Evening star., 1937-12-26

w. QUOT, MIS-. fOQOT, france
Sinclair Le1Uis (Houghton Mi6li
and can be commended to those
whose ideal of the novel is a serious
Photographic study Of a period.
TO QUITO AND BACK. BY Ben
Hecht. New York: Covici Friede.
THIS is Ben Hecht's first play in
five years and also the first pro-
duction Of the Theater Guild for the
1878 season. 1t deals with a native
uprising Communists versus Fascists
again in Ecuador and the manner in
which this event acts upon the char
acter Of visiting American novelist.
To the reviewer it reads like pretty
good theater, which means. Of course,
that 1t abounds in time-honored cliches
colorfully camouhaged.
And that would seem to be about
the size of 1t. Communism versus
Fascism, while by no means a bright,
fresh idea, is still, literarily speaking,
in high fashion, and to put it on in
a good, heart-throbbing theatrical
piece is to win the plaudits of those
who like to be fashionable without
having to think about it. Mr.. Hecht
has shown for many years his great
ability in concocting books and plays
which strike just this desire, and here
he has done it again.
His hero, the visiting novelist. is a
Weakling who crates. like many an
other Hecht hero, that nothing
nothing-has ever had any meaning
to him but words, words, words, He
has deserted his wife to run away with
a young woman named Lola, and now
he forfeits Lola's love by his inability
to distinguish what has happened from
what he wishes would happen. But
the revolution comes-and his soul is
regenerated and off he goes to die
upon the barricades, and the women
weep. Tsck! Tsck! Yes, the play even
has that one. The women weep. Al
most nothing, you see, has been omit
ted.
JOURNALISTS WIFE. BY Lillian T.
Mowrer. New York: William Nor
rev.
JOURNALISTS WIFE is a some
what modest title for Lillian T.
Mowers account of political and cul-
tural changes in Europe in the last 20
years.
It is true that the title and the first
three chapters Of the hook were COM
posed under the shadow Of her hus-
band, Egar Ansell Mowrer, Chicago
Daily News foreign correspondent
After that, however, Mrs. Mowrer geta
into her stride and proves herself q
shrewd and penetrating commentator
on the passing European show.
The style Is clear and straightfor-
ward, and moves with Q swing from
her first encounter, in train, with
her husband to be to her final conclu-
sion that it is better to die than to be
afraid!
The most interesting feature OF the
book Is the way in which Mrs. Mowrel
shows the development of the Fascism
VS.. Communism struggle in italy, Ger
many and France.
While the political opinions OF the
writer will please no one. they Will
prove least agreeable to the proponents
Of the Fascist state. Though she con.
demns each system with vivid recital
of its defects, her treatment Of die
tators becomes positively vitriolic
They, she says, from Alexander
Caesar and Napoleon to Hitler, Musso-
lini and Stain, want power. Theirs
is an appetite which cannot be stilleo,
but only whetted by concessions"
She shows us Germany delivered up
to Hitler at q time when he was losing
popular support and the faith OF the
industrialists who had given him his
first boost on the political ladder.
She quotes the aged Presidents re-
mark as he watched Hitler's torch
light procession of Nazis march
through Berlin in celebration OF his
rise to the chancellorship. Il did not
realize that we had captured 80 many
Russian prisoners" said President Pau
Won Hindenburg.
There is the description of the San
Reno Conference, where world famous
personalities met. Lloyd George Is
described as an amazingly vital figure
with 4 personal magnetism which he
turns of and on like IN electric light.
But Mrs. Mowers book Is not only
political. There is the literary and
artistic life Of the left bank OF Paris
In 1913. the amazing development OF
the German theater. during the re-
public. social life In Rome, the growth
Of . Woman's Rights party In nsrce
little Albania, the problem Of house.