Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-03

(Houghton Miffiin; So
Mr.. Schlesinger. author of
THE Age of Jackson" which
won a Pulitzer Prize. here pub
fishes the first of four volumes.
This book analyses in a mas
terly way the prelude to the
New Deal-from 1919 to 1888,
when President Roosevelt be-
gan his first term in the White
House.
AS Mr.. SchleSinger explains
in foreword. the age Of the
second President Roosevelt
covered much more than the
dozen years Of his presidency.
The events of l933-1945 CHI
NAKED half a century Of Amer
lean life. The Nation, re-
spending to the bitter chal-
lenges Of depression and war,
summoned up the resources.
moral and intellectual. of an
earlier progressivism. an ear
lier war effort, and a decade
of business leadership. Roose-
velt's administration must be
understood against this back
ground of a generations ideas,
hopes and experience.
A Whole Era
Thus the theme is sounded,
and you go into its complex
variations. the orchestration
Of a whole era.
Mr.. Schlesinger is an ardent
advocate for the New Deal, for
most of its reforms and for
Mr.. Roosevelt. The Republic
can administrations OF the
l920s, the business leaders who
appeared to be running the
country and the fading voices
OF those who chung TO laissez
faire are the villains of this
piece. But the author is too
good historian TO blame in
dividualS for trends III which
they allowed themselves to be
caught. Even Herbert Hoover,
who happened TO be at the
helm when the crash came, is
absolved from personal blame
tor the depression. though he
is depicted as unable TO see the
measures essential for recov-
cry as he veered from one eco
nomlc remedy to another.
Well-Rounded Picture
Despite MIR. Schlesinger's
sympathy for the liberals who
emerged from the depression,
there is little narrow PARTISAN
ship in this book. There is
well-rounded picture Of the
'20s. and always at least an
effort to weigh the issues ju-
dicially. A more severe test
will be the next volume. when
the historian grapples with the
early years of the New Deal
and the attempts of assorted
radicals to toss out all the
country's traditions, break up
wealth and end individuality.
Mr.. Scheslinger reminds US
that the New Deal borrowed
most of its reforms from the
progressives OF the early years
OF the century. such as the
elder Robert NJ. LaFollette.
Charles Evans Hughes, Hiram
johnson. even James NJ. Cox
"typically progressive Gov
errors, some Republicans. some
Democrats, but all standing
for the enforcement of middle
class standards of decency
against greedy wealth and
crooked politics" But the
greatest of them all in his
public impact was Theodore
Roosevelt OF New York" 1t
was ironical that the earlier
President, Franklin Roosevelt's
distant cousin. should have be-
come a favorite whipping boy
for the more radical reformers
Of the '30s.
Woodrow Wilson's Role
President Wilson's role in the
emerging pattern of govern
mental change is explored
fully. Mr.. Scheslinger recalls
that Mr.. Wilson. who started
some sweeping reforms. wig
orously rejected theories of the
paternal state" He said: I'VE
do not want a benevolent gov
eminent, We want a free and
just government.
And the author describes
the change from Wilson TO
Harding. from the high
minded and lofty visioned in
tellectual to the handsome
small-town sport" And i'm
deed it was not inappropri-
ate that the year in which
Sinclair Lewis published his
famous novel saw Main Street
take over 1000 Pennsylvania
ave"
One Of the most interesting
chapters is THE Revolt of the
Intellectuals," Mencken and
others were breaking down
many ideas which in the past
had been almost axioms.
Early Life Of Roosevelt
Mr. Schlesinger examines
in some detail the early life
Of Franklin Roosevelt. his
years at the transplanted Eng
fish public school, Groton. and
at Harvard, his experiences as
Assistant Secretary OF the
Navy. his gripping illness, his
administration as Governor OF
New York. The book begins
and ends with the fateful day,
"a years ago tomorrow, that he
became President.