Evening star., 1938-07-03

lwest Passage" His latest book
tie BrOWnJ
ern American coasting vessel he char
acterizes as the ideal ships-designed
to pay the most for each dollar in
vested" true test of fitness and the
right to live. Yet, under various
classif1cations of merchant marine
strength, the United States ranks
from fifth to eighth place among the
marine powers.
He sounds warning that unless a
miracle Is worked, we will continue
to remain poor in ships, even though
We have in the rs years since 1914
spent nearly four billions OF public
funds in a desperate effort to keep
the Stars and Stripes on the sea-"
Here is volume which the average
American can take to heart, not only
because it is a stirring, vivid history
OF some Of our brightest national
triumphs. but because it Is full OF
truths which every American inter-
ested in his heritage and future should
Know. S. E,
HUMOR AND HUMANITY. BY Ste
phen Leacock. New York: Henry
Holt g. Co.
ESSENTIALLY a handbook for stu
dents of humor. Mr.. Leacock's
wide yet sketchy book possesses that
which should stir at least the aca-
demic- minded Of the reader public
into appreciation. Mr.. Leacock. him.
self no mean coaxer of laughs, focuses
scientific eyes on other members of
his profession. some long departed
and others too much alive. and gives
vent to an erudite consideration of
the topic at large.
Humor, that pre-eminent yet mys-
terious force which is the shock
absorber for these "slings and arrows
OF outrageous fortune" (Hamlet-Act
III. Scene u, is divisible into nine
parts" Mr.. Leacock's slide rule in
cludes the expression OF humor in
words tpuns. bad spelling. misused
terms. etc. and ideas parody, traves-
ty. etc.. Mr.. Leacock then analyses
the humor OF situation and character,
comic verse, humorous" poetry, the
craftsmanship or ability to convey
humor and finally the serious signifi-
canoe Of humor.
The author uses here a highly en-
joyable treatise style with his own
witty perception reflected in enter
tanning veroiage. He cites all those
who typify landmarks in humor, with
such examples as Daudet and his Tar.
tarin, Moliere and his Jourdain,
Dickens and his Pickwick, w. S. Gill
bert, Robert Benchley, Mark Twain.
1t is gratifying to see the name Of
Dickens extolled as the acme of char
acter humorists that he is. and of
Cervantes as the liberator OF human
feeling with Don Quixote leading the
way on Rosinante.
This book aims for a greater con-
sciousness and appreciation OF the
value of laughter. is,
AMERICAN NAVAL SONGS AND
BALLADS. Edited by Robert w.
Neeser. New Haven: Yale Univer-
sity Press.
NOTHING contributes more to the
morale of a growing military or
naval service than the songs and
stories inspired by the gallant feats of
its officers and men. The United
States Navy was fortunate throughout
its early life in this respect. Mr..
Neeser. who has some fame as a stu
dent Of American naval history and
who has embodied the fruits of his
studies in a number Of volumes of
naval historical works, has collected
into this book the best songs and ball
lads of the American Navy from the
Revolution to 1882.
The collection is limited almost ex-
clusively to the period Of sail-the true
days of the "old Navy''-because, as
Mr.. Neeser explains, the period of
steam and steel has contributed al
most nothing worthy Of place in
such a collection.
You may find some Of the songs
crude from the standpoint of good
literature. but they all have one thing
In common-they breathe with the
vigorous sturdy spirit of the events
which created them. They presArve
the story Of many of the most glorious
days In our naval annals.
In the early days Of the Navy the
more popular songs were published in
the form of 'broadsides" and sold for
q few cents. They were sung in con-
cert halls and at social gatherings and
unquestionably went far in their pa
triotic effect. Facsimiles Of number.
Of these broadsides are included in the
volume
No American need apologize for the
caliber Of the poems, songs and bal
lads of his Navy. They are full of the
national spirit and are distinctive,
colorful part Of our national back
ground. J. s. E.
THIRD CLASS TICKET TO HEAVEN.
by Helen Follett. Philadelphia:
John G. winston Co.
ERAU FOLLErr always wanted to
go to the Black Forest and live
with the peasants, see the locale Of
Grimm's fairy tales and imbibe troll
lore At first hand. Being . writer of
travel books, she found it easy to make
her writing an excuse for fulfilling her
lifelong ambition. She went to the
Black Forest, she lived with the peas
ants, she saw the locale Of Grimms
fairy tales. filled up on troll lore and
then she wrote q book about it. And
that's that.
The book does not succeed in imbu-
ing the reader with Frau Follett's AM
bition. It is our understanding that no
travel book is successful that does not
inspire the reader to Immediately 60
out and do nkewise-or at least want
to. The sane American reader who
would want to emulate Frau Follett Is