Evening star., 1935-06-16
AMONG EARLY SUMNER BOOKS
German Author Contributes Novel of Genuinely Serious
Value-The Citizen and His Government" by Alfred
E. Smith-Early Victorian Novelists.

attack Gas they exist In New York, of
course) and one cannot but be inn
pressed by the practical and lucid rea-
sontng which he advances for his case.
Mr. Smith Is, of course. above all
things known al the practical man in
politics and this book further confirms
the reputation. For even in advocat-
ing his reforms he Is too worldly wise
to assume that the electorate will take
them In the least to heart. He betrays
toward the voters, rather, the attitude
that a physician might have toward q
primitive population which he wished
to persuade to consent to vaccination.
It takes time, he seems to sigh: 1t takes
education, and above all it takes some
effort toward understanding. Some
day they may get around to 1t. In the
meantime the record is thus.
It Is. inevitable that one should
wonder, in view of the vastly in
creased scope of Federal duties in re-
cent years, what would be. the pro-
cedure of so practical political sur
geon If ne were to assume position
OF central authority. But Mr.. Smith
himself. except where ne describes his
presidential campaign, makes no men
ton whatsoever of Federal response
bilities. 1t may be, of course, that his
silence is significant. At any rate,
because he is such a man as is con-
sidered by the public significant In all
his processes, even his silences, the
speculation Is an interesting one.
Another aspect of value to be gath
cred from the book is the revelation
of the manner in which so seasoned
campaigner regards the party sys-
tenn. This revelation. 10 be sure, must
be drawn chiefly by the readers infer
ence Mr.. Smith does not discuss the
question openly. He deals with it
rather as a thing too obvious to be
mentioned-if one is TO play chess one
must use chessmen. But at times his
unthinking commitment to the sys-
tenn cannot but amuse the reader
whose political thinking is so dilet-
tante as to be non-partisan. For
example, after telling with great
frankness Of the pressure brought on
the Governor by friends and support
ers to appoint incompetents to Office
as a reward for their nelp, and Of the
natural human difficulty in refusing
such requests, he then remarks that
independence in such matters is really
best in the long run, because, he says,
it will assist the executive to secure
reelection and, incidentally, he adds
IL also helps the party. A practical
man, indeed.
This occasional naivete adds to the
entertaining quality of an otherwise
pretty solid book. and gives rise irre-
sistibly 10 the reflection that. If the
sophisticated thinker Is apt to be
inept in the world of affairs, the exact
reverse may be equally true. Viewed
In this manner, Mr.. Smiths book
becomes even more instructive per-
haps than its hopeful Jacket writer
has imagined. For 1t gives not only
a description Of the political institu-
tons of one of our great States: 1t
gives also an insight into the mind
of man who has distinguished him
self as the outstanding political real
ist of our day. The book itself has
nothing to do with political trends.
but the student Of trends may still
find value in it. In this one cir
cun1stance alone.
EARLY VICTORIAN NovELIsTs.
BY Lord David Cecil, author of
THE Stricken Deer" Indiansp-
oils: The Bobbs Merrill Co.
TSrTTC t..oh, d. x,.,hI1,L.S ,-,1tx, 49,
authors own predatory remark
that 1t is slight" Accepted as such.
there is little more TO be said of it
in a critical vein. It is series Of
eight essays-one on The early Victo-
rian novel in general, and one each
on Dickens, Thackeray, Charlotte
Bronte, Emily Bronte and "Wuthering
Heights" Mrs. Gaskell, Anthony Troll
lope and George Eliot.
The material from which these es-
says are gathered was a series Of
lectures which the author delivered
at oxford University. And. while the
work is done with scholarly urbanity
of manner. perhaps an agreeable.
placid, didactic, undergraduate quality
is its outstanding critical charac-
teristic. The authors enthusiasns
and his (far rarer) rebukes are tenn
pered with benign gentleman -schol-
arly quality which makes them very
good reading. To peruse the book in
deed is to remember. with sort of
nostalgia, the more amiab1e aspects of
undergraduate English courses and
even to hear, behind the sentences
on the page, the eager PROFESSIONAL
voice calling the sternal freshman
to look down from The great heights
of youth-on literature.
1t is evident that the authors ac-
uuaintance with his subject is as
loving as 1t is intimate. He appar-
emily feels toward his novelists as the
Dickens lover feels toward Sam Wei
Ter or Mr.. Micawber-as II they were
privileged old friends, whose faults
are sometimes Rlaring, but who must
De cherished for the beauty which
their presences bestow. There are as
suredly many people today who love
the works OF the illustrious septet
which this book celebrates. TO all
these IL will be mellow and profitable
reading And 10 those whose ac-
quaintance with the eminent Victo-
rians is slight OF there be any such)
the work may be genuinely 1nstruc-
tive. NC. r.
THE LAST OF FREE AFRICA: the
account of an expedition into Abys-
siaia, with observations on the
manners, customs and traditions
of the Ethiopians, with some
pungent remarks on the anomalous
political situation that at present
obtains between this ancient king
dom and the nations of the world
BY Gordon MacCreagh, author Of
white Waters and Black" etc.
Second Edition. New York: D. APP
pleton- Century Co.
TT IS rare that second edition of a
traUei hoox will stand test, 1t Is