Evening star., 1936-02-02
A CLEAR PICTURE is OFFERED
Sir Arthur Wert Seeks Give Ordinary Reader Background
Of Old World CHISHOLM Erskine, Favorte Author of
Women. Turns Against Them-Week's Books Reviewed.

others. While the question Is not de-
cided, the book, being purely de-
bater's help, there would seem to be
here an excellent background for the
formation Of an opinion. One can
commend the book seriously for that
purpose.
THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN
AND ITS CURE. BY John Erskine.
Indianapolis: Bobbs Merrill Co.
THIS book one Is likely to take up
with an anticipation, based on its
authors reputation, that 1t will be. II
not profound. still amusing, polished
and. within Mr.. Erskine's familiar linn
Its. convincing. One is apt to assume
from its title that the work will be
another Of those written in every age
by the current fashionable philosopher
on the Oldest reliable masculine joke.
One prepares oneself, therefore. for
something suave. ironical and witty.
One Is cruelty disappointed.
For Mr. Erskine, in his latest vol
ume, is concerned not one whit about
being suave. ironical or witty. He is
concerned not for one second about
being amusing, polished or even dn
his despair, convincing. The fashion,
able philosopher has been caught sadly
mapping He is, in THE influence of
Women" deadly. almost tearfully seri-
Gus. 1t is most embarrassing lapse.
1t is a lapse. too. which. If women
were less good-natured might have
hard consequences for Mr.. Erskine
personally. 1t Is lapse, one reflects,
that is potentially fraught with a
straight hard wallop at Mr.. Erskine's
pocketboot For no one can deny that
his popularity as an author heretofore
has been almost exclusively among
women-and among the very class Of
women which his present book at
tacks-the leisured ones. The reviewer
can state that never has she known
man recognizable as such) who has
been able to finish one of those
naughty, rougish tales on which Mr..
Erskine's present fame as novelist
rests. On the other hand, she has sell
dom met leisured woman who did
not go practically into ecstacies over
the Erskine literary genre Now that
is a dirty crack, and may seem like hit
ting below the belt, but 1t is true, and
the professor has unquestionably asked
for it. Iiterarily, he has been the idle
woman's parlor pet. He really ought
not bite the hands that have been
feeding him.
If man is going to b. funny-and
one had honestly hoped that Mr..
Erskine was-then nobody will be-
griudge him the license OF the humor-
ist to expand and arrange the facts.
But if he is going to serious-if he is
simply going to break down and sob,
in the excess of his earnestness-then
he ought to be logical, because with
out logic in such a case he is apt to
sound pretty near hysterla. You could,
as a matter of fact, throw the Empire
State Building through some of the
holes in Mr.. Erskines present argu-
ment, because he has not made it i'm
portant enough. No one is likely to do
it, of course Particularly is it unlikely
| tAht duy NOAidt WAL 1AohC VIC c1oi L,
for women will naturally feel sorry for
him. That is, OF course, another nasty
crack-and truthful one.
1t is, indeed, too bad that his excess
of despair over the parlous state OF
the American male has driven this
author into such incoherence, for. in
substance, there is merit in some of his
argument. No one would deny that
The argument takes as its starting
point that We have in our society to-
day class of women who accept a
great deal and contribute very little.
Mr.. Erskine goes on from this to say
that as these women have looked