Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

Book Corporation.
HIS is the story of Ray Schmidt. Not
a great character nor a great scene.
Both however greatly conceived and
delivered. An intimate, everyday,
f1rst-hand knowledge of the human
material engaged. An absolutely sincere ap-
proach to it. A purpose so sturdy as to allow
no possibility of being seduced away from it.
A writer of experience lauded and looked for
by thousands. Such is Fannie Hurst engaged
here in the career of Ray Schmidt. There are
many of her-of this Schmidt girl. Good look
ing, friendly competent in business different
way with her clothes, a somebody to look at.
The boys liked her. Ray was popular in an
open, unsubtle way that left the young fellows
comfortable, not half scared over what might
be expected of them Girls jealous? Yes, natu-
rally, but not really vicious Even the girls
liked Ray. She was ready with help, with
good sense, with instinct for the next move
to the good for some one in trouble.
I'm trying to show you the kind of girl that
this one is for the whole of that which follows
rises out of that-out OF the kind OF girl that
Ray Schmidt is. Among the drummer men
that came to the town was Walter Saxel. Well,
that's the story-Ray Schmidt and Walter
Saxel Why to be sure, they fell in love, were
married. had children. Now, wait a minute.
They did fall in love. But Walter married the
daughter of that rich Jew up the street. These
two had children naturally-but that is another
story This one is the tale of Ray Schmidts
magnificent folly the story of her slow suicide
by SELF denial, by support of Walter in his busi-
ness projects, in any plan whatever which
could not be brought to issue without the
advice of Ray, without her business acumen and
her devoted friendship to this Walter man.
That's the story You can finish it by turning
to life, without even opening Fannie Hursts
book.
If you should however decide upon this
sketchy course you will miss a deal of insight
upon the human-upon yourself and the rest.
If you should do this you will fail to see that
this Ray Schmidt is kinda type we call it
a generous and giving woman wherever need
of any sort passes her way. When she came to
love that man she did not change. She merely
became intensified in that which she always
had been, always would be. She gave and gave.
Walter took and took-and took. That is Wal
ters way. Now, if you are light-minded, and
few other things besides, you will call this
the story Of an Illicit relationship-the story Of
a man and his mistreSS-and read it as such.
If, by chance, you are Of another stripe you
will read it for its inSearching of character for
its grip upon social relations rising out of
character plus circumstance, for its keen seizure
of man as man, of woman as woman, in their
common love interlinkings For these reasons,
and by virtue of such a truly genuine and
really conservative book Of life, you will agree
that here is a great story. 1t Is A terrible
stOry-and great
THE DRY DECADE. BY Charles Merz, author
Of THE Great American Band Wagon" etc.
New York: Doubleday, Doran & Co.
ELEVEN years ago, at midnight, January 16,
prohibition by constitutional amendment
became effective. Let us not stop to argue that
point. Rather, let us remind ourselves that no
such turbulent decade as this dry" has
ever before crowded itself into any authentic
story of United States history. So great has
been and is, the turmoil that the effect of the
moment would be complete confusion were it
not for such work as Charles MerZ has done for
in decade - WaV.
wiSesto press files, Mr.. MerZ has gone over the
period in question In search of the salient and
significant facts Of the great adventure in prohi-
bition. Out from the maze Of front-page SEN
sation on the subject Of drink lawlessneSS and
the gamut of crimes solrced therein this author
has drawn a clean line Of story, beginning with
the rise of the late prohibition movement, with
its advance here and its recession there with
its growth in political significance as well as
in legislative concern, with the mutlifariouS
ingenuities bent upon evasion Of the law, with
the inadequate measures provided to enforce
prohibition enactments, with the public state
of mind in respect to the question a whole
with the particular state Of mind in respect
to personal liberty, and SO on and so on.
It is establishment that, through so en-
broiled a matter, any man could take so
straight a course of pursuit and research as
Charles MerZ has done in THE Dry Decade"
Nowhere else, so far as know, does open
view of the subject lie. Nowhere else, I'm sure
does so unprejudced an outlook spread before
the student of this subject, so clearly every
body's business. And it reads like a story
like an adventure, as 1t so certainly Is What
the end of the national experiment will be is
not now known. But to get a grip on the essence
of it up to the moment in hand you will need
1.-THE Dry Decade" most Immediately vital
book on the surprising theme of the present
for the United States and the world itself It
is not easy to appear judicial and reserved in
reSDeCt to this book, A clarifying study,