Evening star., 1937-07-31


wv articles just beginning in
Harpers Magazine, the first
one appearing in the August issue
They are by Mrs. Bainbridge Colby,
whose husband was Secretary OF State
under President Wilson. They tell
the story of Mrs. Colbys life as first
lady of the cabinet, and are called
washington Wife
The piece in the August magazine
describes her first White House din
ner, her first meeting with the other
ladies OF the cabinet, her selection
OF a home and servant staff, her sem
sations generally over having her hus-
band lifted to so conspicuous post.
She writes with humor and = sure,
light touch.
The waste OF time in 1920's social
exchange was unbelievable" she re-
marks. Serious as a nursery game,
packets OF cardboard had to be
dumped from house to house.
Its Croats and Slovenes today
Charlie would say In the morning.
Each Croat and Sloyene lady had two
cards and each gentleman one. My
own days were just as bad. The card
bowl in the hall had to be emptied
every afternoon like a basin. Soon
after luncheon lines formed down the
block All the visitors from the West
and South came to carry home from
their trip the home life Of our dear
Secretary OF State. Custom opened
ones doors to them. The file OF peo-
pie was tailless for hours Many
sophisticates thought the whole thing
= great bore. but it always amused
me, like opening hands Of cards, to
see the row OF nondescript oncom-
ing faces"
Those who remember Mrs. Colby,
and those who are taking an interest
in the frequently appearing books on
doubtless follow the series. 1t seems
to begin very pleasantly, anyway.
WRITING in an amazingly placid
fashion, Emilio De Bono. Mar
shall OF Italy, tells in the August Har-
pers Magazine how he and Premier
Mussolini planned the Italian invasion
Of Ethiopia and laid down prepara-
tions for the attack well in advance
OF the opening OF hostilities.
The article Is, as the editors ex-
plain, made up Of excerpts from Mar
shall De Bonos forthcoming book.
which is a detailed account OF the
plans and execution of the whole Ethi-
opian campaign The introduction to
the book has been written by Musso-
lini and is given in full with the article.
The excerpts from the marshal's
book are chosen to give an idea OF
the deliberate manner in which the
Italians planned the conquest. In the
beginning. 1t WAS their intention. says
the marshal, to await an attack from
some disaffected Ras, to follow this
with a counter attack and an inva-
sion. But no such attack took place,
although Mussolini instructed his ON
Ger concerning the famous WalWal
incident ss follows:
I'VE shall see how the Wal-Wal
affair turns out If no solution OF
the incident is offered, or If it is not
such as to satisfy U.S. we shall follow
subsequent events exclusively in ac-
cordance with our own standpoint"
As to the possibility that q solution
might have been reached. however,
the marshal says frankly in another
part Of the article. 1T was the Autumn
Of 1888. (The Wal-Wal incident oc-
CURED in l934D The Duce had spoken
to no one Of the coming operations in
East Africa only he and knew what
was going to happen. and no indiscre-
ton occurred by which the news could
reach the public"
The lack Of hostile action by the
Ethiopians, however, did not long keep
the Italians chaf1ng. They regretted
it, but, as the marshal puts it, From
the plan Of maneuvered defensive,
followed by a counter defensive, We
were obliged to change over to the
plan Of an offensive action
And 80 they did. But obliged"
seems somehow just little too fresh
faced and innocent. Even for Mus
WcIc IIlCS really OUlkeu
Do they expect us to believe it? Well.
the word is that of the leader and
planner of the expedition. He has
written 1t himself. And he Is an old
man. How i'll it would become the
youth of the world to disbelieve him!
HARPER's, 1t should be said, has a
new cover No more the bright
orange red distinguishes this veteran
on the newsstands. 1t is now light
cream color with gold borders. 1t
looks very tasty, too Rich. as it were.
but not gaudy The size, however. re-
mains the same. Harper's still is not
pocket sized neither is it spreading
out, like It's colleague. Scribners, into
the wide fiat thin format OF the two
courses, obviously, the latter is in
finitely preferable. When Harper's
goes into pocket editions, then indeed
will the dignity Of American mAga-
zines be fallen.
nISAPPROVING elders who have
been prophesying direful things to
overtake the postwar youth for some
years now may be pleased or annoyed,
according to temperament. by an ar
ticle in the current Scribner's given
over to discussing the present state OF
that generation. The title Of the piece
announces it's theme 1t Is ours Was
the Best Generation" The author Is
Gene Shuford.
Says the author. THE Period OF the
Psyche, in which we, as a college gen.
Grafton lived, covers roughly the mid
die twenties-though for some it may
run much later. 1t has been followed