Evening star., 1937-11-06

to belong to the autobiography-a def
mite though implied statement of the
writer's character, broad view Of
the times in which the author lived, a
good story to tell and fine style. This
book was truly a pleasure.
Sir Ronald Storrs, though a famous
man, is probably chiefly known to
America from the references made to
him by t. E. Lawrence in his Seven
Pillars of Wisdom" He was one of
the few English administrators in the
East whom Lawrence admired, but
him he admired greatly, having written
Of him that he was "the most brilliant
Englishman in the Near East
always first, and the great man among
u.s." More in detail, Sir Ronald en-
tered the Anglo Egyptian service in
1904, became Oriental Secretary to the
British Agency in Egypt in 1909, was
appointed Military Governor Of Jeru-
salem in 1917 and later was made Civil
Governor in the same city, served as
Governor and Commander in Chief OF
Cyprus from 1925 to 1882, and from
1882 to his retirement in 1884 was Gov
ernor and Commander in Chief of
Northern Rhodesia In addition to
this record he is distinguished as q
scholar and linguist. The record
which he writes here puts him down as
liberal and humanitarian. More
over, he has sense of humor.
His story is magnificent one
the account of the organization of the
Near East through the World War, the
efforts made for sanitation and restora-
ton, the infinite difficulties of dealing
with the tangled creeds and tribes of
the Near East, the wise and careful
use of influence, the struggle with Off
cials OF lesser or divergent views-a
struggle which he always viewed with
amusement-a record of life spent in
endeavors of great moment, certainly,
and yet a revelation of detachment,
philosophy and humanity. Its effect is
that of an epic tale told by a man who
saw the very hugeness of his story as
something humorous.
The "reminiscences of Lawrence will
no doubt appeal most to American
readers. These do not take up any
considerable part of the work, but
show that Sir Ronald appreciated the
genius of the Arabian revolt early in
his career. Credit for the idea of con-
solidating the Arabs against Turkey
however. he shares between himself
and Lord Kitchener He placed the
suggestion before Kitchener, he says,
knowing as he did so that it was out
of his own civilian field. Kitchener
promptly approved it. For Lawrence
he felt deep personal admiration, and
he is generous in expressing it here.
It is impossible to give an adequate
idea of the scope of this work in re-
view of limited length, Suffice it to
say that it is the autobiography of the
year so far as the reviewer is con-
cerned. And the year has by no means
been parsimonious in autobiography
There has been on an average Of three
week so far.
AUGUSTUS. BY John Buchan. Bos-
ton: Houghton Miflin Co.
THIS new biography of Rome's first
Emperor deserves attention for a
number OF reasons, but among this
number two were paramount in the
reviewers mind. One was the fine
lofty prose in which the work is writ
ten. And the other was the parallel
clearly drawn between the world in
Octavian's time and the world today.
AS the author sees it, Augustus time
was one in which a republic had come
to the end of its republican virtues,
and had reached period in which an
isolationist policy was no longer pos
sible for a successful state. Rome, in
other words, had by her military con-
quests forced condition upon the
world which her own provincial city,
state constitution was unable to handle.
She was forced to become a world
power if she was not to lose the gains
which her armies had brought her.
Among her leaders there was division
as to what course should be followed.
Some argued for a return to past
standards of government-as Brutus,
the assassin of Julius Caesar. Others
pportunists-would have exploited the
for their personal glory-as
Anthony. And everywhere was horde
of self-seekers and professional cause
mongers. In all this confusion, Oc-
tavian alone worked out and held to
a constructive far-seeing course Of
conduct. He was not, says the author,
q man of genius-"he was an average
man equipped only with sound judg-
ment and infinite patience-such a
man as in our own day might have
built kingdom in rails or OIL" It
was he who saved Rome from the con-
sequences of the conquests made by
genius, however. and gave her a lease
on life which was to endure several
centuries.
This is the thesis of the work. The
parallel between ancient times and our
own hardly needs to be pointed. Each
reader can pick his own Augustus for
himself from among our teeming lead
ers. The reviewer cannot enter on any
such speculation. But the opening
for 1t assuredly is there.
AS to the style used in the work, it is
classic in its finish and yet full of
sweep and vitality. 1t more than any
Interpretation offered by the author Of
the old story he is retelling, arrests the
attention and makes the time-honored
events fresh reading. Augustus" ts A
fine biography. It is commended un-
reservedly.
THE LIFE OF HENRY CLAY. Nv
Glyndon G. Van Deusen. Boston:
Little Brown e. Co.
FOR some weeks Mr.. Bernard Mayo's
Henry Clay" has been intermit-
tently appearing on best-seller lists,
and now we have a new life of the
stormy petrol Of Kentucky politics. Mr..
Mayos book. to be sure, was only the
first of trilogy; 1t ended with Clay's
part in bringing the United States into
the War of 1912. Mr. Van Deusen's
work, on the contrary, is a complete
life COpSidorirC fha dfHornv,,. L.