1936-09-23 — Page 12

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER

23,

1936.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

J

edited by F. G. H. Salusbury

Let Us Now RAISE

ANTHOLOGY OF MODERN

BIOGRAPHY

Edited by Lord David Cerd

T

(Nelson, Ja, 6d,)

HIS volume, one of a ser les of modern antholo- gles issued by Thomas

Nelson and Bons, proved a refreshing change from much reading of novels.

That, at least, was the emotional impression: and it was confirmed, to one's intellectual satisfaction, by Lord David Cecil's introductory assertion that "Biography is not an important form of literary art. But... It is the only new Form." Our creative literary artists, appar- ently, are chilled by the scientific spirit of the age. Their enthusinatte notions and exuberant ancien-the fo-blood of poetry, for example-are! checked. Thus, says Lord David, the modern writer often tuman to blography so that he may give an artistic form Lo science.

There is also to be laken into account great progress in the study of paycho- logy: The nature of human person- ntity and the forces that actuate is the influence of heredity and environ. mcut, are understood në never before, So that writera are able, as never be fore, to give a fall account of hum character."

Mr. Lytton Birachey, shen, heads the modern array which is allled with the past achievements of Carlyle and Macaulay: and, of course, we have Mr. Strachey here represented by an ex- tract from "Queen Victoria," and from

Eminent Victoriasis"

Mr. Stare Belloc, concrmed here with the death of Danton, marches try. always on a hill-top, always in a high wind, surrounded by his own magni. fleent bodyguard of words,

Famous Men

There are fourteen olbers, including Enrold Nicolson on Byron, Philip Guedalla on Wellington, André Mattrols on Disraeli, John Buchan on the trial of Charics 1 and A. J. A. Byments on Stanley, the man who said,

Dr. Livingstone. I presume."

Taken all together, in this form, they appear as the authors of a fascinating tite historical tevue: and the sketches, very properly, templ one to seek the complete pictures from which they have been difted,

There is this to be added on behalf of the modern biographern-they do not munumify: they resurrect with art,

·which may account for some slight sur- prise on the faces of their subjecta; on Byron's, for instance, when ́hearings himselt summoned by Harold Nicolson As an "resolute and dyspeptic little MAN,"

EUTHANASIA, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF LIFE AND DEATH by Dr. Harry Roberts

Constable, 71, 5d.)

O not be put off by the uncomfort-

able Litle of Dr. Roberts' collection

of talks on uncomfortable subjects. He la never morbid. He is always dis- turbing. and I have said "uncomfori-

Per able" subjects for ihal Person, haps I should add hat he is never obscurely technical.'

discusses

Nearly all the problema are pressing ones; and nearly all are those which we rarely trouble to think out for ourselves, the average man's

READ THESE

if you are feeling

Truly Rural

THE MARCHES OF WESSEX, by F. J. Harvey Darion (Newnes, 10s, ed.). Marvellously good book of walics in Dorset. Beenery, history, bulidings, people. Eight pictures, all intelligent. First published 1922, and out of print for some years. Those who had coples hung on to them like grim death,

Responsible

NEW CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, by 9. K. Lahiri and B. N. Banerjea (The Politics Club, Calcutta 9s.: European Agents, The Bibliophile. W.C.). Most painstaking history- from an Indian viewpoint of the conception of India's new constitu- tion Fistorical introduction. The Act argumentatively analysed. Well indexed.

Flighty

FROM HESTON TO THE HIGH ALPS, by Douglas Fawcett (Mac- millan, 08.), Olimber-writer, now aged. 70, learns to fly and develops new delight in mountaineering by. aeroplane. Clear descriptions, many fina photographs.

Bored and Young

THE MOCCASIN MEN, by John Ross.

