Evening star., 1934-05-20
DY SARAH BOWERMAN
''Fi7e Silver Daughters" BY Aufhor of
'MagnolM Street ':-Re0ie7o Of Pulitsr
Prize N00eL.

il gets started nor how much Of civilization will
be left at the close. but the one sure fact is
that it will begin in the air" Mrs. Fradkin.
State chairman on internationa relations OF
the New Jersey Le2gue of Women Voters and
a longtime student of international affairs,
dsclams any intention to launch a TRADE
against the chemical industry or aviation. Like
George Seldes in his recent revelations about
the munitions industry in his book, Iron,
Blood and Profits" she believes that the re-
sponsibility for the sins of any industry rests
with the ignorance or indifference of the pub
lie
Nevertheless she gives bluntly and fearlessly
many facts not generally known about recent
developments in chemical. electrical and air
warfare. In Part l. on chemical warfare, she
describes the types and uses of poison gas,
analyzes the propaganda for the humaneness
of poison gas. and tells what has been done for
"the perfection of mass murder and how
feeble and unsuccessful have been attempts to
safeguard civilians. In Part II. war avia-
ton, she discusses commercial aviation for mill
itary preparation. national rivaries in avia-
ton, the fact that shortened flying time be-
tween nations means helpless aerial ground
defense" and asks what protection there is for
noncombatants Part III is the Effect
of Aerial Chemical Warfare In this connec-
ton Mrs. Fradkin finds herself in agreement
with her military friends" who would like to
aDOlSh aerlal ana cneNllCdl WaTIdre, because
it does away with established rules of warfare.
Up to the present time however. practically
nothing has been accomplished toward such
abolition. Six appendices provide valuable data
and an exhaustive photography completes this
serious and thorough volume
MILLIONS BLINDNESS. BY Eleanor Gertrude
Brown. New York: Columbia University
Press.
THE diseases which afflicted and often ended
! the lives of the great of the past, before the
art of diagnosis had reached its present ap-
proach to accuracy, have been the subject Of
much speculation. Was George Washington's
terminal illness pneumonia? What the
nature of Cavours illness and would he per-
haps have recovered if the doctors had not
bled him? What was the cause of Carlyle's
dyspepsia which made him so difficult to live
with and possibly affected the hue of his
philosophy? For than three centuries
scholars have discussed Millions blindness, its
causes, its effects, his courage as blind
poet the assistance rendered by his daugh-
ters whom. authors have suggested, he
did not duly appreciate. Much sentiment and
imagination have been expended on the sub
ject Miss Brown is the only author who
has exhauStively studied MiltonD blindness
with scientific research methods. Her interest
is due. at least in part. to her own blindness. %
A thorough investigations of the ophthal-
tury. of any available evidence, and Of the
fantastic explanations regarding Millions blind
ness, as well as photographed references in
his works leaves Miss Brown with the problem
still unsolved. Glaucoma myopia and de-
tachment of the retina might have been the
cause. probably the former. Contemporary
counts give as the cause that ''gout struck in,"
but this is not diagnosis which tells much.
The opinions of many famous ophthalmologists
are quoted, among them DR.. w. H. Wilmer.
Simply as contribution to Milton biography,
the book is very interesting. One section is
given to the history of the onset of his blind
to it, another to Milton as Reflected in his
Poetry Some of the comments on his af-
Fiction by of his time indicative
of the anti-Purtan feeling prevalent. Chief
of these is the belief that Millions affection
was sent as a judgment from God" Many
thought that his pamphlets on divorce and
against royalty made divine punishment just.
Some ventured the opinion that drop of the
murdered kings blood had "quenched his eyes"
Miss Brown has photography of 13 pages.
THE LONG ROLL ON THE RHINE. By Col
E. Alexander Powell. New York: The Mac
milan Co.
1T IS not surprising that Col. Powell's ap-
l proach to his subject-Germany-is by way
of chapter entitled Propaganda" Propa-
ganda is always most horrifying to those who
are engaged in propaganda on the opposite side.
An open mind is such rare thing. That is,
however what COL Powell asks for in the con-
sideration of Germany. He is neither Hitler
ite nor an nti-Hitlerite. He refuses either to
Not until time has granted him the justice of
nersnectiye can il be decided whether Adolf