Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-02

L
MR.. JUSTICE CARDozo. A Liberal
Mind in Action. BY Joseph p. Pol
lard. New York: The Yorktown
Press.
m A GENTLE, modest man sits
- ~ on the extreme left of the
~ Chief Justice of the United
4 \ States. As he listens in
tently to the arguments of
counsel, he radiates an atmosphere of
pher, poet and lawyer, Mr.. Justice
Cardozo combines quality rarely found
in the American judiciary. This biog
raphy is, as the title indicates, Of his
mind, as 1t mas been revealed through
his public career. 1t is an analysis
Of his social and legal ideals and illus
trates them by digest Of many Of his
most significant cases. He has always
been known as a liberal, one who has
from the beginning Of his public life
felt deep concern for the welfare of
both the individual and society. In a
foreward, Dean Roscoe Pound Of the
Harvard Law School says that in the
past there have been nine outstanding
judges in American judicial history
and that when tenth name is added
to the list 1t will be that Of Mr.. Justice
Cardozo
The qualities Of all these men have
included mastery Of their craft and its
ability to interpret the law
during formative or transition periods,
of the law and the power to
expound and apply 1t. and scholarship.
BY the path of pure merit" Justice
Cardozo came to the bench OF the
New York Court Of Appeals. where he
served for 10 years, and to the United
States Supreme Court on the resigna-
ton Of Justice Holmes. Social welfare
decisions have been among the most
in his career and have been
often quoted in legislative halls and
classrooms of law schools. AS he has
channeled his life in purely 1ntellec-
tual course. 1t Is not surprising that he
should have found time, apart from
the srduous tasks of judicial deter
mination, to write three books which
explain his broad philosophy of law
and Of life" Mr.. Pollard. author OF
this work. Is a teacher of history and
writer on its legal aspects.
DESTINATION UNKNOWN. BY Fred
Walker. Philadelphia: ]. B. Lip
pincott Co.
A NY destination likely to offer dan
ger and a chance to nose into 1t
is good enough for Mr.. Walker, and
he has been singularly fortunate In
on exactly what he wanted.
Son Of a British army officer, he was
sent to Westminster School, London,
as the first step in his education
for the army career his father had
decided on for him. With the con-
trariety of modern youth, he disliked
his fathers plans and preferred a
manner of life fully as dangerous as
army life, but less disciplined. So he
ran away from school at the age OF
II and came to America. Here he
found it possible to earn a living if
he we're not too particular about the
kind of job. He was cowboy. laborer.
bartender. tramp, volunteer policeman
in San Francisco at the time OF the
great earthquake of 1906, gold rusher
in Alaska, member of Villas bandit
band in Mexico (his membership was
enforced after his capture), soldier in
the World War. lumberman in the
Argentine, worker in Patagonian oil
field and on sheep ranch, partici-
pant in a Chilean revolution, bull
fighter in Lima. soldier in the army
of Ecuador. from which he deserted;
soldier under the rebel Gen. SANDING
in Nicaragua, where he was captured
by American Marines and sentenced
to death. and soldier in 1882 with Gu
ban revolutionists. There is more
which we haven't space to tell. His
record is a dizzying one and entirely
iustifies his claim that there is as
much good adventure to be found In
the world today as there ever has
been.
Dangers. for which he was eager.
but whose nature he could not an
ticipate, met him at every stage. In
Alaska he rescued an Englishman
freed by a pack of wolves; he spent
three months alone in a mountain
hut on the Chilean frontier with an
injured hip; was drugged ano robbed
in a saloon: hung by his hands from
the ties of a railway bridge over a
chasm while a train crashed by over
his head: was lost in a jungle. His
story, told with unflagging animation,
in journalistic style, shows how much
he has enjoyed the life of his choice.
A book for the seasoned lover OF ad-
venture. not for youth. and for one
whose credulity is great.
ORDEAL BY FIRE. An Informal
History of the Civil War. BY Fletch-
err Pratt. Illustrated by Merritt
Cutler. New York: Harrison Smith
and Robert Haas.
FLETCHER PRATT has already
L written THE Heroic Years (lSol-
1881" in which he showed especial
interest in military and naval tactics.
He is not one of the leading historians
Of American history, but he gives
full photography. including some pri-
mary as well as many secondary
sources. Human interest always ap-
peals to him and he rarely misses an
opportunity for the dramatic. Dates
and statistics are given slight space,
which will be satisfaction to the
reader for the story. but would irri-
tate the student. The first scene In
the book is the plot to assassinate
Lincoln as he was on his way to Wash
ngton as President-elect. The final
scene is the successful plot, which
reached its tragic climax at Ford's
Theater. The book Is admittedly in
formal, Is also most original and
should be classed as literature as well
Is history.
A CAPTAIN DEPARTED. BY A. W.
Smith. New Haven: Yale Univer.
sity Press.
A. THE age of 81, A. W. Smith was
"A major in the British Army. but
hat rapid advancement did not save
aim from the reaction to pessimism and
establishment in postwar Europe. In
his autobiography he tells OF his