Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-12-06
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
l. C. NJ.

CAN AMERICA STAY AT HOME?" BY
Frank H. Simonds, author OF Can
Europe Keep the Peace?" New
York: Harper 81 Bros.
Can America Stay at Homer" puts
the question whose answer, direct, logt-
cal, convincing. gives the substance OF
this study. Its method is that OF an
examination of the United States for
the last decade. A close examination
into the spirit and equality Of its for
eign relations during this period as
these refer to war settlements and fu-
ture peace securities.
With the serious news reader, no STU
dent, publicist, special correspondent
, stands higher than Mr.. Simonds. A
acknowledging deliver into facts, fair
in his Civilizations, broad in his back
, grounds, progressive in spirit and most
readable withal, this journalist Is sub
stantial in both promise and fulhllment.
He Is, here, in fine measure.
In general scope this Is survey OF
the four American administrations that
have succeeded the World War. In
more of detail, it is scrutiny OF each
of these in its international significance,
backed by the common spirit OF the
country ITSELF as well as by the more
restricted urgencieS and demands OF
party politics, looking this way or that
But, moving ahead, in either VIDE
, vision at this point or microscopic detail
at that, one senses the answer to TINS
titular query growing round and 1ull
. whether we altogether like it or quite
positively do not.
An interesting approach to the heart
? of this matter Is a brief reminder OF
the youth of this country. A little
; scant of three centuries since the May
flower Get the Pilgrims ashore, these
bent only upon freedom to worship God
Freedom and peace. A domain OF
amazing extent and natural resource
| which under the industry and thrift OF
healthy and husky settlers became,
: within this little reach of time marvel
!. to the other side of the world, domain
to be coveted and possessed. Young and
lusty and a shade arrogant, the great
r new land, out of its physical setting,
i developed isolation as national policy,
e supported to this minute, in theory at
7 least, through the First Presidents
e warning against "entangiing alliances; :,
! You tend to your business and Wen
tend to ours" said this robust young
ster, and meant it, too. But then,
] pious by temperament, 1t did send on
Y | deyout eyangelists to show the heathen
, which way heaven lay, and much later
Y in some wholly justifiable resentment
it did set up war with Spain. But
' save for these quite commendable out
7 farings the United States did, until the
World War, preserve more or less intact
its high policy Of isolation.
From this point Mr. Simonds steps
into Americas position in respect to the
!. great conflict.
, Wilson, high-minded citizen, clustered
S scholar, instructive autocrat, power OF
2 eloquent persuasion. Laying aside LOT
t the moment his high executive office,
this President of the United States be-
2 took himself to Europe, there to out
: line peace and equity and wellbeing TO
3 this worn old soldier in national rival
ries and conflicts. And he took him
D self so seriously and behaved so grand
= ly. and the lure of the New Worlds re-
: sources was so strong with that Machia-
! vellian tribe over there that the Presi-
: dent came back to the White House
, actually believing what the diplomats
} had said, actually believing that he had
5 made the world safe for democracy, had
brought to peaceful issue the war that
? was to end war; And that President
) died of the ultimate disclosure and an
( other one took his place. Then Mr..
{ Simonds points out in fine detail the
procession Of conferences which, to the
United States, seemed the way, the
E only way, to ultimate and conclusive
: peace for Christian countries to pursue.
So a naval conference, peace con-
ference, long and ceremonious talks
about cancellations" and mora
forums" and other knicknacks OF
diplomatic inconsequence came along
as possible and, indeed, quite probable
means of settlement and universal bed
time for many orderly and quiet nights
the world over.
The Jacket of this book Is the best OF
guides. Listen: why have ell Ameri-
can adventures In peace from Wilson
to Hoover failed?" Read that chapter
= slowly.
r Again, "Why is a European war in
evitable and how can the United States
S postpone it?" Better study that.
' Once more, why do Europeans find
/ our conceptions Of peace naive and our
S official proposals hypocritical?"
= How did the Sino-Japanese clash
z break the back of the League Of Ma
: lions and reduce the Paris pact to a
! scrap Of paper'?"
And Can America ever again ignore
world affairs and return to her tradi-
tional policy of isolation?"
These not all of the questions for
American readers to spell out and fol-
low along here for their expert trails Of
reasoning, for aptly set budgets of in
formation, for positive and direct bodies
Of concrete case and conclusion. These
! merely q sample of the positive advance
of Mr.. Simonds through the intricacies
of an international complex, bearing
down upon America itself at many an
unacceptable point.
. As for isolation, that Is not possible,
. according to this waywise investigator.
: Nor does it in any real measure exist.
, Trade, investments, credits, the spend
, ings of millions of tourists and students,
4 the to and fro of art, music, painting,
literature, fashions-an Of these have
; bound the United States to Europe in
: bonds so substantial that further lines
; of cooperation cannot be resisted. The
literal shrinkage of the earth precludeS
q isolation if no other spirit, no other
! demand united these two parts OF a
single whole.
! However, the story is Mr.. Simonds'
: alone. II you are looking for 1nforma-
, ton upon this topmost theme of inter-
national engrossment, here it is-suc-
f cinct, driving, conclusive. If you are
testing the validity of the argument,
: here is a fine point for analysis and
, checking. If you are a student of these
tremendous days in their most i'm
portant points Of significance, do not
let this chance go by. No, you may not
agree. probably you will not at every
spot of disclosure, but difference of
opinion often whetS intellectual exer-
r ciSe
o Testimonials of substance gather
about this study by our foremost jour-
nalist in politics. From H. G. Wells,
e Owen D. Young and many another of
Y equal authority and experience. A book,
7 clearly and positively, for American
readers to study at this particular ten
sion of international affairs.