Evening star., 1934-01-17
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
MWgWef Cermond.

MargWef Cermond.
LAFFAIRE JONES. BY Hillel Bern
stein. New York: Frederick "A.
Stokes Co.
Every 50 often, as the world well
knows, the people of France must
plunge themselves into a fever Of ex-
citement over something which over
night they can turn into an "affaire."
Occasionally the cause of one OF these
tidal waves of emotionalism happens to
be something of great importance. but
whether the events leading up to the
"affaire" be Of an astounding or an
Insignificant nature, within a few hours
they reach proportions of magnitude
in the public mind and the drama be-
gins. Right now. as a matter of fact.
that nation is in the throes of an
"affaire' over the death of one OF its
prominent bankers.
Using this extraordinary propensity
Of the French for spectacular demon
strations of feeling as a background
Mr.. Bernstein has produced a highly
entertaining and amusing satire which
should eventually find its way to Holly
wood.
Henry Jones is a wholly innocent
and inoffensive young man who halls
AAoAA VAAo oAAp NbCOl 6ld. I1lo AlCdlb ID
heavy with sorrow because he has been
laughed at by his family. To prove
himself the worthy son of an nlustri-
GUS mother he has gone to France to
write cook book. Could anything be
less likely to start a revolution or an
international intrigue? Several years
before the events of this story he had
discovered the secret recipe for corn
pone- -and- -potlikker, which had brought
( fay nd hi
she died the paper purporting to con-
tain the instructions for this delectable
dish proved to be a denial that there
had ever been such formula, and it
was believed that she had carried her
secret with her.
Seeking to gain the favor and esteem
which his soul craved, Henry Jones an
nounced at the great reunion of the
family that he knew the recipe and
promised to feed this horde of relatives
their favorite nourlshment. He made
the cornpone-a and -potlikker in exact
accord with his copy of his mothers
recipe, and they ate it in large uuanti-
ties, but they scoffed at him while they
asked for more. His pride injured and
his integrity questioned, he went to
France to write cook bOok-and in
France anything can happen.
While peacefully scribbling at his task
in his hotel room he is borne down
upon by human cyclone, Nine.
Gauthier, who accuses him of stealing
her husbands new coat. He escorts her
to the restaurant from which the coat
was stolen to prove to her by the word
Of the proprietor that he has not been
in the place for weeks. But on the way
she becomes SO valuable in her de-
nunciation that by the time they reach
the cafe the honor of France is in
volved.
He is promptly arrested on general
principles, and before the police have
, ushered him into headquarters he has
become not only thief, but spy and
an enemy Of France. He is sent to
, prison, and ''raffaire Jones" is in full
swing.
The only men in France who might
defend their fellow-countryman elect 70
ignore him, but after a short time in
. prison Jones is visited by beautiful
: lady. who sorrows with him. promises
to help him and leaves him little
book. A beautiful woman is Nine
Lanerre. and though his efforts to
learn more about her than the name
she has given him prove fruitleSS, he
falls desperately in love with her
: Eventually he finds himself released
from prison and on his way to an un-
known destination, only to learn that
he is a prisoner of another stripe ir
the hands of mysterious forces. But hi:
lady love is in the same house and he
is happy
In the second move Of those vht
maneuvered his escape from prison
Jones tricks his guardian and fees t.
Paris, expecting to meet Nine. Lanerrt
in the room of a certain hotel which
she has named in a cryptic note. In.
{ stead of the object of his hearts desire
: however. he finds the room occupied
E by a partially intoxicated American
= from Kansas City. named Smith, 6
member of the large veteran convention
and all eager for the grand parad'
of the Busters which is to take plac'
that afternoon. When the call to dreS
!; is made Smith is totally incapacitatet
q and Jones is persuaded by anothe
Y Buster to don Smiths uniform ant
a march. All goes well until he is passinl
q the reviewing stand, and then pande
: monium breaks loose. Back to prison
= he goes.
S During all these weeks the newspa
{ pers have been af1ame with "Paffalr
Jones'" and the case has grown to in
ternational proportions. The missing
coat has long since been returned Il
4 its owner by the absent-minded NAL
r who mistook it for his own, but tina
r trivial incident which caused all OF tn
v bewildering adventures which befel
v poor Jones was promptly lost sight
. in the hue and cry for the safety o
. the French republic. And meanwhll
e the arrest of this innocent victim o
n a woman's wrath has brought abou
: political riots, communist outbreaks
: royalist demonstrations. the activitie
% of secret agents, a couple OF duels,
q murder trial and various other sensa
n tions dear to the heart of a Frenchmar
n The book was published first in Eng
p land and met with immediate success
r It is clever and filled with humor. 1t
: action is swift and sure, bringing tn
o adventures of the mystified and befud
II died Mr.. Jones to a deliciously conf
s end.
is CRUCIFY ME! BY Angela Morgan
Philadelphia: Poetry Publishers.
The writings of Angela Morgan ar
always of keen interest to Washing
:. tonianS because she is native OF tn
!, = Nations Capital, received her elemen
u tary education in its public school
. and has participated in number of tn
Il special events which are peculiar to 1t
>, official character. She began her caree
y y as a writer as newspaper woman TO
: papers in Chicago, New York and BoS
ton, soon turning her talent into it
:, natural channel Of verse. A numbe
:, :, of her poems are widely known, an
) several of them have been made tn
!. basis for outstanding productions i
=; other branches of the fine arts. Whel
the ceremonies were held in the rotund
!, of the Capitol over the remains of tn
" hero who now lies enshrined in
, noble memorial tomb on the hillsid
at Arlington, Miss Morgan was ac
corded the honor of reading her oW
5 poem, THE Unknown Soldier" owe
Is his bier.
,r She has been the recipient Of man
j. other honors, both in this country an
t. in England, as a poet and author. an
irau of member