Evening star., 1935-05-22
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Morgaret Cermond.


ROAD TO WAR: America, 1s14-1917.
BY Walter Mills. Boston: Hough-
ton Mifflin Co.
In view of the somewhat ponderous
number of histories of the Great War
that have been published during the
past 20 years It would seem to the
average seeker after knowledge that
there could be nothing left to write
about that colossal conflict. From
every angle the events Of those four
blood od-drenched years have been re-
corded by the Impartial and the par
tial historians Of all the nations in
volved, and certainly few Of its secrets
remain to be uncovered and proved.
This volume Is in actuality not 30
much devoted to the unearthing OF
new facts as to the causes behind the
scenes and the effects they created
upon the largest audience the world
has ever held in the grip Of a mighty
emotion. It does not, OF course, ignore
the provocations and motives Of the
other nations, but its primary concern
is with the United States during the
three years OF delirium in which it
travelled along the rocky road to war.
The work Is that of skilled vivi-
sectionist. 1t was some months after
the end of the slaughter before the
shouting ceased and the people Of
the United States, shorD Of the emo
tionalism that had become a habit,
settled down to wonder what had
actually been accomplished by the
war that was to make the world safe
for democracy" the war that was to
end wars. Why had Americas noble
sacrifice been made in vain? And
what had been the official truths be-
hind the guarded public statements
from the White House and the State
Department? These and many other
questions that seemed inconsequential
In the days Of fevered emotionalism
became matters for serious consid-
Grafton in the cold afterdawn. And
now they are answered by q man who
Is constitutionally q skeptic and dis
sector of theories, Of motives and of
facts.
Mr.. Mills was born in 1899 in
Georgia, the son of a Regular Army
officer and a mother of Socialistic
ideas. He grew up In Seattle, the
Philippines and Ohio. went to prepar-
atory school in Rhode Island and to
college in Connecticut. He began his
newspaper career as an editorial
writer on the Baltimore News. leav-
ing that position for a post with the
New York Sun and later becoming a
member OF the staff Of the Herald
Tribune. This background Of train
ing and experience, coupled with his
passionate dislike for readymade
answers to all questions. gives his
work a distinctively convincing quail
ity. Out of the murky muddle of
prejudices, secret motives and am
bitions Of nations, politicians, states
men, business men, preachers. bankers
and others who pulled the strings Of
fate in this country from 1914 to 1917
Mr.. Mills has isolated the germs that
infected the world with the devastat-
ing fever that unbridled the four
horsemen in the Summer Of 1914.
The white light Of truth herein
searches out some heretofore unpleas-
antly dark corners.
HAMPTON AND HIS RED SHIRTS.
BY Alfred B. Williams. Charleston,
s. c.: Walker, Evans & Cogswell
Co.
When in 1926 Alfred 3. williams
undertook the writing of this chronicle
Of one Of the most important episodes
in the history Of the South he brought
to the task the dual qualification Of
having been a participant in that
momentus drama Of 1876 from which
the State Of South Carolina emerged
redeemed from carpetbag rule, and of
having been actively engaged in news
paper work for half q century. In q
brief preface TO the book Mr.. williams
proclaims his work to be the story Of
q newspaper reporter, written reporter
fsshiou from personal observation and
knowledge.
His long and valuable career as q
newspaper man had just begun when
the valiant handful Of South Caro-
linians, unsmirched by the fraud and
corruption that controlled the State,
organized q campaign to overthrow
government by crooks, thieves and
murderers and restore the Common
wealth to law and order. One Of his
first assignments for the Charleston
Journal of Commerce was to accom-
pany Gen. Wade Hampton and his
red-shirted followers on the fateful
ride through the State upon which
salvation from ruin depended His
activities were not confined, however,
to his job as a reporter for he served
the cause as defender in the
Charleston riots, walked Al miles on
the afternoon and night following the
Edgefield assassinations, slept on the
floor of the State House during the
dual sessions Of that body and rendered
invaluable aid In all of the events Of
the bloody Summer and Autumn
months Of 1875.
With this intimate knowledge Of
the facts and his close association
and friendship with Gen. Hampton
as the foundation for his narrative,
Mr.. williams made an exhaustive re-
search into the newspaper accounts
Of half century ago for veriflcation
and correction of every detail to be
recorded in the pages Of his book.
The result is an authentic and stirring
history Of the cleaning up Of one Of
| the blackeSt pages In American CIV
ilization and an intimate story Of the
man whose leadership and fearless
ness brought it about.
DR.. Claude G. Bowers, in praise Of
the book, contributes a foreword ac-
knowledging his free use in "The
Tragic Era" Of the material, printed
serially in two South Carolina news
papers, from which this volume has
been compiled. There is also a fore
word by the daughter Of Gen. Hamp-
ton, and in further tribute to its
worthiness the South Carolina House
of Representatives passed a resolution
recommending it to the public as an
addition to historical literature.
Mr.. williams came to Washington
in 1915, where he wrote this narrative
and where he made his home until he
died, in the early Spring Of 1880. His
widow, Mrs. Josephine Tighe williams.
who has a noteworthy reputation of
her own as a newspaper woman, COM
pleted the preparation of the mate
| rial for nUhlica ati0p in hooLr for,,, .Tvha