Evening star., 1936-10-28
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
MARGARET GERMOND.
THREE -WHEELING THROUGH
AFRICA. BY James c. Wilson. In

ophy of the theorists and shocked by the
knowledge, born Of painful experience, OF
the cold, bald fact that education for
life OF usefulness cannot be acquired by
Degrees, decided to remove themselves
from the scene Of an economic order in
which there was no opportunity for the
exercise Of their talents and to make
q trip around the world in an effort
to add something Of practical value to
the mass Of book larnin'" that had
failed to qualify them for the common
privilege Of earning living.
These two had travelled together in
earlier days, one time dish washing their
way to Alaska and sailing down the
Yukon in rowboat. By the familiar old
methods OF going places" they set out
on their journey on the basis Of working
the world on their way around. Leav-
ing Lincoln. Nebr., they trudged down
the highway, minus coats, one Of them
bearing the burden Of a small shoulder
Slung camera and banjo, the other
swinging red, two-gallon gasoline can.
"Outa gas?" asked the driver Of car
headed in the same direction.
Yeah, outa gas"
though luck. I get that way myself
sometimes Climb in
A lifI-the first fruit Of the scheme to
work the world on their way around!
The gasoline can, hinged at the top,
contained two toothbruShes and two
pairs of socks. Jim Wilson and Francis
Flood were ON their way! Across country
to New York, where a big freighter, about
to sail for West Africa, offered an OppOr-
tunity for the second lap of trip that
turned out to be one Of the most amazing
experiences in adventure in which any
two soldiers of fortune ever participated.
BY the time the freighter docked at
Lagos both young men were bored by
life on board ship. A few days on shore
resulted in the termination OF q new
idea. For no sane reason or purpose
they decided to cross Africa from west
to east by motor cycle over route never
before traversed by motor vehicle. Some
ten or more years ago a motor train.
equipped with caterpillar tractors,
crawled bit to the north of Lake
Chad but 1t remained for two incredibly
self-reliant Americans to hatch the hare
Drained ambition to engage in a motor
cycle expedition over thirty-eight hun
dred miles of jungle foot paths, caravan
trails and military road. one-third OF
the distance lying through territory in
French Equatorial Africa, which no
American had ever entered, and six
hundred miles of it through a desert
over which no wheeled vehicle had ever
been driven.
Every outpost commander along the
route received them with the greeting
that their performance was incredible
and endeavored to persuade them that
it would be impossible for them to reach
the next post. Five months later, how
ever, they jolted down from the Eritrean
hills on the remnants of their sidecar
cycles to MasSawa, on the Red Sea.
Red-eyed grimy, bearded their machines
falling apart under them. but still un-
daunted by experiences which few pos
Sess the endurance to survive, they
reached the end of a fantastic journey
that rivals the monumental achieve
ments of the heroes of mythology.
A picturesque and amusing map dec
crates the inside covers of the volume,
which is in keeping with the breezy,
light hearted style Of the narrative.
Three-wheeling through Africa, with no
equipment, no interpreters nothing upon
which to rely except their own wits,
courage and determination, proved to be
a comedy in many acts with tragedy
lurking at every turn. Let James c. Will
son tell you about it in one of the best
narratives of a modern adventure expe-
dition that has been written in a long
time. The book Is profusely illustrated
with photographs and is filled to over
flowing with thrills that are real and
laughs that spring from that extraordi-
nary sense of humor that is the eternal
blessing of the American race.
THE COURT OF FAIR MAIDENS. BY
Wilhelm Speyer. New York: Simon
g. Schuster.
In foreword to this novel of warriors,
plotters and lovely ladies Mr.. Hendrix
Van Loon writes:
ITO publish a Mozart minuet at q
time when concert-goers will sit uncon-
cernedly through composition OF Com
rade Shostakovitch. or to recommend
bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape when
the customers clamor loudly for prohibi-
ton gin, these are things that require
an extraordinary degree Of courage"
The implication, of course, Is that some
especially fine brand Of courage was re-
quired to produce novel Of fine texture
| in an age which has little appreciation
| of the superior arts. He also says that
when he took the volume home to read he
hid 1t behind a famous book which he
felt sure would never be touched, and
that he saved it to enjoy alone at such
times as he was assured of uninterrupted
pleasure.
Well, Mr.. Van Loon may be right, but
considering the wealth Of untouched ma
terial available for fictional treatment
Of historic eras and events, 1t Is not
easy to muster any exceptional degree OF
enthusiasm over an imaginary duchy IN
| the Napoleonic period which was famed
throughout Europe for its beautiful
| women.
Europe in the early part OF the nine
| teenth century is in state OF war, and
the young Duke Johann Christoph, ruler
of Reuthe, yearns nightly to join the
revolutionaries and share their lot in
| the turmoil. Necessity has made him
Shrewd in the management OF his small
kingdom, however, and he Is determined
to preserve its neutrality at all costs. One
| of the costs is an arrangement for the
| marriage of his sister to Russian grand
duke. and another is the necessity Of
marrying one of his princeSses to the
favorite general of Napoleon. But he
| makes the very serious mistake OF fall
ing to reckon upon the women he plans
| so easily to dispose of.
With this situation as working basis
| for the plots counter-plots, love affairs
and political intrigues, Mr.. Speyer weaves
a story that is undeniably entertaining as
bit of sideshow on the times and con-
Is ! I, al