1936-09-23 — Page 26

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1936.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

edited by F. G. H. Salusbury

}

Let Us Now RAISE

ANTHOLOGY OF MODCRS

NIOGRAVIFY

Edited by. Lord, David Cecif

T

(Nelson, 38, (d)

IIIB volume, one uf u ser-" ics of modern antholo- gles issued by Thomas Nelson and Sons, proved a refreshing change from much, reading of novels.

That, at least, was the emotional Impression and it was confirmed, toono's intellectual' natisfaction. by Lord David Cecil's introductory Astortion that "Biography is not an important form of literary art. "But... it. Ea the only new Form"

Our creative literary artists, appar- cully, fire chilled by the selenide spirit of the age. Their enthusiastic emotion and oxuberant faneirs-the Bifo-blood of poetry, for example—are checked. Thus, says Lord David; the modern weiler often turns to biography so that he may give an artistic form La science.

There is also to be taken into account greek progress in the study of psycho- TORE: The nature of human persone › ntity and the forces that actuale it.· the influence of heredity and environ- incat, are understood as never before. Ho that writer are able, au never fore, to glys a full necont of human character."

Mr. Lytton trachey, then, heads the modem array which in allled with the past achievemmis of Carlyle and Maraulay: and, of course, we have Mr. Brachey here represented by an ex- track from "Queen Victoria," and from

Emlarut Victorians

Mr. Hilaire Belloc, concerned here with the death of Danton, marches by, alunya on a hill-top, always in a high wind, surrounded by his own magni- feeni bodyguard of words.

Famous Men

There are fourteen others, including Harold Nicolson on Byron, Philip Guedalla on Wellington, André Maurels on Distneil, John Buchan on the trial of Charles I and A, J. A. Symona on Stanley, the man who said, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume."

Taken all together, in this form, they appear on the author of a fascinating Fitti historical revue: and the sketches, very properly, tempt one to seck the complete picturen from which they have been lified.

There this

be added un belinif

of the modern blographers—they do not mummify: they resurrect with art, which may accostat for some slight aur- prise on the faces of their subjects; on Byron's, for instance, when hearing himself summoard by Harold Nicolson As "irresolute atid dyspeptic little man,"

EUTIJANABIA, AND OTHER ASPECTS

OF LIFE AND DEATHI by Dr. Harry Roberta (Constable, 73. Gd.)

Do not be put off by the uncomfort

able title of Dr. Roberts' collection

of talks on uncomfortable subjecta, He is never morbid. Ile is always dis turbing, and I have said "uncomfort Ablo subjects for that reason. I'er- haps I should add that he is never obscurely technical.

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

READ THESE

if you are feeling

Truly Rural

THE MARQUES OF WESSEX, by R J. Harvey Darion (Newnes. 103. d.), Marvellously good book of walks in Dorset. Beenery, history, bulldings, people. Eight pictuTCA, 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 8. K. Lahiri and B. N. Banerica The Politics Club, Calcutta' 23; European Agents, The Bibliophile. W.0.1). Most painstaking history-- from an Indian viewpoint of the conception of India's new constitu- tion Historical introduction. The Act Argumentatively analysed Well Indexed.

Flighty

FROM HESTON TO THE HIGH ALPS, by Douglas Fawcett (Mac- millari, Ös.). Öllmber-writer, now aged 70, learns to By and develops new delight in mountaineering. by neroplane. Clear descriptions, mattý fine photographs.

Bored and Young

THE MOCCASIN MEN, by Johu Ross1 Hodder and Bloughton, 75. Od.). Here is a thriller to make your hair curl The gang and itä sinister chief, murder and loot; and yet something now, not only in to method of murder, but in the human fallibility of the police. Ends in one of the grandest massacres I have coine scross.

Sentimental

THE WHITE HARE, by Francia Stuart Collins, 7x. Gd.). The do- cayed Irish family; drinking dada, big brother, little brother, and girl: set in Galway and Dublin. Everyone very self-important and mystically sweet. Finn writing and an extra- ordinary c¤ect of melancholy. Best road to the accompaniment of

distant harps and a banshee. đồING TO THE SEA, by Doreen Wallace (Collins, 78; Od.). Three long

love stories: school-girl, girl, and Good characterisation and psychology. W leave you sad.

woman.

Radical

NEW WRITING, edited by Jola Erlı. Lere are mann Jolin Lane, 65+ stories in révolutionary mood, written by many authors, including Ralph Bales, Christopher Isherwood, Egan Kisch, Ralph Fox, William Plumer, and Anna Seghers. They range the world from England, France, Ger many, and Italy to Russia and China One of the best storles-by an anony

mous author-tells how a handful of Sicilian peasant couscripts defled the Dure and refused to be shipped to Abreskole,

motto for mental conflict, at any rate, being "Peace at any price.'

He covers such a variety of prob lems as euthanasia; Jove, marriage and economiles; crime and punishment; the disease of indecision; pain; self-decep- tlon; education and the child; arid sterlisation of the ineffective.

