Evening star., 1935-11-29

MRS. ASTORS s HORSE. BY Stanley
Walker. New York: Frederick A
Stokes Co.
Whether those who find pleasure in
gazing into their mirrors at reflections
which they believe to be themselves will
or will not like having public mirror
show them as they really are, here is a
merciless behind-the-q quicksilver reflector
catching them as nature made them,
and there is nothing to do about it but
thoroughly enjoy it. This time Mr..
Walker has made collection of curioSa
from Americas overStuffed element,
ranging from the ultra-rich to the extra
common and without malice or resort to
vulgarity told some astonishing truths
about the individuals and some of the
outstanding events that have in recent
months attracted the attention Of the
public.
Americans as race are most peculiar.
Fundamentally the race abhors the mob,
yet style, sentiment, curiosity, good taste
and bad taste swing, like the pendulum
of a great clock. to the rhythm of mob
emotion. If Mrs. AStor" appears in a
fur coat in the dead of Summer time, fur
coats in July and August become the
rage. A dirty-Skinned sharper in need
of a haircut can win thousands of con-
vertS to any sort of quack ism" and
leave, after filling his pockets with good
American cash, a throng OF adorers to
mourn his departure. Out OF the scum
and backwash of humanity worthless
moron, cleaned up and cast as lover
in a mediocre screen play, becomes the
idol of a maudlin, sentimental mob,
while a worthy genius starveS to death
in slum cellar. The whole Nation pays
honor to young man whose courage
and skill made possible an heroic achieve
ment. It bows its head in sorrow and
demands punishment when tragedy en-
velopS him, and then when the criminal
is brought to trial the mob proceeds to
make a Roman holiday of the occasion,
while State and community prepare for
a prof1t-making enterprise. News Of
a horrible disaster shocks the coun-
try, and two hours later the peanut,
popcorn and hot dog vendors are on
the spot ready for the thousands lured
to the scene by morbid curiosity. Mrs.
AStor'S horse must be served!
Social leaders, millionaires with and
without social status, stage and screen
stars, theatrical managers, stylists beau
ticians, gangsters, statesmen, decorators
and so-called culturists of one sort or
another are among the individuals
stripped of their veneer by Mr.. Walker,
and the events include number of the
major happenings in recent months upon
which the mob has fed its Unsuitable
greed for thrill.
From the point of view of the modern,
native New Yorker or any other strictly
big city individual this lively exposition
of the kinks and quirks of the uphol-
stored species of mankind in this country
is representative of the race as a whole.
If it were there would be little hope for
the survival of the Nation. But outside
of the densely populated districts, out
where true vision and sense Of pro-
portion is less limited, real representative
Americanism still claims an overwhelm-
ing majority. The genuine wel-born
American will never be found Slathering
a beautiful piece of wood with violent
colored paints, succumbing to the artistic
fancy of q crack-brained decorator to
cover the old family sofa with white satin,
paying fabulous price for the privilege of
reclining on glorified throne in foun-
tain-studded salon for an eyebrow
pl,tcking, paying opera-seat prices for a
single admission to murder trial or
being entirely fooled by kingfish states
men. Mob emotion undoubtedly is the
ruling force in American life, but there
are many varieties of nobs. and, after all,
that which Is most aptly classed as Mrs.
Astor's horse 10 only one Of them.