Evening star., 1937-12-26
By Mary.Carfer Roberts.
MY NEW WORLD. BY Ernest Dimnet
New York: Simon & Schuster,

sections-"Paris," The War" and
America" and Of these the third is as
long as the two others together.
In the first section the author tells
Of his coming to Paris to teach in
Stanislaus College and of his early
work as writer. It was in this time
that he wrote lie Pensee Catholique
en- Angleterre Contemporaries" which,
to his subsequent surprise, was placed
on the Index as work associated with
the movement of modernism. 1t is
Interesting to read the whole story Of
the condemnation here. and to note
that. in spite of the banning of its own
book. Able Dimnet defends the Index
Is wise institution. His work had
previously received the "imprimatur'
Of the French clergy and when it was
included In the Index there were pro-
tests from leading churchmen. How
ever. 1t remained banned. The
theological wars of dead decade are
told here with family whimsical de-
tachment, as if the author himself
realized the passing nature Of SEEM
1ngly urgent disputes.
The second section Of the book deals
with the war period, in which the
author taught, wrote and visited the
wounded His account OF those dark
days is vivid and sensitive.
When he comes to his "reminiscences
Of America, however, the able aban-
dons the continuous use of straight
narrative form and gives, from time
to time, sections of his journal-not
sections taken consecutively, but skip
ping back and forth across the years,
comparing, as it were. impressions Of
one journey to our country with those
Of another. His observations about us
are keen, but. to the reviewer. it seemed
that he found himself preoccupied
mostly with our superficial traits and
surface manifestations. He himself
seems aware Of this, for he remarks:
Il shall never know America as well
Is q native does, because an Ameri-
can-though knowing about his coun-
try Infinitely less than he imagines-
has accumulated more subconscious
information about it than I can ever
hope to gather. But" he adds. Il am
more interested in America than
Americans are"
The lack of this "subconscious in
formation" is apparent throughout the
abbe's comments on our country. He
looks at us with the sharp detachment
Of . foreigner, and of foreigner,
moreover, who is deeply imbued with
the "subconscious" of his own land.
The book, therefore, becomes the
record Of the mind Of 100 per cent
Frenchman"-if one may imagine such
Q thing-looking over a strange new
world in which he sees much
theoretical good and promise. For
intense nationalism-one uses the word
in q sense much broader than its cur
rent political interpretation-of the
author is the great conditioning agent
of Able Dimnets thought and style.
That convenient Gallo sharpness,
which sees everything so clearly and
so logically within narrow focuses, and
refuses to see any disturbing factors
which might tend to blur the happy
clarity, is evident in every line of work.
Yet Able Dimnet is a delightful
writer. He imparts interest to the
smallest event-probably because of
that very intensity of positive vision.
His book undoubtedly contains much
matter that will appeal to his Catholic
dAYR r1ncnlvy fhoyo r. Hnoc f0
those of other faiths who take up the
work, but even so it should be read.
It is the story of an enlightened mind
working in accordance with Christian
principles; its words might do much
toward helping the holders Of different
Christian faiths to understand one
another.
FAREWELL SPAIN. BY Kate O'Brien.
Garden City: Doubleday Doran.
THERE has been, as who needs to
be told, q great outpouring of
books on Spain in these recent
months. Many Of them have had
the merit Of being frst-person ac-
counts Of the fighting of the civil
war. Few Of them, however, have
had any particular literary merit,
although such critics as espouse one
or the other sides of the struggle have
from time to time heralded works
which suited their own biases as
magnificent compositions. Actually,
however, little has come out of the
Spanish War to date that can be
rated above journalism. Some of it
has been glorified journalism, to be
sure, but against that it may be
pointed out that the question per-
sists rs to whether journalism is ever
improved by glorification, and whether
the telling Of . plain tale is not the
best way to set story down. But
such q consideration, obviously, has
not greatly troubled those ambitious
young men who, enlisting for the
minimum period in the famous In
ternational Legion, have taken a
great many notes while fighting q
AAVtgCs OAO A1SAA CVAAlC 11OkllC WILL
Q flaming book all ready for the
waiting press.
The present book on Spain Is by
Q novelist Of some distinction and
fortunately in writing Of that un-
happy land she has not seen it
necessary to forego the high stand-
ards which have marked her past
work. She writes not Of the Spanish
War, however, but Of the Spain which
she loved before the war made her
cry, ~ she does in her title, Pare
WELL" She cannot help referring to
the war and she puts her attitude
toward 1t with unmistakable clear
ness: Spain, as she sees 1t, has been
. land following its own pace, out
Of the current Of Europe's political
fashions. Now. with inexplicable hor-
ror, 1t Is made the battle-ground for
two Of those fashions, murderously
engaged. The war constitutes in
Vasion by the dreadful modern spirit
Of uniformity Of the last land Of
individuality, Is she sees it. So
farAvell Snaini Che doAS not exoAct