wide research he has drawn the
outline Of ancient man. Where, more than
likely, this man had his beginning on the
earth. How he lived, what he thought and just
about how much he did think in that far day.
Toward what ends his energies were bent and
by what slow stages he moved ahead All inn
mediate and engaging matters to these later
days Of man. Part of the little book specu-
hates upon the religion of that man. for, of
necessity, religion is Of the first achieve
mentS Of the human. Must have it. Next to
food and shelter and reproduction-indeed along
with these-religion becomes need. Part III
De interesting in its survey of the remains of
prehistoric man, those which today are arous-
ing so much of interest. At the moment Amer