(Hodder and Staughton, 78. 04.). Here is a thriller to make your hair curl. The gang and its sinister chief, murder, and, loot; and yet something new, not only in the method of murder, but in the humLATI fallibility of the police. Ends in cas of the grandest massacres I have cottio ncross,

Sentimental

THE WHITE HARE, by Francis Stuart (Collins. 7. éd.). The de- cayed Irish family; drinking dada, big brother, little brother, and girl: set in Galway and Dublin. Everyone very self-important and, myalically sweet. Pine writing and an extra. ordinary effect of melancholy. Dest read to the accompaniment distant harps and a banshee; GOING TO THE SEA, by Doreen Wallace (Collins, Ta. Od.), Three lang

Of

love stories; school-girl, girl, and woman. Good characterisation and psychology. Will leave you sad.

Radical

NEW WRITING, edited by Juhn Lel. mann John Lane,, C5) Here are stories in revolutionary mood, written by many authors, including Rrip Bates, Christopher Isherwood, Ryou Kisch Ralph Fox, William Plomer, and Anna Seghers. They range the world from England. France, Ger- many, and Italy to Russia and China. One of the best stories-by an anony- mous author-tells how a handful of Sicking persunt conscripts delled the Dace and refused to be shipped to Ale:,“ཧྭl',

mutto for mental conflct, at any rule. being "Pence at any price.

He covers such a variety of prob lems as euthanasia; love, marriage and economics; crime and punishment; the disease of indecision: pain; self-decep- tion: education and the child; and sterilisation of the ineffective.

Nearly always ho Бестия to me reasonable and right. Each render will make his own 'exceptions; and each render, once or twice in a way, will be roused to passionate hostility,

This in nil to the good. However pro- voking the author may be, he will have done excellent service in making us angry, because then we will nok "our-- selves why we are angry.

And in the answer to that question we may find much of the faith which we have so conveniently discarded of late.

WORLD POPULATION

by A. M. Carr-Banders (Oxford University Press, Humphrey Milford, 123. Gd.j

PUBLISHED under the auspices of the Royal Institute of Inter national Affairs, this study of the multiplication of mankind. its various slifts and migrations, will be invalu- able to the sociologient expert and extremely interesting even to the un qualified sceker after knowledge.

Just as the author describes his work as a brief introduction to a subject of enormous scope and complexity, so may I dub any review of it, under ten thousand words, as inadequate. What I found most impressive was the sug- gestion of an almighty force-hall I Bay. God?-behind human multipit- cation.

This force has seen to our increase, I A brought us where we are, and seems now-though why now? about to turn away and leave us to decline.

E the year 1050 the population of Europe was assumed to be 100 milliona: 1933 It was 619 millions. Asia, similarly bad 330 millions, against 1.121 millans. Africa remaina com- paratlycly alatic with 100 millions and 145 millions, North Amerlen had one inillion to 137 milions.

The declension is problematical, but In Chapter XI, "we learn, for example, that the population of Scotland, on these assumptions, will reach its maxt- nium in 107ò. that of England in 1043, and of Belgium in 1940.... In Eng- land and Wales, the maximum having been passed in 1943, the population will have decreased by two millions in 1975 and to half its present size in a cen- tury."

You may call it Fute, and say that Fate is blind. Anyhow, this book will do something towards opening your eyes to the workings of Fate.

HIGH BLOOD

FFW years ago when a business man was told- that he was suffering from high blood pressure

he fell that he was in a very bad state indeed and begun to think about retiring.

Nowndus's

F.G.H.S.

One of the "Ten Africans," Chief Ndana! Kumalo, played.

Lobengula in the film, "Rhodes of Africa.”

AFRICANA

TEN AFRICANS

edited by Margery Peṛham Faber and Faber, with 16 Hlustrations,

15%. nct.)

U

NPREJUDICED people who have Uved In remote African settlements will tell you that it is characteristic of most natives to giggle foolishly when addressed.

I JA actually 我 self-protective. custom, and is belled by the penetrating way in which they will summarise the character of a white man after the

· first meeting, for the beneft of their friends.

Not knowing the Africans well, on occasion, as the editress of "Tew Africans" says. "We may even make the unscientiile remark that [they! are like animals."

Any such mistake this book is mag. nificently calculated to eorrect. It con- tains the condensed biographies of ten African natives, six of them coliceted by unbiased observers, and four writ ten down In English by the subjects themselves.

