Evening star., 1949-07-10

It would be a pleasure to add
. first-rate psychological study
1t Is far from that. But the odds
are 10 to / it won't bore you.
Several Italian families are en-
meshed In this story. They live IN
tenements and in shabby mats.
The chief characters are Tony
Viola, his girl. Christine, and John
Guss, from another part Of town,
q different world. Tony, return
ing from four years Of war, found
Christine with an illegitimate
child and learned that John was
the father. John had been q
social worker in the neighborhood.
but after serving In the war as
an officer, had come back and
Joined the police force. Tony
could not decide what to do about
Christine or John, but meanwhile
went back to the shipyard where
he'd worked.
In a Postwar Fog.
Both Tony and John CROPPED IN
q postwar fog. Tony was merely
confused; he drifted from girl to
girl, saw Christine now and then.
The effect on John. who had a
wife and child uptown, was to
brutalize him. He soon became as
extortionate and cruel as any cop
In the precinct-and apparently
they were all like that. Christine,
turned out by her family. lived
precariously with her baby on
relief.
There is no adequate explana-
ton for the Hydelike transforma-
ton of the former social worker
his disintegration from q we'll
meaning college graduate into a
crook and q savage. We never
know what goes on In Johns
mind. or at most we have only
vague glimpses. He acts with a
sort Of automatic compulsion. In
fact, he never comes to life, before
or after his transition from social
worker to policeman. He does
things simply because the author
requires him to. If he took on
reality, his ultimate barbarity
toward Christine would be In
credible: as 1t is, he is only q
shadow Of a malevolent fate.
1t can be hoped and hardly
doubted that the author. who once
was Q parole officer, distorts his
picture Of the policemen who work
out Of such a precinct. There is
not q decent character among
them.
Corrupting Influence.
Mr.. Alman Is more successful
in depicting Tony. With his
trascible uncertainty. his flippant
armor against disappointment
and Illustration, the young italian
is a persuasive personality. Chris
tine is more symbol Of the weak
and the helpless.
The authors thesis seems to be
that the law. insofar as 1t touches
the poor, the powerless. is q cor
rupting influence, encouraging
rather than preventing crime and
wholly Indifferent to injustice.
You also might read into the
story an argument farther to the
left. Tony's Legion post is taken
over by ward politicians. When
the men at the shipyard are about
to strike for more money, there is
pressure from high authority.
through their union, to postpone
the walkout until ships under re-
pair can be fitted to sail with guns
for Greece and elsewhere to fight
the Reds. Dissenters are de-
nounced as Communists.
Mr.. Altman writes so well. with
such a flair for dialogue and at
mosphere. that 1t is disappointing
to find the theme Of his story
falling apart from feeble motiva-
ton and lack Of logic.
CARDINAL MINDSzENTY
BY Bella Fabian. fScrtbner's;
$2.75.J
Mr.. Fabian. a member Of the
Hungarian Parliament for II
years and leader Of the 1nde-
pendent Democratic Party, has
known and admired the i'm
prisoned cardinal for many years.
Here he gives a brief biography Of
Mindszenty and the background of
events leading up to the trial Of
the prelate.
The author traces the repeated
pattern of history since the First
World War. 1t was followed by
the brief Communist regime Of
Bella Kun. Cardinal Mindszenty.
then q parish priest, was arrested
and held for a time as an enemy
Of the state. When Hitler took
over Hungary. Father Mindszenty,
by then q bishop, was arrested
and charged with refusing to CO.
operate with the Nazi government.
He remained in prison several
months rather than meet the de-
mand that he support Hitler. and
he was not released until the de-
feat Of Germany brought his
Nolintrv liberation