Evening star., 1937-08-07

- 49, ~ : 49, $&#a
CREDO FITCH HARRIS,
Author OF "Microphone Mem
OirS," about the horse and
buggy days OF radio, published
this 1Deek. fBobbS MerriHJ
democratic proud islanders and with
complete contempt for any form Of law.
There were not many of them
only a few hundreds--but Americans.
reading the shocking story, may well
stop to reflect that the American who
wrote it saw them as more like his
own countrymen than any other group
which he encountered in Europe. And
think little over what might lie
behind the statement Of their re-
semblance to ourselves.
MICROPHONE MEMOIRS. BY Credo
Fitch Harris. Indianapolis; Bobbe
Merrill Co.
THIS cheerful book is made up OF
the "reminiscences OF a pioneer
=
his recollections Of the horse and
buggy" days of radio. 1t is easy read
ing and ought to find large public
among the radio-minded people who
make up such a very considerable por-
ton Of the public today.
The author was chief executive of
Station WHAS of Louisville, KY. one
Of the earliest broadcasting outfits
He says that, on the morning when he
was offered the job, he had hardly
heard of radio and had no idea of what
a broadcssting station was supposed to
accomplish. But the sponsor knew
even less about it. so 1t was up to him
to devise his own method of making
the ether afford entertainment to the
populaee.
He writes of the difficulties of get
ting acceptable talent in the days
when performers were not paid, of the
growth Of fan mail, Of his startled sem
sations when he first received love
letters from women VINO found his way
Of saying goodnight" irresistible. of
his project of using the radio to find
missing people, of various comic va
rieties of microphone fear. of the ap-
pearance in his Office OF the original
hill billy" ballad singer-long be-
fore mountain ballads tso-called) had
become fashionable and Of many other
problems and projects which were
common to the infancy Of radio enter
tainment.
He uses light touch and is gener-
ally amusing. AS has been said his
book can be recommended to every one
who has an interest in the great in
door diversion Mothers may even read
the passages devoted to describing the
old ear phones to their children, say
ing, See. my dears, the inconven-
fences with which your poor parents
had to struggle
FALSE FACES ON QUALITY
STREET. BY David Milton Proc
tor. Baltimore: Brown Book Co.
I Asst year David Milton Proctor
wrote small book called Pay
Day" in which he tried to warn opti-
nlStic voters that somebody would
have 10 foot the bills that were so
gayly run up by the prevailing dynasty
Over million copies Of that work were
sold and 1t Is today in its eleventh
edition. The device which the au-
! thor used was that of having father
write ms political views to his son in
a series Of letters. In the present work
Mr., Pr1dF r employs this method once
again, now his purpose is not to
| issue warnings as to the future. but TO
trace the recent past. His letters cover
/ the period between 1918 and 1884. and
/ their subject is the rise of municipal
| corruption and that recent awakening
/ OF public conscience which has resulted
( IN the breaking or weakening of boss
/ rule IN many American cities.
/ The scene Of the action is Larcen
( City, in which the power for clean
/ government has for many years beer
! cantered in "a locally-owned daily
paper. The old owner of the paper
/ dies and corrupt interests acquire pos
! session Prohibition begins; It Is fol
/ lowed by the evils of bootleg8ing
( gangSterism, political protection fol
| lawbreakers and crooked elections
/ Racketeering develops later, and The
/ city becomes headquarters for kid.
| naperS. Business men who resist the
| leylcs of the gangsters find no protec.
ton in the courts and are forced ou'
| Of business. The situation, as it i
represented, contains all the classic
evils Of corrupt city government. Tht
| mechanism by which such a steam
roller developed in this particular city
says the author. was the adoption O
the commission form OF city constitu
ton. But whether he means genera
indictment Of that municipal system /.
not stated
The state Of Larcen City become
sufficiently bad at last for the citizen
TO rise In revolt. They throw out tn.
boss and elect for Mayor a young mar
whose principles are known to be aboy'
reproach Things look better and tn.
people settle down hoping 10 be- al
loved to operate their businesses IL
peace.
The hook seems 10 t~ history o
gan9sterism in its relation "A, city poll
tics. u comes at time yhnn IN
I memory of gang warfare and gan,
terror is still fresh, and 50 ought T.
| find p responsive chord In man,
minds. The author nses the spipram
matjcsl style vhrnf made his Pa