Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04


~ the Supreme Court the Execu-
tive, washington. Sweep
these away and nothing is left. That is
nothing is left of the essential purpose of che
Capital Just what would be left, could such
obliterative action take place? 1t is in some
such mood Of Play Magic that George Roth
well Brown throws away the federal officialdom
of the city for the sake of freer, and lighter,
hand than its ponderouS presence would permit.
For this writer has notion at this point, of
leading readers to a study of Washington, the
sat of National Government.
What have we left with the Government
gone? We have benign and beautiful city.
Indeed ravshment of white town settled
among the trees, its girdling hills opening to
make way for pilgrim river homlng to the
sea. An ancient city? No. young city whose
history walks OF waits along its streets in a
thousand recolections not yet greatly dirnmed
by time. 1t is a near past from which in
Vulnerable personal evocations move into the
present in immediate "Reminiscences, in a hne
redolence still fresh in the peculiar tang Of
their own days and deeds. 1t is over this
ground something toward century and a half
long that George Rothwell Brown leads his
readers in a thorough and waywise accounting
of dates and transactions and localities OF men
and their motives, that, combined and pro-
jected wrought up to its present stage the
wondrous city which finally is to be, the be-
loved city which now so clearly is. WORK, plain
hunting down of facts, stands as the first credit
to this recreation of the growing Capital CITY.
Details of the essential and Illuminating kind
visualize the growth of Washington in course
that shifted away from the original intent
through the most natural, and human, OF rea-
sons. Points, forgotten or unknown, step into
the open here by way of this potent mans in
duence, by way of that leaders presence. And
So little by little, go along with George
Brown in the building Of Washington, in its
expansion and identification up to the moment
IA hand. A good writer's art saves this multi
tudnous business from confusion. Spreads It,
instead Into perfect coherency of purpose and
plan and completion.
Then, having laid out the expanding city,
Mr.. Brown moves on to any number of inter-
esting facts that from time to time marked the
aife of the Capital. Naturally, the story OF the
newspaper in Washington engages his atten-
tion, and ours. The old stage coach comes to
life In shock of surprise over the bedlam OF
modern street traf6c. There were slave ships
In the early days. Want to board one? No?
There were ghosts, too, in Lafayette Square
and are to this day. The ghosts of old houses
so impregnated with great personalities that
one now passes their successors with a shiyer
of regret However time Is memorable. There
Is the incident, most interesting, of the christ
ening of the city over in Georgetown at an
Official meeting there. I'VE have agreed that
the Federal District shall be called the Terri
tory of Columbia and the Federal City the
sCity of Washington" Not named by Con-
gress, as you have supposed, but by three citi-
zens acting in an official capacity, instead
Bottled in Bond" is a joyous and wicked
recital wherein ''wide-open town" announces
itself from The Indian Queen" and other
hosteries made famous by the quality of their
hospitality and by the famous men who so
sedulously continued to partake of it. A picture
on page 364 is remindful of the open days.
Society is paid its due here by MIR. Brown
And the absorbing story of Washington comes
70 its fitting end with view OF the Vanishing
ksenuee The Capital appears to- be mex
haustible to both artist and writer. This book
Is clear proof that it has taken in hand and
heart the well known George Rotnwell Brown,
journalist, student, political expert, reader, a
good deal of poet, a ruthless fellow when the
matter calls for anything but honey daily
delight to newspaper readers generally.
finely stimulating book of Washington
into which has gone an immense amount of
work. Searching, organizing, casting into a
splendid series Of stories, and thea the pictures
themselves form a handsome volume value
and permanent worth. Great book it seems
TO me- completely transformations one, where
little flourish would have been justified COM
pletely.
PORTRAIT BY CAROLINE BY Sylvia Thomp-
son, author Of 'sThe Hounds Of Spring" etc.
Boston,; Atlantic Monthly Press Book.
Published by Little, Brown & Co.
"A STORY which from its outer circumstance
would offer novelists Of yesterday no
chance whatever. No more here than half q
dozen people of easy means, allowing them to
move around a little. To London, to Paris and
back to the English countryside. Intelligent
folks. cultured too, but with little. after ALL to
provide the substance of any acceptable last
years romance. Succor, however, has come to
the new writer Of fiction through the simple
expedient of turning each of the chosen char
aGters inside out You'd be surprised at the
Weights and depths revealed by SO simple q
process. Or wouldn't you be surprised 1t IS
quite possible that plenty of women do not
love their husbands. But long as they are