Evening star., 1948-05-09

that are composed of equal parts
classic and comic-strip references.
In his preface, Prof. Guerart
says that his autobiography migh
we'll have been called II Accept De-
mocracy" and by democracy, he ex'
plains, he means simply the re-
gime that will place the least. OBJ
stacles in the path of justice. Wher
he came to America in 1906, al
though he had been both Tory ane
anarchist, he felt Immediately a
home. But his faith in country
which had rejected the privilege!
that grated so harshly in Europe
has not been blind one, and hi
sirewdly assesses the shortcoming!
of democracy, the discrepancy be.
tween the Excelsior youth ane
President Calvin Coolidge" Tht
cruelest disappointment of his lift
here was Americas rejection O.
wisconsin" And he found to hi.
surprise during his service with thu
owl that his fulsome quotation!
from Washington, Jefferson, Lin.
coin and Franklin Roosevelt showed
democracy so radical that it dis.
concerted his directive conscious su.
periors.
Fighting privilege"
The first great intellectual crisis
Of his life came when as youth ir
his teens, he saw the cumulative
weight of privilege crush Dreyfus
From his observation of this tria
came his conviction Of "the vanity
of formal divisions" his ferven1
antimilitarism and animation
alism. While his record is primarily
that of a contemplative and quie
life, it is too, the story of valiant
personal campaign against preju'
dice wherever he has found It,. Hi!
life has been a constant protest
against assumed superiority"
Personal Equation" is not all COO
reason. It's early chapters are 6
delightful recreation of the Pari!
of his youth and his discovery O
England. He describes with wit ant
brevity the atmosphere Of various
American universities of his &C
quaintance. He brings sharply tt
life many political and academic
personalities.
Now professor emeritus Of gen
eral literature at Stanford, Prof
Guerard maintains an active inter
est in order and freedom in cit.
planning and in world planning
1t all goes together. He admit
that he is not divided sou
and it is pleasant to see how stimu.
lating a record he has made Of this
harmonious life.
X
A BRIDGE AT BRANFIELD
BY Josiah E. Greene. THE Mac
milan Co.. $500
A bridge at Branfield made {
good platform for Carl Whittals II
his campaign for selectman. The
citizens of this handsome, declining
New England town, who were weary
of farming a reluctant soil, leery
of re-industrializing, and resentfu
of summer visitors, indorsed il
heartily. But it was a mere nib.
bling at the edges of Branfield'!
basic problem, which was the rest.
lessness and boredom of its young
people.
This discomfort is probed with
much care and insight by Josial
E. Greene, who is far too consci
entious a student of human affair
to blame all the emotional problem
of his characters on their environ
ment. But through observation o
the home lives of the candidates an,
other leading citizens he relate
their Illustrations and bewildermen
to the feud between, Hill and Hol
low, the stand-pattism of certail
elders and all-around refusal t
accept the economic and social fact
of life.
In the deceptively quiet round O
church services, barn dances, rallie
and casual meetings on the villag
green, he traces the mounting ten
sion that arise from the compile
pattern and explodes in lurid Sc
crime involving the whole town.
Mr.. Greene, a young novels
whose first attempt, mot in Gu
Stars" won him the Macmillal
Centenary Award, confirms hi
claim to be considered as one of ou
more serious and able young writer.
"A Bridge at Branfield" is reminis
cent of another study Of amateu
politics, in England, South Riding,
although Mr.. Greene does not hav
the fire of Winifred Holtby. MI
Greene, whose strong point is char
acterization, builds every scene witt
a fidelity that makes for realism
but not always for drama, and tn
pace of the book is pedestrian, halt
ed by overmeticulous detail.
Still as a painstaking and skilfu
analysis of community stagnatiol
as it is reflected in individual lives
1t is impressive if not always in
spired. Xxx
CORNELIA
BY Rene Kuhn. (Randon, House
$275.J
Cornelia is one Of those dis
tressing women that are so prevalen
in modern novels-deep as q laye
of pancake makeup, kindly as
mirror at high noon and sincere a
a cocktail party greeting. She run
absolutely true to type, reachin
out with well-manicured hands 70
everything that sparkles and shine.
She drives her husband to drin
and divorce. her daughter to
nervous breakdown and her son tt