Evening star., 1937-02-13
FRIVOLOUS THINGS IN RUSSIA
Book Holds Tale of Woman Who Went Soviet Land When
Commissioned Because She Did Not Want to Coils
tory With Writer'S Irony.

Neat? Pleasant? The reviewer
thought 80. Mr.. Johnson's book is q
collection Of essays, done with similar
neatness and very thorough irrev-
erence. Mr.. Johnson-the professor
at bay-has been for 20 years teach
ing, sometimes at Vassar, sometimes
at Syracuse and now at Union. One
feels that his classes must be pretty
good.
ZERO HOUR. BY Richard Freund.
New York: oxford University
Press.
WE HAVE here what purports to
be an unbiased handbook on
the current state of politics in Europe.
The author describes himself as born
an Austrian, brought up a German
and Anglicized by many years resi-
dence in England. Certainly he may
fairly claim that his book is without
prejudice, and it would seem to be
severely accurate too. Its weakness
lies simply in the fact that it at
tempts to give crystallized picture of
modern politics and that no po-
litical condition today is remaining
static; that, even while q book Is on
the press changes may occur that
render its data obsolete. So does the
world progress-if progress indeed
it be.
However, for q detailed, country
by-country resume Of European mat
ters, Zero Hour" Is as good as can
be found. The author draws no per-
sonal conclusions, but assemblies his
facts so that they amply bear out his
initial statement-"War is near"
Consequently, his book Is a sobering
document. It is minute in detail,
carefully authenticated and scholarly.
It can be recommended, but not for
light reading.
A WOMAN OF WASHINGTON. BY
Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr. New York:
z. P. Dutton g. Co.
7 IKE Mary Pickford. Mr.. Vanderbilt
has published novel. His prev
ious accomplishments are obligingly
summed up on the novels jacket for
the benefit Of readers. as follows:
HE has crossed the Atlantic Ocean
121 times; the Pacific A.; been around
the world four times. He has motored
across the United States SO times
three of them by trailer; has flown
across the Continent So; has crossed
by train Ill times. In Washington he
has known the embassy set; the con-
oraceioy,a1 eat. fho LyI,{fa IYo,,ca cot.
town set. He has interviewed practi-
cally every one who is anyone all over
the world. His permanent home is on
the Vanderbilt ranch, Suitcliffe, New"
And now Mr.. Vanderbilt has pub
lished novel -. It Is about wicked
beautiful woman (not a LADY, who
corrupts innocent old white-haired
Congressmen from the West for the
insidious purposes of Wall Street, or,
as he scathingly puts 1t, the money
crowd" Tsck! Tsck! Right here in
Washington, too
STRAW IN THE WIND. BY Ruth
Lininger Dobson. New York: Dodd
Mead 81 Co.
THIS is another prize winning novel;
it was granted the major 1885
award in the Avery Hopwood and julie
Hopwood contest in fiction, held at
the University Of Michigan. 1t is dull,
obvious and worthy.
II Is one Of those stories about
tyrannical old farmer who loved gold,
loved land and ruled his family with
hand Gas it were) Of iron. 1t goes
through all the customary evolutions
of novel plots based on such charac-
ters; that Is to say, the old mans son
robs him, his daughter deceives him
and his wife dies of broken heart.
Whereupon he rushes out into the
cornfield and shuckS corn at such high
pressure that he bursts blood vessel
and drops dead. 1t has all been done
many times before.
In this particular book the old
farmer Is q member OF the Anlish sect
and so speaks a German manner of
English which is very trying on the
reader. This, no doubt, is "Ameri-
cana" In past appearances the old
fellow has been a rancher, Puritan,
planter, a sea captain, mountaineer
and a Northwestern Swede. There are,
without question, occupations enough
left to provide him with a substantial
number Of reincarnations still to
come. One awaits them with Chris
tian resignation.
TOM PAINE. BY Hesketh Pearson.
New York: Harper & Bros.
THIS simply written biography Of
"the man who saved the American
Revolution" commends itself as read
able and informative. Mr.. Pearson's
purpose seems TO have been to claim
attention for Paine's great service to
our young country. Following this
line, he sums up the full number OF
his subjects contributions In a strik-
ing manner.
Paine, he reminds us. named our
country, having been the first person
to call 1t the United States; Paine
helped Jefferson draft the Declaration
OF Independence and the agreement
by which Louisiana was purchased
from Napoleon; Paine was the first
American propaganda writer Of whom
we have any record, his pamphlet,
The Crisis" having been found so
stirring that Washington ordered it to
be read aloud to the revolutionary
troops; Paine advocated a Federal
Government before any one else was
even talking about it; Paine nego-
tiated a war loan from France and
Paine wrote the first Negro emancipa-
tion proclamation.
In short, he deserves to be named
with Franklin as patriot of ingenuity
and initiative, says Mr.. Pearson, but
the sad truth Is that, apart from his
pamphlets, his work Is little known ex-
cept to students. School texts merely
mention him, and, while we assume a
current attitude of superiority to
prejudice, 1t would seem that the
obloquy which was visited on him in
his life has worked to dim his proper
fame. even to a century and a half.