Evening star., 1938-01-02

number Of them merely repeat one
another The classic on the subject
would seem to be Burton Hendricks
"Bulwark Of the Republic" at once an
Interpretation and a history of the
document of our liberties through the
years since the country was founded.
It is interesting to note that Mr.. Hen
bricks considers President Roosevelts
court packing plan by no means the
first, but records other times in our
history when the same expedient has
been resorted to in order to secure the
Endorsement Of desired legislation.
ROOKS on Spain, too, have been in
great number Many Of these are
rst-hand accounts Of fighting in the
ranks Of the International Legion. So
many of them, indeed. have this as
their theme that the reviewer has had
more than a suspicion that that body
Of troops is composed almost exclusive
ly Of young men ambitious to have
literary careers and impatient Of the
long spade work which has to be done
at home in the piping times OF peace.
At any rate, the voluminousness of the
notes which they took under fire
throws hint of doubt on the idea that
they were merely conscientiously anx-
ious to set their sensations down ac-
curately It sounds instead as if they
had been anxious to get some good
selling copy in hurry. Another un-
kind suspicion, no doubt!
Life and Death OF a Spanish
Town." by Elliott Paul. is the great
book on the Spanish struggle. 1t has
all the elements which, to date, the
reviewer has encountered in any rec
ord Of the tragedy. And it is. for the
most part, well written. Farewell,
Spain," by Kate O'Brien. can also be
recommended. although it is less con-
cerned with the war which is Destroy
ing the Spanish country than with the
country which is being destroyed by
the war. Counter Attack in Spain" :"
by Ramon Sender. has had high
praise from certain critics, too; yet the
present reviewer found it turgid and
confused. However, it is the book of q
native Spaniard, a man Of letters. who
has suffered cruelty by the activities Of
the rebels and has fought himself
and that not for copy. On those
grounds it, too, is recommended.
IN THE fields of philosophy and
science-or mayhap middle way
between the two-there have been two
works which. to the reviewers mind.
constitute epoch-makers. One of
these Is ]. B. Rhines New Frontiers
Of the Mind" which sets down in
plain language the record of seven
years experiments in clairvoyance
and mental telepathy as these expert
ments have been conducted in the
laboratory of "parapsychology" at
Duke University. A more amazing
story has seldom come to the review
er's attention. and q more fascinat-
ing book than DR.. Rhine's simply
cannot be found. It Is recommended
for sheer entertainment. You can
make what you wish out Of the i'm
plications.
The other book is the one which
came three weeks ago from the sad
pen Of Aldous Huxley, q work Of So
cial philosophy called Ends and
Means" To attempt to convey to
any reader the profound implications
of this volume in anything shorter
than q critical essay covering the
whole development of Aldous Hux-
ley's mind would be impossible. 1t
must sufice to say that, in volume
of great eloquence, Mr.. Huxley sets
down a philosophy based on mysti-
cism, by which he believes that men
of good will can change the present de-
structive course of human affairs. In
the reviewers mind the work Is notable
not 50 much for any effect which it is
likely to have on our world as for
what 1t shows of the development
under stress Of one Of the greatest
! minds Of our generation.