SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, MAY 14, 1922
THE CRITICS FALL OUT
Over Webb Waldron's Book
(By Delbert Clark) they fail to see a thing it cannot long chester Union, "or would be if Mr. One chapter which would probably
When Webb Waldron wrote "TheI exist, and that the best remedy for Waldron was trying to make a real kindle the blush of shame upon the
Road to the World," he accomplished any evil is ignorance of it. This class man out of Stan instead of creating a parental brows tells how the hero
one thing if no other; he caused a of people, a generation ago, declined consistent picture of a personality, visits a house of prostitution, and the
vast amount of rustling among the dry to open their windows at night be- that Stan does not here (at Ann other chapter tells how a young lady
bons, asit got ttecrtics most beuti- cause the night air was harmful! Arbor) fall in with some of the fine school teacher in a moment of bore-
fully divided pro and con. In this But a few quotations from.the vari- clean living athletic chaps that every dom asks our hero to take her 'with-
book, a portion of which deals with ous reviews of the book will say more university can show among its per- out live for the sheer joy of it.' They
life at Michigan, he has sdone a thing tthan I can about the minds, of the re- sonne. But that would have spoiled certainly do 'talk frankly, these msod-
sli y rthe story... One of the claims of the ern children, and what will be left
so many fear to do-he shows without viewers. th 1 h
pity both sides, clean or smirched of Heywood Broun, writing for the publishers is that Mr. Waldrrs book of the grandchildren with all this
his principal character, and paints New York World, says conservatively is as athentic as a George Inness candor, we shudder to think....
people as they are, not as we might but truthfully, "'The Road to the painting. It is. And one is moved to No need to shudder, Mr. White.
like to have them. In so doing he has World' has observed one person so stop right here and reflect that it is Clean frankness never hurt anyone,
to face the inevitable, a red-faced closely on ihis path from boyhood up God's mercy that the mind of the anI it has done a world of solid good.
flurry of protest from those who, see- that touches us all at every stage great Inness did not turn his meticu- And the children are not so childish as
Iog perhaps in some of his pictures of the journey. It deserves to com- ulos and exact brush to the depict- you might think. They no )enger be-
disturbitngly familiar features, hide mand general interest. You are not ing of the sort of thing which Mr. lieve in Santa Cldts till after they
their confusion under a mask of likely to find many books more true Waldron has done so vividly through- have cast their first vote, and they
"righteous indignation," and point a than this one." out his book." . know that storks are birds that buil'd
shaing finger. "That is the trouble," chants the In contrast, this from the Buffalo their nests on top of -chimneys in
It is not fair to put all his critics antistrophic chorus, "it touches us all Express: "It is a strong, clean, Denmark. Their candor does not
in this class, however, and yet it is at every stage, of the journey, and thoughtful story." Just that, In hurt thei. Only it is hard for the
hard to say if they will profit by re- some of those spots are tender." But, similar vein the Fort Worth Star-. nind tht is still groping about in the
classification. For there are also those leywood Brun was frank enough to Telegram says that "Mr. Waldron has period of twenty-five years ago to
who do not feel themselves on famil- admit it. a sane, mature, healthy outlook on I realize how young people can speak
tar ground when a questionsable scene Right on the heels of that comes life. And he can write as few others frankly about matters of sex and
is depit id, but who, in holy horror, the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Despatch, in this country can write." morals without being contaminated.
veil their faces before the light of with the statement that "The re- The St. Louis Globe Democrat mor- It is the old erroneous idea that any-
truth, and preach the blessed doe-- viewer cannot commend it as a book alizes for a space, commenting on the thing pertaining to sex differentia-
trine of ignorance. These have asi for family reading, owing to its oc- Ann Arbor setting of part of the tion is shameful, and must not be
their shining example Dr. Hugo I casional bluntness of language and novel: "Especially graphic is his mentioned in polite society. If there
csuensterberg, who published widely broad suggestiveness." story of his Ann Arbor experiences, had been less of that attitude so the
a boo on "Psvchology and Social John V. A. Weaver, of the Brook- and as the authgor is a graduate of years past there would be. less indis-
Sanity," in one chapter of which te lyn Eagle, has this to say: "This real- that University, some of them may be cretion today. And the young people
with iost alluring arguments de- istic novel is written with a fine care founded on fact. Stan is neither a of today would not look so "wild" if it
nounced all sex education, on the as- and feeling and is a rather excep- drunkard nor a waster, and in his were not for the background of
sumption that ignorance is benefiial, tional character study....Webb Wal- battle with circumstance is never a shameful secrecy against which for
and that what children don't know nron, who wrote 'The Road to the material but only a spiritual winner. the most part their wholesome frank-
won't hurt them! World' has a gift for using humor It is a story to read and ponder over, ness is thrown in relief.
