Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-15

lCoEOilNCllb lOl OAlC oOl WIG pap
Mediterranean and later in tn
accumulated material for an h
relations:
DON'T GO NEAR THE
WATER" random House;
1885,
The curtain rises on a Pacific
island which the author calls
Tulura. The scene is the Office
of the executive officer of pub
lie relations, Lieut.. Comdr.
Clinton T. Nash, who had been
commissioned straight from a
Midwest brokerage office, his
naval virginity chaStely pre-
served except for a cores
pondence course in Navy Reg
ulationS.
Around Comdr. Nash are
seated a score or more officers
whom he directs-a task force
dedicated to the greater glory
OF the Navy, to appeasing
newspaper correspondents and
gathering every particle of in
formation which will prove
that the Navy is winning the
war despite the handicap of
having to carry along other
services which are all right in
their place but
Take it from there. It's a
story highly charged with
amusing, sometimes ludicrous
episodes. On the other hand.
readers who do not like a vul-
gar approach to sex should
be warned that the story is
loaded with episodes and Ian
guage to which they'll object
Real Entertainment
There are so few entertain
ing novels these days that !
am tempted to pass over most
OF the shortcomings of one
that fully deserves inclusion
in this increasingly rare cate
CORY. And yet. with due al
lowance for the latitude of
farce. it's a strange and dis
torted impression Of the Navy
Mr.. Brinkley conveys.
But to continue moment
with the merits of Don't Go
Near the Water" I commend
these as among the most
amusing episodes:
. The plans to cash in on
the publicity potential with
the arrival of the author of
the "Tarzan" saga.
. Ensign Max Siegel's tour
of the island with two
members Of Congress in tow
. The discovery that a
boatswain mate, End cl.. abroad
Navy transport. is blessed
with the name of Farragut
Jones and the decision to
shoot the works on this sailor.
Farragut Jones. named for
two of our greatest naval
heroes, it TO be sent on a tour
OF war plants and War Bond
rallies. When Jones arrives at
PRO headquarters on Tulura
he turns out to be an old
regular Navy man. as hard as
port anchor. 1t took Ensign
Siegel two weeks to chip of
this sailors customary Ian
guage and get him to use. at
least part of the time, words
lnnocuous enough to allow him
to be exploited back in the
States as the typical Navy
man.
. The arrival Of a woman
correspondent aboard a cruis-
er, armed with permission
from the Secretary of the
Navy to go on a beachhead
expedition. The old Navy
captain almost has a stroke
before he accepts the in
evitable.
Best Seller Stuff
These and other incidents
should assure hot weather
enjoyment for enough read
ers TO make the book the best
seller which the publishers
confidently expect.
On the other hand, the
story is overdrawn and far
fetched. There is. too, a pro-
longed and fairly corny love
interest between Slegel. the
Harvard-educated young en-
sign. and an island girl who
was educated in Europe and
is the daughter of a Tuluran
banker and wealthy land
owner
There is much about an
other affair between an en-
listed man and a Navy nurse,
who is of course a commits
stoned officer and hence for
hidden the gaze of men in the
ranks. But the nurse has be-
longed to so many officers that
it couldn't much matter who
she takes up with next.
The story rambles on at
considerable length. 1t would
have been funnier if briefer,
but it is easy reading. 1t could
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