Evening star., 1938-06-05
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

Viking PROF..
-HE author of this book Is de-
scribed by its publishers in the
jacket blurb which, with sweet
i submissiveness they concede
10 custom, as "unquestionably one
Of the greatest biographers Of this
generation" And, certainly. Herr
Ludwig has much to justify the COM
mercially inspired statement. His sales
are enormous; he has but to place
his name to q work to have Americans
buy 1t in what must be to his frugal
European mind most gratifying num-
bers. His royalties are, therefore,
rrincely and his publishers sincerity
IN nominating him 4 genius conse-
quently cannot be doubted. To their
purposes he Is genius, pearl
among authors, champion hen lay
ing an unfailing literary egg every
time he goes to the nest, a sturdy
and dependable auctorial COW whose
streams Of saleable milk are rich and
copious. Or, in their own words (since
1t is biography in which he spe-
ciali1es) "one OF the greatest bog
raphers Of this generation" 1t Is
only . critic, detached from and
amused by the Mdicrous pretense.
insincerity and pomposity OF the lit
erary market generally, who may VEN
turs to differ. Unfortunately. this
description Of the critical attitude
does not apply to any great number
Of the members Of the present writer's
profession.
THERE must be some, however, who
view Mr. Ludwig for what he is
q gifted and plausible penman who
knows q good thing when he finds 1t,
one Of that happy body Of European
writers who have gotten hold over
the childish American sense OF Won
der and are cleaning up on 1t In q
manner profitable beyond anything
their native lands could possibly offer
them, q body which includes In its
membership such undisputed pontiffs
over American opinion Is Mr.. H. G..
Wells and M. Andre Maurois, to name
q couple.
All Of these gentlemen write neatly,
all OF them have . popular" style,
and all of them have . fiashy ca
pacity for propounding shallow pro-
fundities in a master masician's man
ner. They are the natural authors
for the semi-educated. They pander
to the half-educated mans longing
for self-improvement by seeming to
write educational" books, and at the
same time serve his mental limitations
by setting before him nothing that
will arouse his honest curiosity or
drive him to real intellectual effort.
They agree with him, in other words.
They tell him subtly what splendid
fellow he Is and reduce the whole
matter Of history and philosophy to
a sweet pap which he can take down
painlessly and even with relish. Nat
urally they have wide publics.
And naturally, too. their publishers
have done everything possible to build
up for them q prestige as profound
thinkers whose words have the magical
effect Of bestowing culture and So
cially pleasing erudition. Use our
mouth wash and find yourself the life
Of the party. Read this great Euro
pean writer and dazzle the dinner
table by your knowledge OF affairs.
There is really little to choose between
the two bits of copy. They are de-
signed to appeal to identical men,
talities. .'
THIS is not to say, of course, that the
authors themselves are half-edu-
Gated fellows. Far from it. Such
men are often of deep learning.
Their attitude toward disciples IL,
indeed, indicative Of a great degree of
philosophical understanding But sue
cess is heady medicine and sometimes
1t comes about that one Of these gen.
tlemen will underrate the capacity Of
even his well-trained public for guilt
bility. 1t appears to the reviewer that
that is what has happened to Herr
Ludwig in this, his latest contribution
to the art Of biographical writing.
His present book, the life Of Frank
lin Delano Roosevelt, is 30 blatantly
aimed at public Of little intelligence
that it seems likely to offend the very
people who are expected to be ravished
with its wonders. Herr Ludwig should
remember that the customer has to be
mellowed constantly. That is q cardi-
nal rule for statesmen, whether for
gilt-edged bonds or the great Indian
remedy. Herr Ludwig, alas, seems to
have forgotten it here.
His book Is strategically conceived,
TO be sure. 1t is a hymn of praise for
Mr.. Roosevelt, from beginning to end,
alternating rhapsody with grovelling
In Its methods Of conveying approval.
Its strategy lies, however, not so much
in its choice Of an attitude toward the
President as in the means taken to
appeal to the public, wherein, in intent
at least, Herr Ludwig shows his usual
perspicacity. For he reaches out to
what he conceives to be the majority
by declarations to the effect that the
President is the champion Of the down.
trodden, and at the same time seeks to
hatter the snobbery Of these down.
"OA0Cll WIGS NY ICiIllIlulIlS tUcm, 2Q
nAuseam, of Mr.. Roosevelt's aristo-
cratic origins. This, to his European
training, is probably sound approach.
RUT the question arises as to whether
the majority of the population in
the United States thinks Of itself as
downtrodden and, as for the aristoc-
racy Of the Roosevelt family, consisting
as 1t does Of no more than long resi-
dence and an honorable holding
tradition, it can be duplicated by so
large number Of families In every
agricultural district of the country that
1t can hardly be relied ON to dazzle
any great multitude Of Americans. Herr
Ludwig here betrays the Psychology Of
the European, to whom bitter and re-
vengeful class consciousness is 4 mat
ter Of course and the possession Of land
o mark Of hated class superiority.
Americans, however, even those who
are poor, seldom make . profession Of
their hardships; when they do 20 l. Is
at the instigation of leaders who stand