Nearly niways he seems to me reasonable and right. Each reader will make his own exceptions; and enchi reader, once or twice in a way, will be roused to passionate hostility.

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

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

WORLD POPULATION

by A. M. Carr-Sanders (Oxford University Press. Humphrey

hfilford, 12s. 6.). PUBLISHED under the auspices pi

the Royal Institute of Inter Daltonal Afüles, this study of the multiplication of mankind. ita various shifts and migrations, will be invalu- able to the sociological expert and extremely intereating even to the un- qualified seeker after knowledge.

Just as the author describes his wark as a brief introduction to a subject of enormous scope and complexity, so may I dub nity review of it, under ten Lhousand words, as inadequate. What I found most Impressive was the sug- gestion of an almighty force-shall 1 any, God?-behind human multipli ention.

This force has seen to our increase. has brought us where we are, and seems now-though why now?-about to turn away and leave us to decline. In the year 1830. the population of Europe was assumed to 100 millions: Jn 1833 was $10 millions. Asia, similarly, hatt 330 millions, against 1.121 millons. Africa remains com- paratively static with 100 millions and 145 millions. North Amerien had one million to 137 milions.

The declension is problematical, but In Chapter XI, "we learn, for example. that the population of Scolland, on these assumptions, will reach its maxi- mum in 1970, that of England in 1943. a of Belgium in 1940.

In Entr land and Wales, the maximum having · been passed in 1943, the population will have decreased by two miliona in 1975 and to half its present size in a cen- tury."

You my call R Pate, and say that Fate is blind. Anyhow, this book wit do something towards openhir your ryes to the workings of Fate.

HIGH BLOOD BLOOD

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

he felt that he was in a very bad state indeed and began to think about retiring.

F.G.H.S.

One of the "Ten Africans,” Chief Ndansi Kumalo, played Lobengula in the Alm, “Rhodes of Africa,”

AFRICANA

TEN AFRICANS

edited by Margery Perban (Faber and Faber, with 15 illustrations,

U

15%. net.)

NPREJUDICED people who have lived In remote African settlements will teli you that. It is characteristic of most natives to giggle foolishly when addressed.

It is actually A self-protective custom, and is belled by the penetrating way in which they will summarise the character of a white man after the first inceling, for the benefit of their friends.

Not knowing the Africans well, on occheton, as the editres of "Ten Africans.", says. “We may even make the unscientiile remark that (they) are like animals

Any auch mistake this book in ming- millcently calculated to correct. It con- tains the condensed biographies of ten African natives, six of them collected 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 surli varted countries as Nigeria, Nyasaland, Natal; but nil from lands south of the equator, under the rule of Britalḥ and Its dominions.

Although I is first-class entertain- ment, the book can hardly fall in its purpose of teaching us something about people whose future is largely in our hands Here are some in- stances of the Interest and charm it contains:--

Chlet Bwemuva on the end of a

PRESSURE

By Family Doctor

Nowadays we realise that some people have naturally a higher blood pressure then uthers or DET has been blamed a great deal, but probably un

excess of meat and eggs will affect the hard-working brighness man, whereas his brother who is out all day In fields or leading an netive life in the fresh air can

they have inherited or acquired a tendency in this direction. HIGH blood pressure really means that, the blood at an equally powerful diet without sustaining uny

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 now 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 out of order; the glands of the body are not working in curly 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.

WHERE heredity cannot be blamed, the couse of MEAT and fish should be restricted, but it need not be given up altogether unless the kidneys are high blood pressure may not be hard to seek when 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 limelight in politics, then we water, lemonade or barley water can be taken between game, lobster, spices, have the obvious reason for hypertension and hardened meals. Strong foods such as

should be carefully avoided,

arteries.

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fight in which ulterly defeated:

his company

WAS

*The Baunga just stood and let us go. They were frightened of us, you ste, because they know we were a very flerce peopin."

Chief Ndanal Kumalo (who actually saw Rhodes, and came le England tử act in the film about him);

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

Gilbert Coka, a pioneer of African Unionism, tells a bitter story. For in- stance, when he -worked in hospital:-

1

***Don't speak English to me," said one of the (white) sistors in Zulu, when tried to do my work.

The whites with whom we altarod this job were paid sight times what wa COL," If 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

M. II.

years!

Uncle Adolf Becomes Aunt Sally

Choose a Bright Morning, by Hillel

Bernstein (Golianez, ds.),

Once Your Enemy, by Heinrich

ffaucey (Methuchi, 101. éd.). The Trouble I've Seen, by Martha

Gellinen (Outnum. 75. Od).

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Choose a Bright Morning is a deliri. ously joyous satire at the expense of Hitlerism, All the strutting pompost- tles and solemn crucities of Nazi Ger- many are parodied with an exquisite viciousness. Uncle Adolf La transformned Into Aunt Bally in this inughter-mak- ing novel.

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