It is most interesting to read theifor grimly realistic characterization, for it is the story of the lives of many Two Michigan papers show start-
comments of the reviewers on Wal- The book is genuinely consistent. young men-and women, too, for that ling differences of opinion.- The De-
dron's book,' and study personalities Given Stan's character as it is shown matter." It is refreshing when some- troit Journal comments on the story
through them. Some commend the growing, the resultant catastrophe to one sees beneath the surface, isn't it, as being "faultlessly written, obvious-
work as a true pitinre; others speakk his life is inevitable." This is about Mr. Waldron? ly sincere, and fascinating not be-
softly, casting cautious glances at as much as anyone could say. Apd now comes dear Mr. White- cause of a melodramatic quality but
their public, and still others denounce The Hartford Courant waxes en- William Allen White, who says, "If for the complete and conspicuous ab-
it roundly, not, mind you , because it thusiastic in its comment, saying that the children can just n.anage to skip s-nce of melodrama." And a Bay City
is not true, for they] know it is, but "The publishers of 'The Road to the two chapters in Webb Wadron's 'The I paper refuses to review the book be-
because it hurts to know the truth. World' may be congratulated on their Road to the World,' they can gather cause it is unfit reading for a young
They are the kind who deliberately introduction to the public of a new around the hearth and read a most girl!
close their eyes against the truth, writer of genuine artistic endowment." enjoyable book aloud without sending Gentle readers, "Choose ye this day
like the ostrich, convinced that if "It is a great pity," says the Man- mother and father out of the room. whom ye will serve!"
The Photostat Helps the Librarian
(By Virglia Tryon) lie made to Europe last summer and may mean), "Great Britain Historical sion; therefore the library must have
A list of all that the University of fall. . Manuscript Commission, report on the the first report.
Michigan library contains in the at- Tthere is more to such an undertak- mss. of the Marquis of Armonde, pre- When a man goes to Europe to pur-
frof hound periodicals, scientific ing than is generally supposed. A served at the castle of Kilkenny." chase additidnah sets and to complete
University library, such as the one here There is scope for imagination in others, it is obvious that it would be
journals in all branches representingi at Michigan, finds it necessary to se- them all. No less than fifteen differ- impossible for him to carry all that
important collections of yeait, re- cure complete sets of hundreds of ent languages are to be found in the he already has at home in his head.
ports of the activities of national and various scientific journals, bound vol- collection. These give only a faint He must take along a list of what he
international meetings and confer- uimes of the annual reports of such suggestion of the great variety of re- has so that he will not duplicate his
ences of great value in the fields of societies as the Royal Geographic, the ports which are on file in the library, volumes. Of course, he always snakes
human knowledge-all these alphabet- Royal Society of London, the Institute It is necessary for the University to a list of what he wants before be goes,
cally filed and contained in a light- of Bankers, astronomical associations, have these journals and volumes, for but that is really another matter and
weight bound book which fits neatly medical associations, and many others. it is In them that the original reports is easy enough. The main point is,
into an ordinary brief case-this is Some titles picked at random from the of many important discoveries in all that lie is likely to run across works
a novelty indeed! list are, "Scotland Highlands and fields of learning and industry are first which he did not know of, and there-
It is the latest and most up-to-the- Islands medical service board re- recorded, in very full and complete fore has been unable to place on his
Minute eflicient method of carrying a port,", "Parliamentary debates from form. Many of the discoveries them- lists of desiderata. And unless he has
huge card catalogue system around the Great Britain Parliament, House selves are afterwards written up in at hand a list of those which the
the world with you, and it was origi- of Commons," "The Molieriste, a textbook or other form, but they are library already contains, he is unable
ntted by William W. Bishop, Univer- monthly revue," (in French), "Buda- never repeated in such detail. In mch to know whether to make the pur-
sity.librarian, as part of his prepar- pest-Tudomanyegyetenmk, Acta Reg. research work it is necessary chase or not.
ation for the book-buying trip which Scient. Universitatis" (whatever that to have access to the original discus- (Continued on Page 7)