Evening star., 1938-03-06
By Mary.Carte' Roberts.

Allen. New York. FdfTaI q Hlne-
hart.
TT is perhaps superfuous to remark
that Mr.. Hervey Allen, saving a
miracle, seems very likely to be
4 remembered by the American
reading public as the man who wrote
Anthony Adverse" This statement
rests on the fact that Mr.. Allen had
written several very respectable works
of prose before he brought out his
startlingly large novel, and even more
works of poetry. But nobody remen1-
bers these. Nobody remembers any,
thing but Anthony Adverse" and
probably in the future readers men,
ories will work retrospectively and any
new works from MIR. Aliens pen will
be received with pleasant intelligent
mods as coming from Anthony Ad-
verses" author. This is too bad, for
Mr.. Allen is sound and admirable
writer and has already given plenty
Of evidence that he has more than one
arrow to his quiver.
He gives more such evidence with
his present work. Action at Aquila,
his first novel since the epoch-mak-
ing Anthony" Action at Aquila" is
q fine, sturdy book. fluid with life and
marked with unquestionable power.
The fact that it is a Civil War story
in a period when Civil War stories are
fashionable of themselves regardless
of merit need not be taken against it.
1t can safely take its place among
the good novels of the day.
1t is a story of the war as seen
through the eyes of colonel in the
Union army, a Pennsylvania, a hu-
name and liberal man who fights be-
cause he is a professional soldier and
not from sectionalism or hatred. He
fights, in other words. because he Is a
fighter and it is the fighters business
to fight-and not because he sees him.
self uniquely in possession OF the proper
principles and ordained to force these
principles upon the erring ones who
differ with him. There is considerable
in the book which deals with the con-
trast between the two points of view,
and so mention of them seems to be
indicated. Mr.. Allen hates the lingo
and holds jingoism as more destruc-
tive perhaps than actual warfare. He
likewise hates the profiteer, the fan
neI-mouthed patriot and the whole
army of scavenger types which fol-
lows after the real army But for the
fighters he has respect and liking.
The great part Of the novel is con-
tained in the last two years of the war
and is occupied with the fighting in
the Valley of Virginia, The story
concerns the relationship between the
colonel and Confederate family
whose house he is ordered to burn
this being his introduction to a group
of fine and honorable people. He
carries out the command and when,
later, he is left wounded on the field.
1t is the same family who care for
him in the cabin quarters where they
have taken refuge. In this manner
the colonel meets his future wife.
Apart from the romantic story,
however, the book is telling iEdict-
ment of patriotism made" wars and
of the combination of folly and mean
ness which produce such conflicts
And more than this, it is one more of
those laments for the lost free Ameri-
can spirit. those laments which young
novelists have penned in increasing
numbers during the last few seasons.
One thinks of Michael Fosters
American Dream" as one reads 1t,
although there is no similarity be-
tween the two works except this--that
both authors have been possessed by
the beauty of our heritage as a people
and tragedy of that heritage's prosti-
tuition to forces foreign to it. Mr..
Aliens work does not carry its story
to the present day, as the Foster book
did. but, in final chapter sort OF
epilogue. 1t moves to the declaration
Of the war on Spain, when the colonel
Is an old man and stands watching
the parade of volunteers march off
to one more struggle. This chapter
contains profoundly significant sem
tence Describing the troops on their
way to the front, Mr.. Allen writes
1.-THE funeral procession of the Re-
public moved on"
The funeral procession of the Re-
public. The beginning of foreign en-
and extra-territorial am
bitions. The passage of our national
endeavor from the realm of the physi-
cal frontier, to be conquered by
physical combat, to that of commerce,
where battles are fought for money.
And similar sad matters The funeral
procession of the Republic indeed.
Mr.. Aliens novel is anything but a
tract. however. 1t is romantic and |
colorful story, the more romantic in |
that its action lies at all times strictly |
within the bounds of the possible, the |
more colorful in that its tones are |
taken from the tones of life.
DANGER is MY BUSINESS. BY John
D. Craig. New York; Simon e.
Schuster.
THIS is a book of thrills by man
whose profession is, as the title
indicates. danger. Capt. Craig is at
present in the deep-sea diving business
making a business of it, too,
although he happens to like it, for he
is the officer in charge of the deep-sea
photography incident to the efforts to
raise the Lusitania, and when he is
not working at a particular under
water job, he is busy improving his
diving apparatus. Or so he tells us in
his present book.
1t is the story of his life which be-
gan, as he sees it, at 90 When he was
no older than that he acquired for
tune in oil. The sudden wealth freed
him to follow his tastes, and he dis
covered that his tastes were for
danger. He entered on a career of
big game hunting and photography,
but gave that up after a while when
certain Rajah Pedapulli, club
fopted tiger made himself ashamed