}"gang" of childhood friends has} written a story of the juvenile pri-Vileged few who have been allowed]
make playground of the White] House and the Capitol grounds in Washington, The book purports to a series of the usual childhood pranks with the son of President} Roosevelt as its illustrious hero. Witir such places as the White House roof and attic, the State War-Navy Building, the United States!
ry, and the British Territory in Washington, D.C. as the unique playgrounds for the "Gang" this} child's story is particularly inter-Jesting. Taroughout the book are the little intimate connections with President Roosevelt which no one but such a group could possibly have had. His methods of dealing with the boisterous and obstreperous seven who compose the gang show, as no learned treatise could ever show, the principles of rinning a Jdemocratic government which made] him beloved by a nation. The famil-jar manner in which Mr, Looker reveals small but characteristic ten-doneies of such men as Ambassador James Bryce, Captain Archie Butt, [Gifford Pinchot and _Ambaseador JJusserand, from the child's point of] view, not only gives these men an authentic realism but makes them Novably human. Quentin Roosevelt, the hero of the "Gang," is an vimirable subject, possessing addition to all the normal tendencies lof the twelve year old a precocity beyond his years, and a manner of speech, thought, and action which! could only thave been parented by, such a man as President Roovevelt.
He is thoroughly interesting and delightful, yet his predominance in a book alleged to concera a "gang" lof seven boys, is perhaps the story's: only fault. For Quentin runs away, with the whole show and the remain. but shadowy background lof actor's pranks. Even /Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fina shared the honours with their playmates.
"The White House Gang" can never take the place of "Tom Sawyer" or Huckleberry Finn." It is too obviously the reminiscences of a very interesting childhood written from an adult point of view. Nevertheless it should be included in every small boy's library, not only {for the stories in the book but for the thousand and one things of. bene-{fit any child would be willing to learn from Quentin Rooeevelt, a hero who is primarily a boy's boy. make -an excellent Eh: for the twelve-year old—M.c.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.