The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-02-13
BOOK NOTES
By
GERTRUDE SCOTT MARTIN

interfere with the general excellence
Of the book.
The poems are here in the Ian.
guaGe OF the poet French, Spanish
or Portuguese as the case may be
and in English on the page opposite
so that even those with very sCanty
knowledge Of these three languages
Will find il possible 10 follow the
poem easiy. The TRANSACTIONS are
literal by intention and the trans
lators have done an excellent job
OF keeping the imagery Of the au-
thors For those who know no Span
ish, French or Portuguese the trans
lations are quite adequate. The
poetry is excellent for the most
part and there is variety Of forms
and subject matter 10 suit any taste.
In a book OF this kind II Is i'm
possible 10 pick out one or two for
special comment We were especially
interested in the poems OF protest
or social consciousness and OF these
we remember the work OF Nicolas
Cullen. a Cuban poet His poems
and others in the anthology are
translated by Langston Hughes
This Is a book which can be read
and re-read The poetry Is vigorous
and young We do not know what
I sins OF omission Mr.. Fits, has COM
mitted but his sins Of inclusion are
few. He has done an excellent job
Of editing and It's readers will GER
tain!y want 70 know more OF Latin
American poetry
X X X
Thomas Sanction whose articles
we have mentioned before in this
column has another article on the
Negro in the current New Republic,
Something's Happened to the
Negro" II is a sympathetic. acute
analysis Of the Negro today and his
demands for equality Mr. Sanction
traces logically the development OF
the Negroes present cynical attitude
toward democracy and OF his grow
ing demands for a better deal. He
says: The Negro press came into
being TO speak TO and for Negroes.
When the conditions which pro-
duced il disappear. the Negro press
will disappear -----.-
Mr.. Sanction states that Negroes
have launched a spiritual revolu-
ton" and compares this revolution
TO the American and French revolu-
tons: las in America and France
in that period OF history. the re-
bellious writings and speeches OF
the leaders and intellectuals have
finally fermented through the mass
es, and have set their tone"
Mr.. Sanction quotes a letter from
Negro pointing out the difference
between the Negro and the japanese
acceptance OF oppression in this
country; the japanese fights back.
the Negro fakes ( and the Japanese
is more respected for this aggres.
sIveness or defensive violence. In
the same connection Mr.. Sanction
quotes another letter, this one writ
ten in 1893 by John S. BaSsett a
teacher al Trinity college in North
Carolina which ends on same note:
-. che white man will continue
to run over the Negro until the
Negro learns 20 defend himself. II
about IS white men were dead as
the result OF the Wilmington riot
the whites would be little more
careful OF how they 60 into a race
riot there again. As long as the
Negro question is in politics so long
Will these things occur"
X X X
An excellent biography OF Abra.
ham Lincoln for young people has
been written by Enid La Monte
Meadowcrafi. Abraham Lincoln"
Thomas Y. Crowell Co, New York
City, s2 II tells simply the story
OF the growth OF the backwoods boy
into manhood and the beginning OF
The political career which ended in
the White House. He learned early
on trip down river to New orlean.
% hate slavery and events OF his
later lie only increased his belief
that slavery was an inhumsn insti'
tuition.
Mrs. Meadowcrsft has included Z
liberal number OF anecdotes which
add zest 70 the story for the younl
! reader She has followed Lincoln'i
lie closely even in details snC
; background II Is book which
gives an authoritative picture o
. -. -. 4 !. a A.. La L.. ,.,hich hI