Evening star., 1936-03-25
NEW BOOKS -
AT RANDOM
FIGHTING THE UNDERWORLD. BY
Philip s. Van Cise. Boston: Hough-
ton Miff7in Co
By Margaret Cermond.

Does the citizenship Of America want
to rid the country Of crooks, gangsters
and dope peddlers? Or does it prefer to
surrender to the enemy and thereby en-
courage the expansion of large-scale
criminal activities under the protection
of the very forces of law, order and JUS
tice that are supposed to insure the
safety of life, property and freedom? It
is inevitable that there must eventually
be a showdown. When and In what
circumstances 1t will be brought about
no one can say. Intelligent citizenship
can force the issue. But will 1t? And
how soon?
Public opinion scars to fever pitch
when aroused by the commission Of
dastardly crime that attracts Nation
wide attention. Experience has proved,
however that indignation subsidies as
delay after delay prolongs the processes
of law and justice. And against the
organized gangs engaged in the type OF
wholesale crime with which Mr.. Van
Cises book deals universal sentiment is
practically nil for the reason that its
victims seldom make themselves known
and its perpetrators are adept at buy
ing protection from State and COM
munity officials whose success at the polls
has been due in large measure to gang
money.
1t would be a splendid thing il it were
possible so thoroughly to popularize this
book about the roundup of q large
gang OF criminals that every intelligent
voter in America would want to read 1t.
1t is history of the campaign against
the famous gang of confidence men that
operated for many years under the man
agement of Lou Blonger, whose Grim
inal career in Colorado began in 1880
and continued until 1922, when he and
forty members of his gang fell into the
trap of Denvers unbuyable district
attorney.
Philip S. Van Cise became a candi-
date in the primary campaign of 1920
for the Republican nomination for dis
trict attorney for Denver. He had been
practicing law since the close of the
Great War, in which he had served as
lieutenant colonel of Infantry and as
member of the general staff of the
American Expeditionary Forces. AS as
sistant chief of staff and G-2 of the 8lSt
Division he was in charge of enemy in
telligence. He had been an officer in the
Colorado National Guard for several
years and spent six months on strike
duty in the coal fields. His honesty, in
tegrity and fearlessneSs had won the
admiration and respect of DenVer'S in
telligent citizenry He was opposed by the
Republican United States Senator and
by the city hall machine He was
promptly called upon by Blonger and
offered S25,000 cash as a campaign con-
tribution-which he refused. He won
the election. and Immediately after in
auguration set out to put an end to
Blonger'S farf1ung criminal pursuits.
Mr.. Van Cise soon learned that Blon-
ger and his vast army of workers had
protection in every branch Of the city
administration, from the mayor, the
chief of police and the courts, down to
the most insignificant laborer whose
services might be needed to cover trails
or evidence. From the beginning of his
term he was baked and double-crossed
at every turn. and the task Of bringing to
book Denver's dominating evil genius
seemed impossible. But he was determined
to wipe out the gang, however long a time
it might require. And this volume Is the
authentic story of how he studied the
problem, organized his campaign Of
action, persevered in the face Of organ
lied opposition, and, after two years of
unf1agging effort marched the infamous
seventy-three-yea old Blonger and forty
of his henchmen into criminal-proof
trap and succeeded in securing prison
terms for the entire group.
The book is more exciting than any
thrilling tale of fiction because those fig
uring in its pages are men whose names
or aliases-have occasionally appeared
in the news of the day. But more than
that, it gives to the men and women of
America who wonder why the criminal
population is not rounded up and i'm
prisoned the true story Of what goes
on behind the scenes. 1t places in hard,
cold facts the responsibility for the con-
ditions that make wholesale crime an
attractive profession in this land Of the
free and the home of the very brave. 1t
is a challenge to citizenship. If any one
doubts that statement, let him remem-
ber that the downfall of Blonger was
succeeded by an overthrow of the ad-
ministration that cleaned up Denver, and
that confidence men, gangsters and kin
dred criminal groups are again flourish
ing in that haven of crookdom.
PA HARDY. BY Eleanor Gates. New
York: Lee Furman, Inc.
The picturesque hero of this light
weight novel Is thoroughly likable poor
man whose promise to his dying wife
urged him to continue for many years q
search that he had begun for a lost
gold mine. Pa Hardy has two interests
in life-his daughter jamie and the gold
mine which he knows that he will some
day find He is genuine and thorough
prospector-philosoph kindly, Injured
to hardship and undaunted by the jeers
and sneers Of the small town idlers who
are waiting and hoping for an opportu-
nifty to declare him mentally unfit to be
at large.
Those who remember "The Poor Lit
Tie Rich Girl" will recall the pathetic
plight of nice little girl who wanted to
be normal and happy and was not al
lowed to know what freedom of thought
or action might be like. In this story
the case is partly reversed. jamie and
Pa Hardy are poorer than any one else
in the community. jamie, like the rich
child, would like to be happy and have
companions, but her shabby home, lack
of education, freckled unattractiveness
and ragged clothing cause her to be
Stunned by boys and girls alike until the
son of the constable is sent by his mother
to the Hardy shanty with jar Of pre-
serves. Being the only person OF the
village ever to have spoken kindly to her.
it is not surprising that jamie falls In love