Twe Ware Devi o THE Back, Sea—"Lewis Stanton Palen: Minton Bach Ca. New York, i92t-
It is a curious thing that throughout this book the proper name of the White Devil is never. mentioned. Except that he was once the owner of vast estates and is: now earning his living somewhere outside Russia as a carpenter—which might be said more or less of plenty of other Russian nobles—there is nothing to identify him, a rather unnecessary pique "to curiosity as the Bolsheviks must know who he is perfectly well. His pseudonym he certainly earned. AS 8 boy he was trained to ride by the Cossacks and no more testimony is needed. He is a swordsman, athlete, expert motorist and dead shot. And wounds and fatigue appear to have made no impression fon his iron strength. His knowledge of motoring very nearly gave him an opportunity to change the history of Europe. With the aid of a faked passport he ing a living in Moscow dur of 1918 as a chauffeur, driving his own ear, and was frequently employed by leading Bolsheviks.
One day he received orders to be at the Kremlin the next evening, to drive Lenin, Trotsky, Sverdioff, Kalinin and Kameneff to a conference the suburbs.
A careful plot was hatched with the aid of some brother ex-officers to make away with the whole party. But to the conspirators' grief, an abortive n ing by Socal-Revolutfonaries broke out, and the Bolshevik chieftains stayed at home. The White Dev never got such another chance and not long after, realizing that the dreaded Cheka' were after him, he decided to flee to the Ukraine. The account of the journey, during which he was once actually captured by the Cheka but managed to escape, is most thrilling. From the Ukraine he made his way to the Crimea. "The Germans were still in control in these parts; but the Bolshevik tide was rising and, after the Germans withdrew, the 'White Devil had plenty more adventures against the Reds. Eventually he too had to go, which he did with the thousands' of other refugees under the protection of the British Navy.
Long ago has the world become satiated with accounts of Bolshevik atrocity and, in reading this book, tone takes unmoved its records of bloodshed—and worse, cruel tortures, the cessation of all justice jand humanity, the ever present fear of arrest leading, on the merest suspicion, to instant death. It is Only in retrospect that one reali anew how hideous is the Bolshevik tyranny. The crimes of the old regime may have been great, but offence could merit so hideous revenge as the Bolsheviks have taken, expecially remembering that the vast majority of their victims were wholly innocent.
The book is eminently readable, though a too much in the style of a newspaper feuilleton. Bat if accepted as a story of venture, which inlakes no pretensions be-anything else, it is good companionship for a leisure hour. In conclusion, one would pay a special tribute to' the: White Devil's wife.
She shared: all his adventures, was repeatedly exposed to the most hor~ ible dangers, and to suspense worse than danger, and bore herself throughout with the greatest [bravery and cheerfulness, Again: the dark background of Russian Bolshevism the heroism of Russian }women generally stands out in grand relief.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.