Evening star., 1939-01-08
city Of ready food, provisions and

~ASAeS
city Of ready food, provisions and
clothing
Aside from deficient equipment,
the Constabulary was overwhelm-
ingly outnumbered by the assorted
bandits, religious fanatics and sin
cere liberalists. Owing to the jungle
and the crafty tactics OF the insur-
rectos, the police" had necessarily
to abandon such methods as mass
formations and open field move
ments. Infiltration single file along
trails in parties of 5, 10 or some
times so was essential. Groups such
as these hiked the trap-laden trails,
subject to seconds notice ambush
by fearless bolomen or krismen, with
the consistent risk of being hacked
by those vicious blades of the pula-
jan or Moor; or tortured in the
original native fashion.
Feats of heroism, courage and
hardihood resulting from the Phil
ippine campaigns outrival the In
dian warfare of the Wild West era.
Stevens. Furlong. Preuss, Whitney,
Crockett are but handful of names
that will remain indelibly on the
historical annals of the Philippine
Islands. Likewise, there are innu-
merable of the faithful, energetic
Filipinos of the Constabulary whose
actions can be lauded.
Vic Hurley's effort, one of sur
prising few on the subject, being in
the nature of research. is to be
highly commended. History, re-
grettably, too often fails to note such
worthy chapters such as that of the
Philippine Constabulary. Us.
BURRO ALLEY, by Edwin Corle.
New York: Random House.
A New Mexico resort town is the
setting for this bright, terse novel.
A varied lot cross its pages and
all within a 12-hour period on a
hot summer day. There is a wan
dering philosopher who sits in a
little cafe explaining why he doesn't
believe in time to an ardent young
man who believes in little theaters.
The town drunk spends his IL hours
IN the gutter. A gigolo plies his
trade with the wife of rich In
dian, who uses quart of cham
pagne as "quickie." The rich
Indian. one of the most delight
full of all the characters, wants
only to be left alone to eat waffles
and pork. A murderer comes along
and SO does timid woman librarian.
A loose servant girl and a doctor
with a wandering eye meet. Two
staid young businessmen from Kan
sas City meet rip-roarin' old Texan
who shows them how to have a
good time drinking and carousing.
Tourists, artists and miscellaneous
onlookers are drawn into the nara
tive. The II hours end and this
strange assortment of humanity
staggers off to fortify itself against
another seige of having a good time.
The novel is written with much
humor and a simplicity which is
deceptive until one tries to recall
just how many people are crowded
onto the canvas. The wonder is
that so many do stick in the mind.
There Is undoubtedly some over
crowding, but about the only people
one might be satisfied to do with
out are the artists.
Burro Alley has fresh, ipungent
quality all its own. It makes grand
reading. R. R.T,
THEIR MAJESTIES! BY Seymour
Berkson. New York; Stackpole
Sons.
This is a series Of sketches Of the
royal personages of the world to-
day, from reigning monarcns to
pretenders and from puppet kings
to those dethrohed. It is amusingly
written, without reverence but also
without rancour.
And what procession they make,
too-from the accidental King of
England to the boy monarch of
Siam; from the staid dean of royal
ties, Wilhelmina of Holland to the
scandalous Carol Of Rumania: from
Zog of Albania, who intrepidly
crowned himself. to Victor Emman-
uel Of Italy, who rules meekly un-
der the shadow Of his iron Duce.
Yes, what q procession indeed.
Their personalities, their ro-
mances, their family histories are
all set down here in light vein, to
be sure, but accurately. East and
West, says Mr.. Berkson, thus is hui
manity ruled. And there is truly
little more than that for any re-
viewer to say about the book. Here
are our great ones-read and admire.
Mr.. Berkson is q reporter, q foreign
correspondent Of experience. More
over, history bears cut pretty well
what he has had to say.
ARCTIC JOURNEYS. BY Edward
Shackleton. New York: Farrar
d Rinehart, Inc.
Carrying on the polar exploratory
work started before him by his
father, the distinguished Sir Ernest
Shackleton, the author led into
Greenland, Ellennere Land, Grim
nell Land and Grant Land the Ok