Evening star., 1955-01-02

4AA4A - &AA 4A14A RAAASg p
than you can say for q lot Of
recent novels. It has q serious
purpose. It Is q study Of the
prejudice which pursues Mex
leans in the southern area Of
the West Coast. II also PIN
points b phase in the admins
tration of justice which Is ul1-
fortunate but widespread. This
Is the handicap placed on an
accused person without m0n-
ey. Although he Is entitled TO
court-appointed counsel, such
III defendant Is put TO many
other expenses II he is to have
a1a adequate defense, while the
prosecution, backed BY the
power .and afiluence Of the
State, has every advantage.
The Communist Issue
Mr.. Mankiewicz has brought
IN the Communist issue. q
Witch-hunting legislative COM,
mittee OF his mythical State.
which obviously is California
family disguised, and other
side questions too many. It
Is to his credit Is q novelist,
though. that while Trial Is
essentially q sociological docu-
Inent with 3 pointed message.
he has managed 1t 20 Slillfully
that 1t does not seem merely
the thitlly gilded propaganda
some novels are these days.
And, whatever else 1t lacks, 1t
Is never duh.
David Blake, q young assist
ant professor Of criminal law,
Is required by q new policy at
the State university to acquire
the practical experience he has
never had. That summer he
sets out to practice some Grim
inal law 50 he can hold his
Job. Looking around. the
young teacher suddenly finds
himself defense attorney In q
sensational murder case. The
older lawyer who has the case
explains that he must devote
his time to raising funds for
the defense OF his client. q.
Mexican boy Of II. The boy Is
charged with q felony muir.
der" In causing the death Of q
girl from fright and an over
exerted weak heart while he
was trying to rape her.
Good Court Scene
We know. in the flrst chap
ter. that the youthful Mexican
Is not guilty. but the prejudice
Of the community against him
brings an attempt to lynch
him, and the odds against him
at the murder trial are heavy.
Blake discovers. meanwhile,
that his new law partner is
raising money for the defense
from Communist and Red
front organizations In the
East. Where else, demands the
older lawyer. can you get
money for such q purpose? It
Isl only late In the trial that
Blake learns that the; lawyer:
Barney, is q Communist and
has been for years. Then
Blake IS subpoenaed by the
legislative committee. whose
fire. breathing chairman Is out
to break him. to ruin him be-
cause Of his unwitting associa-
ton with Communists.
Mr.. Mankiewicz knows his
way around a court room. But
there are some holes in the
defense Of the boy. Angel
Chavez. Perhaps there are sun
posed to be. Why were not
character witnesses called? An
GEL was o high school boy, an
athlete and popular, never In
trouble before. Blake, in his
innocence OF Communist infiu-
ences. seems q little too naive.
Then. too. the witch burning
State Senator. as lacking La
Justice and common decency
Rs he Is made out, Is on arm
ground In questioning the
Chavez defense fund, which
weakens the authors position.
The author has, however.
brought out some cogent
points. among these that when
Communists back o defense
they don't want an acquittal;
they'd rather see their man
hanged and made q martyr.
The point about the handicap
Of the boys poverty becomes
moot as Barney raises large
sums for his defense. though
how much goes into Barney's
pocket weAare allowed only to
surmise.
Trial" leans more 70 jour
nalism than to literature, bst
II q. nonetheless. quite q novel.
Saga Of Pioneers
When Ernest Haycox, the
popular writer Of Westerns.
althor Of many books and nu-
inerous short stories died in
1850 ct the age of 81, he left
a =. ! a =