Evening star., 1933-02-05

tinue to think Of going to America, and taking
diary with me-" So may hope with reason
that third diary telling Of the provincial
ladyS impressions of the United States and Of
us, will appear next year. If it does, we are
sure it will have friendly attitude, for the
provincial lady is friendly pleasant person.
Readers sometimes ask for a book to give
sick friend. These provincial lady books are
the ones
TROPICAL WINTER. By Joseph Hergesheimer.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf
DALM BEACH is satiricaly treated in 10 short
stories, all grouped under the one title.
Food many ana various drinks, Roman and
Spanish Villas brilliant clothes and scanty
bathing suits all the conventional amusements,
and again more food and drinks-these are the
background. Among the persons who people
the scene are different types, but strikingly
little difference in motives. The pursuit Of
money and the pursuit CT pleasure-those are
all Clara Cleg tries to climb to what she
considers a slightly higher social level than her
own, by way of dinner to the K. B. beverages,
but the beverages go off to Cuba on their
yacht and the dinner and the climb spoiled.
Charles Scarf arrives in Palm Beach on hot
February day, to visit Mrs. Sandman Volkes-
the Katie whom he had been engaged to marry
boa rooms" where, amid embossed leather hang
ings black rugs and lacquered furniture. he
consumes Bourbon, rye Irish and Scotch
whiskies, and gins; there were French and
Italian vermuth, absnthe two bottles of beer,
and two bottles of ale "a choice presumably.
On table rows of variously filled and well
ordered sandwiches displayed for his selec-
ton. While he eats and drinks he overhears
Katie's son, just below his balcony, speak Of
his mother "the old Venus" Charles de-
cides that woman is incapable Of bringing up
a son and that Katie should remarry. This
is the prelude; the finale is that Charles finds
he prefers Katies 17-year-old daughter. Freda.
The elderly and middle aged men and women
in this Palm Beach museum heavy fatuOus,
pretentious The young ones are frank brutal,
greedy scornful of all the amenities The
tragedies, as well the comedies of their
lives are vulgar and they are incapable of
deeply feeling the tragedy keenly appreci-
ating the comedy. Whether not this is
true picture of Palm Beach. and other similar
resorts, may be a subject for discussion over
the teacups. 1t is clever satire, and satire al
ways exaggerates, whether it is the savage
satire of Swift the elegant satire of Addison
or the paradoxical satire of George Bernard
Shaw. These excursions into ultra modern
life by Mr.. Hergesheimer are entertaining but
has not the past of The Three Black Pennys,'
"BaIisand" Java Head" and The Limestone
Tree given him better literary material?
PUBLIC FACES. BY Harold Nicolson Boston:
Houghton Miffiin Co.
PY placing the action Of his novel six years
in the future, Harold Nicolson shuts the
critics off from complaints of inaccuracy or
anachronisms Not even a charge of improba-
bility carries conviction, for anything is prob
able in these days even some of the extravagant
conversation Of the international statesmen
who figure in this novel. The chief characters
are Spencer Furnival, prime minister; Walter
Bullnger, secretary of state for foreign affairs;
Arthur Peabody, principal private secretary to
his majestys principal secretaries of state for
foreign affairs; Jane Campbell, parliamentary
under-secretary of state for foreign affairs"
group of French diplomats and statesmen,
similar group Of German officials, the Shah
OF Persia, the Russian cOmmissar for foreign
relations, and Hans P. Scholle President Of
the United States.
The plot is one of political intrigue, which
includes the sinking by the British of the
United States Navy unit Omaha" and a con-
sequent statement issued by President Scholle
from Bar Harbor, which did not bear that
stamp Of culture and control which we are apt
to associate with presidential pronouncements.
When the ministers of four nations visit the
Shah Of Persia, they left, "bowing gleefully
like turtle doves, walking backward along the
gravel path between the salvias i. the Shah
on their departure, had cleared his enormous
throat and spat with fervor among the salvias.
He sat there hunched in his pink armchair
turning his beads slowly in his heavy hands"
AS these examples may indicate, Public Faces"
is an extravaganza of the future-like some of
the novels of H. G. Wells. but without Mr..
Wells seriousness of purpose-and as such Of
course, has its limitations among readers. Har-
old Nicolson is the son of Lord Carnock, at one
time head Of the British foreign Office, and
fI,a kI,0
diplomatic service, so his satire has a basis
of knowledge. He now devotes himself to writ
ing and has recently lectured, with his wife.
Victoria Sackville West, ip this country. ~