Evening star., 1933-04-09

a common practice among leaders in Mexican
civil wars, and some of the atrocities attributed
to him are, Mr.. Pnchon is sure, incapable of
proof. In fact he looks upon Villa much as
do the common people Of Mexico, as patriot
and savior. The assassination Of Villa was, Mr..
Pinchon intimates, with the connivance Of the
Mexican government. Picture post cards show
ing his mutlated body were sold by the million,
but "even so, for years, the pelados remain
humbly unconvinced Still they see him riding
whining wind past their cabin doors at night"
This piece Of real history, told with much
conversation and local color, Is equal to
romance Of Dumas In interest
BLACK BAGDAD. By John Houston Craige.
New York: Mnton, Balch & Co.
DAGDAD, renowned in story, home in the past
- Of the famous Harun- al -Raschid, now the
capital Of modern Iraq about whose streets
move sand-brown Arabs, and Port-au-Prince,
capital Of Haiti, home of voodoo and black
magic, whose denizens are coal-black, seem
to Capt. Craige to belong to the same realm
Of romance. Capt. Craige has a claim to be
judge Of romance, for his own life has been
one Of many adventures before and after he
became a captain of the United States Marine
Corps during the World War. He knows Haiti
intimately as he was for some time loaned to
the Haitian government and acted as white
officer in charge Of the black troops Of the
republic. He acquired the language, learned
almost everything there is to know about the
native customs. attended funerals, dances, voo-
doc conclaves, and many types of festivities.
The blacks admiringly called him Papa Blanc,
White Father. After being assigned with his
troops to a wild mountainous region, where
trouble smoldered and murder stalked both day
and night he was placed In charge Of the
police force at Port-au-Prince. Here he knew
the Haitian elite as well as many of the under
world who came into unpleasant relations with
the police. One Of his duties was to investigate
the murder Of priestess Of Papa Guede god
Of death, and Of the voodoo congregation of
Roches Galettes Blanches. She had probably
been murdered by a rival priest and priestess,
who had envied her and had been moved by
the belief, according to the Petro rituals. that
If they could kill her and eat her flesh, her
spirits and supernatural abilities would descend
on them" After . few such experiences, Capt.
Craige found his notions Of Haiti, formed in
the COOL safe, distant United States, were be-
ginning to be altered" He still liked the
Haitians. but his liking was mixed with con-
siderable horror. The book Is written in q
personal, informal, animated style which car
nes the reader along as a companion to the
author in all his enterprises and hazards. Capt
Craige, after being a gambler, an Alaskan gold
miner, a heavyweight champion, a sailor and
newspaper man, after serving under the flags
duras, as well as that Of the United States, is
now in charge Of the Marine Corps Recruiting
Publicity Bureau
THE QUEST FOR POLAR TREASURES By
Jan Well. New York: The Macmillan Co.
THE previous volume Of Jan Well, Thirty
Years IN the Golden North" and this
Quest" together form q one-man saga equal
In adventure interest to the Icelandic Saga Of
Grettir the Strong" or the "Hemskringla"
With the vagabond's temperament, Mr.. Welzl
began his economic life as a locksmith. found
that not to his taste became a sailor and a
tramp. His adjustment to life was attained
when, skilled hunter, a master trader owner
OF a fine boat he became chief Judge Of the
Arctic island Of New Siberia The name Bear
Eater" was applied to him because his prowess
in eating bears was equal to that In killing
them He boasts: II often ate q huge Dot Of
bear stew at one sitting. Sometimes I ate
three bears in a month" Probably the bears
met no competition in his dietary with salads
and pastries. "The Quest for Polar Treasures
tells Of Welzl's first gold mine in the North,
near the Mackenzie River in Northern Canada
Just he thought he about to strike gold
his life was nearly ended by a big Alaska tim
Der wolf, which trailed him to the opening OF
his little mine and, when Well dropped down
into the tunnel stood guard there until Well
frightened him away with dynamite. Gold
fever was soon cured because Of small profits
and the acquired wisdom that the person who
makes money in gold fields is not the gold
digger, but the niddleman. Hunting in Alaska
and the forests of Arctic Canada, trading ex-
periences in the Polar wilderness, and many
adventures with human beings, in which they
did not always demonstrate their superiority
to the wild animals, have made both the spice
and the meat Of the life of this fat, jolly
wanderer. He told his story to two friends,
who took 1t down in shorthand. much as Trader