Evening star., 1935-09-22
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

"HIS Is a proper book Tor an
honorable gentleman who was
once Secretary of State to
have written. 1t Is straight
forward account of the negotiations
which took place in his tenure Of
office between our Government and
those countries with which we were
involved in the World War. 1t is not
q book of revelations" 1t is an
official reporting of the course of
events, very much as they seemed to
the public mind at the time when
they occurred, but of course in greater
detail.
An uumistakable fragrance Of
lavender hangs over many of the
pages today, however. 1t is particu-
larly perceptible in those passages
where Mr.. Lansing explains how the
future of civilization depended on the
preservation of democratic forms OF
government as opposed to autocracy.
1t is plain that he believed it. So did
we all.
Mr.. Lausing's book contains much
Official correspondence. 1t has a
chapter on relations with Russia, an
other on publicity and secrecy and
of course contains "reminiscences OF
many personages of the time. 1t Is
a dignified and conservative work; it
was written, one feels, in spirit OF
great correctness. Perhaps nothing
could better emphasize the distance We
e;~ thu roci0no tinn nf the
Great Commoner from his cabinet
post than the quaintneSs with which
that very spirit impreSses us today.
THE POLITICIAN: His Habits. Out
cries and Protective Coloring. BY
J.H. Wallis. New York: Frederick
A. Stokes Co.
MOT often since Thackeray's Book
of Snobs" has any one done more
complete, particularized and devastat-
ing Justice to a loathSome species
than does Mr.. Wallis to the profess
sional politician in this new book OF
his. Every word of it is self-evidently
true. so self evidently true that there
is nothing whatsoever of the EXPOSE"
In the volume. 1t is simple report
ing of the rules that govern political
conduct, as deduced from that con-
duct. 1t is, therefore, a reporting OF
folly, fatuousness and hypocrisy. Only
by treating the subject with profound
gravity could an author make 1t funny
the humor of course being in the
contrast between the subject and the
style. Mr.. Wallis has adopted this
approach. He deals with political
manners with all the solemnity OF
professional patriot talking about nag
And the result is screaming.
His manner is best illustrated by
the subtitle which he has used. II
Is as follows: "a Textbook for Ottice-
seekers (and for enlightened voters),
Setting Forth Infallible Guides to Po-
litical Success, Illustrated and En-
riched With Many Examples From
the Careers of Contemporary Amerl-
can Politicians, Complete With An
Appendix, A Comprehensive and In
telligible Index and Other Accessories
Proper to a Textbook" And, we may
add, dedicated to Machiavelli.
Beginning with the proper manner
In which to be born, if one is to rise
to any great stature in politics, Mr..
Wallis discusses with the most schol-
arly gravity such aspects of political
Importance as cultivation OF friends
and enemies, the nickname, the slo-
gan, the menace, the use Of Lincoln,
the necessity of publicity and what
to avoid, the use of Salutatlons and
greetings, what to eat when photo
graphed, what to drink under the
same condition, how to dress, where
to be educated and thousand other
things. But he is not facetious, as
these items might lead one to think.
He demonstrates how living politicians
make capital out Of exactly these
matters. He demonstrates also how
they cannot advance unless they give
attention to these matters. He singles
out some horrible examples of failure.
He points with pride to the successes.
And he shows how neglect or OBJ
servance of the fundamentals of
proper political behavior, l. e, where
to be born and so forth, are respon-
sible in both cases. He always makes
his point.
Indeed, so perfect is Mr.. Wallis in
sight that one feels that, while the
public will laugh at this book as
satire, the professional office getter
might very we'll, in sober fact, take it
for a text. And yet-this is a type
Of the material with which it deals:
Within recent mcnths a contro-
versy ragged in the ranks of the poll
ticians and eventually drew public
statements from the governors of most
of the Southern States, from the
Mayor of New York City and can
didate for the presidential nomina-
ton. Papers all over the country
made front page news of these gentle
mems pronouncements. And what
was the subject? Why, whether corn
bread should be crumbled or dipped
into something called pot liquor"
Mr.. Wallis attributes AL Smiths fail
ure to win the support of the South
in his presidential candidacy to the
fact that he took no part in this con-
troversy. 1t was, he says, most
grievous lapse.
BURNERS OF MEN. BY Marcel
Griaule. Translated by Edwin Gile
Rich. Philadelphia: j. B. Lippin-
colt Co.
THIS book was the winner of the
- 1884 French Gringoire Prize. Even
in translation its literary merit is
arresting. 1t is not too much to say
that, in the loftiness of its style and
the passionless detachment of its
irony, it belongs with Doughty's
ARABIA Deserta" somewhere in that
slender category of books written by
travel-weary ment out of unreasoning
love for strange lands that have given
them little but hardships.
It is an account of a journey in
Ethiopia. The journey was under
taken for purposes of scientific re-
search. 1t was a mission of ethno-
graphic and linguistic study, intrusted
TO the author by the French minister
of public instruction. But, says the