Evening star., 1938-03-20

From the standpoint of scholar
ship the book Is we'll documented.
having some 282 footnotes. It Is the
reviewers opinion that for the length
OF the book too much attention has
been paid to the first four decades
OF this woman's life, which occupies
nearly half the book. whereas every
thing of note she achieved during the
last four deiades.
Mr.. Jackson in footnote 100 quotes
secondary source for John Quincy
Adams famous characterization Of
this woman as "virago errant in
enchanted armor." This well-known
nickname is found in the seventh VOL
ume Of the Memoirs of John Quincy
Adams" under date of August 9, 1927,
and should have been SO indicated by
Mr.. Jackson.
One omission that the author might
have included tss the story of Mrs.
Royals grave. Until 1911 she rested
In the Congressional Cemetery with
out marker, but in 1911 handsome
granite stone was placed over her
grave amid impressive ceremonies. A
complete account of this may be found
IN the press of the time. The WASH
ington Star of October 2, 1854, con-
tanned 4 death notice of Mrs. Royal
OF "a lines-a lengthy obituary for
those days.
Jackson rightly places Mrs. Royal
ahead Of her time: "One sees a fore
shadow Of Mencken and the other
Puritan-hunters OF the 20s in more
than one way in Anne Royall-even
in her phraseology," he writes.
The final word on Anne Royals
peculiar life will probably one day be
written by 4 psychologist or psychia-
trist. perhaps along the lines OF Bona
parties brilliant three-volume psyche
analytical study Of Edgar Allan Poe,
published in 1893, with the blessing
Of Sigmund Freud. None the less, Mr..
Jackson's treatment brings Mrs. Royal
up to date and furnishes another VOL
ume to the growing shelves Of Wash
ingtoniana. C.L
LATIN AMERICA: Its Place In
World Life BY Samuel Guy In
man. Chicago: Willett, Clark IL
Co.
THE general reader will find in DR..
Inman's large volume an exceed
ingly readable Interpretation of the
place of Latin America in the life of
the world. past. present and future.
Despite the vast amount Of informa-
ton he has co-ordinated. the author
succeeds In avoiding the pitfalls of
most orthodox histories of Latin Amer
lea. The narration Of cold facts and
figures has been subordinated for the
most part to the presentation of a
discursive history.
DR.. Inman, who will be remembered
here for his lectures at George Wash
ington University. has drawn upon
his lorg residence in Latin America for
many enjoyable anecdotes to brighten
his $50 pages. They serve better than
more formal methods. in many cases,
to reveal the personality OF the Latin
American.
The history of the republican life Of
Latin America he divides into four
periods: u) the struggle for political
independence, l8l0-25; ~ anarchy
and confusion, 1855; go organiza-
ton and peace, l875-l930, and %
revolutions for economic independence.
The extent Of the last-named phase.
the current one, he does not attempt
to estimate.
AT either extreme Of the movement
Tor socialization which permeates our
sister republics lie Uruguay with its
evolutionary methods and Mexico with
its revolutionary processes. For the
completion Of this movement DR.. In
man believes the two essentials are the
discovery of means for bloodless revo-
lutions and the unif1cation Of the lib
erals Of North and South America.
Although the author is distinctly
publish on Latin America as the
cradle Of new culture, he finds it the
object Of many centripetal forces seek
ing to pull it along widely diverse
paths: Fascism VS.. communism. VS..
democracy. Besides Asia, Africa and
Europe, he says. "all the other parts
Of the world are endeavoring to gain
an influence there. Every CONNER
cial, political. racial. cultural and re-
ligious school in the world is sending
its representatives to propagate its
ideas and capture the sympathies of
Latin America -. The Iheosophists of
India, the Communists Of Russia are
only examples of the various schools
and nations that are seeking the hand
Of this fair Southern Helen"
One prominent deficiency IS the
absence of any detailed consideration
Of Central America and the West In
dies, although the smaller nations of
the Caribbean I'LL an important role
as the chief meeting place Of North
American and Latin American cul-
lures. They have determined to a
great extent the frictions in the past
between Anglo-Saxon and Latin
Americas. c. B. M.
MAN AGAINST HIMSELF. BY Karl
A. Menninger. New York: Har-
COuII, bTdCc q 70.
THIS Is = study of suicide. DR..
Menninger turns to q specialized
field Of psychiatry with the. same
charm which made his compendium of
abnormal psychology, THE Human
Mind" one Of the best books of popu-
lar science yet written.
Few can read this volume without
. better understanding of themselves
and their own hidden motives for
numbering themselves-instantly and
conclusively or slowly and inconclu-
sively. Vast numbers of persons the
world over are seeking and usually
finding ways Of putting an end to their
own existences. Just now, as DR..
Menninger stresses in his conclusion,
about half the world seems determined
to do it by means of war.
A very small percentage Of Sui
cides" actually blow their brains out,
or jump out Of the Washington Monu-
ment, or cut their throats, or drink
some corrosive poison. There are only