Evening star., 1935-01-13

are made on the liberties guaranteed
by the Constitution. His chapters en-
titled Trends Adverse to Popular
Government" Emergency Powers -
The Menace Of Bureaucracy" Social
Welfare" Government in Banking
and Business" Government and
Money" Cost Of Government and
THE Partisan System" give in some
detail. very clearly, his reasons for his
fear that our system OF popular gov
ernment is in danger.
JESUS: TOLD BY THE WANDER
ING JEW. BY Edmond Fleg
Translated by Phyllis Megroz.
New York: E. P. Dutton g. Co.
THE Wandering Jew figures in many
i legends and has been used as a
character by many writers of fiction
prominent among them Eugene Sue
in his romance LIE Juif Errant." One
legend, the version of Matthew Paris
OF the thirteenth century, is that the
Wandering Jew was servant of PLATE
who struck Christ as He was led out
of the palace to execution. Another is
that he was q cobbler who refused
Christ permission to sit down and
rest as he passed his house on the
way to Golgotha. A third. that fol-
lowed by Edmond Fleg, is that he was
the paralytic to whom Jesus said.
Arise, and take up thy bed and walk, "
and that he loved and followed Jesus,
but on the journey to the cross re-
fused to carry the cross for the weary
Master. All legends agree in the
sentence pronounced by Christ: Thou
shalt wander on the earth till I re-
turn" Edmond Fleg opens his story,
which must be classified as historical
fiction in spite of its abundance Of
biblical and traditional references, in
the Garden Of Gethsemane, on the
Mount OF Olives. Here he represents
himself as meeting a black bearded
man. still young, who spoke perfect
French, for with the apostles he had
received the gift of tongues, and Of
fered to be his guide to the scenes Of
the crucifixion. Mystified by the inti-
mate knowledge which his guide
showed Of those tragic events of CAL
vary, he asked his identity, and the
Wandering Jew told his own story,
and with 1t the story Of the life Of
Jesus. which is this book.
The four Gospels furnish the source
material for all the histories, fiction
and drama based on the life Of Jesus.
Modern writer's must go to them for
their primary information, which they
may supplement from Rabinical litera-
ture and embellish with their own lit
erary art. Edmond Fleg's book is for
several reasons unique in the modern
literature about the life of Jesus. In
the first place, Edmond F1eg is a
French Jew, married to a Catholic
wife, and has made thorough study
Of the Jewish background of Jesus
and all the Messianic prophecies. He
has also studied with equal thorough
ness the New Testament and other
Christian literature and chronicle, and
his understanding and reverence to-
ward the Christian point of view are
obvious. In fact, he makes the Wan
dering Jew reflect upon his Judaism
But. between ourselves, if Judaism
had only Jews Of the same caliber as
yourself to rise in its defense, there
would be no more anti-SemiteS-and
why? Because there would be nc
more Jews!" In the second place, his
insight into the characters and mo-
tives involved in the New Testament
story, his perspective covering all
Hebrew history down through the
crucifixion, his fresh and dramatic
method Of writing, make his book a
piece Of real literature, even though
it may not add any knowledge in con-
nection with the life OF Jesus. Mr..