Of the ten Africans, eight are men. two are women They come from such varied countries as Nigeria, Nyasaland, Natal; but from lands south of the equator, under the rule of Britain and

dontulous.

Although it is frat-cinas entertain- ment, the book can hardly fail in its purpose of teachlug u19 something about people whose future is largely in our hands. Here are some in- stances of the interest and charm it contains:-

Chlef Bwembea on the end of n

PRESSURE.

By Family Doctor

we realise that some people have naturally a higher blood pressure than others or that DIET has been blamed a great deal, but probably an excess of meat and eggs. will affect the hard-working they have Inherited or acquired a tendency in this business man, whereas his brother who is out all day direction.

in fields or leading an active life in the fresii air can TIGH blood pressure really means that the blood rat an equally powerful diet without sustaining any I vessels in parts of the body remote from the heart harm whatever, are somewhat constricted. Because of this the pressure

Excess of alcohol will produce changes in the blood rises in them, and our aim is to relieve the spasm which vessels which will in time affect the blood pressure, but causes the stricture so that the tide of blood in its ebb here the cure is obvious. and flow may return to a normal level.

Many sufferers from hypertension are really un There is no doubt that Improved hygiene and a more aware of their condition because their whole system is rational way of living will bring about an improvement at of order; the glands of the body are not working In early cases.

This

fact is very reassuring to the Individual who knows that among his ancestors there properly, and it is only on careful examination and have been many histories of apoplexy, coma and other after specialised treatment that, as the general health

improves, the blood pressure becomes normal. symptoms of high blood pressure,

W

THERE heredily cannot be blamed, the cause of MEAT and fish should be restricted, but it need not high blood pressure may not be hard to seek when be given up altogether unless the kidneys are we look at the Individual's profession. If he is a man affected. Some people improve by giving up eggs and who has to shoulder responsibility, to make quick salt entirely. Meals should be taken dry but plenty of decisions or to face the melight in politics, then we water, lemonade or barley water can be taken between have the obvious renson, for hypertension and hardened meals. Strong foods such as game, lobster, spices,

should be carefully avoided, arteries.

Lloyd

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fight in watch his company was utterly defented:

The Baunga just stood and los us go. They were frightened of us, you nec, because they knew we were a very ferce people."

Chief Ndansi Kumalo (who actually saw Rhodes, and came to England to nel in the film about him):

"With your weapons you shoot from far, far away, and do not know whom you are killing; that is un1- manly."

Gilbert Coka, a ploneer of African Unionin, tells a bitter story. For in- alance, when he. worked in п hospital:

***Don't speak English to mo, mald one of the white] atsters in Zulu when I tried to do my work. The whites with whom we shared this job were paid eight times what we Kot."

It the clear purity of the style of this book arises from thinking in Bantu

languages, by all means let us put Peter Peroxide vide "The Showman "and others out to pasture with the Africans for a term of years!

M. H.

Uncle Adolf

Becomes Aunt Sally

Choose a Bright Morning,,by Hillet

Bernstein (Goilanez, E.,

Once Your Enemy, by Heinrich

Hauser (Methuen. 10s. d.). The Trouble I've Seen, by Martha

Gellhorn (Putnam, 73. Gd.).

H

ERE are three books that are as topical as your morn- ingnewspaper. "They all

have to do from one angle or another with dictatorship. that dreadful compulsory drill in which a number of self-appointed fer- geant-majors are taking advantage of mon's inability to put two and two together to make them form Iours.

Choose a Bright Morning is a deliri- ously toyous salire at the expense of Hitlerism. All the strutting pompost. ties and solemn cruelties of Nazi Ger- many are parodied with an exquisite viciousness. Unele Adolf is transformed into Aunt Sally in this inughter-mak- ing novel:

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The author, though, takes care to re- mind us in one of his rare serious moments Uut laughter, however loud, will never shift the Hitlers of this world; they have no sense of humour,

Heinrich Hauser in Once Enemy gives a pleture of post-war. Germany a a breeding ground for dictators. His book is a record of an amazing, number of violent experi

The author left school in its early teens to became a naval cadet, but almost immediately became in volved in the Geraun civil war.

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