"Oh Dear! What a Bore," Says Balfour Hearing of War

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 44, 10 May 1935, Page 22

"Oh Dear! What a Bore," Says Balfour Hearing of War

Vanderbilt Writes a Book of Anecdotes

HETHDR one’s pen drips satirical cruelties as did Beverley Nichols’s when he wrote "Hvensong," or whether it merely meanders a little wickediy. through pre-war and post-war society. there’s no doubt that the finished re-sult-a book with a good seasoning of gossipy anecdotes-will command a certain share of attention. The latest book of this kind is "Farewell to Fifth Avenue," by the well-known Cornelius Vanderbilt, junior. In a review the "Christian Science Monitor" (Boston) says: The no longer quite-so-young Mr, Vanderbilt does more than say farewell to Vifth Avenue in this series of anecdotal reminiscences. He comes perilously close to saying good-bye to good taste, He woull not be blamed for his personal revolt against Society (with a 2apital.§). But it savourg of columnism for him to capitalise his knowledge of the petty foibles of this Society as rungs in: his literary ladder. And yet it must be admitted that he is a splendid raconteur. Whether it be one of his salliesy at Rextugwellism, or Balfour greeting the declaration of war with the "Oh, dear, dear, what a bore!" he does it with a succinetness and verve that leave one wondering how on earth the Vanderbilt tabloid newspapers ever happened to fail. , He tells the story of his newspape: adventures, but the chronicle is more apologia than history. He cruises among crowned heads in the parental yacht, North Star. He excoriates.American society with dozens of little -incidents of the snubbing of everybody. And he chides Los Angeles society for its snubbing of Queen Marie, because it had "read too many cold cream testimonials." He takes pot shots at dictators, idealises the Roosevelts and is pleased with the English as a people, clear down to. Queen Mary’s hats, which represent "the triumph of history over fashion." ,. his is not social commentary. It is swift reading, but it remaing only a record of the enthusiasms and dislikes Which Mr, Vanderbilt takes so seriously. And these same personal, rather than objective, interpretations lessen the value of an assessment that the "golden age of railroad emperors . and children" ended with the assassination of McKinley and that a less glamorous but more certain future opened with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Perhaps the best talent Mr. Vander-

bilt displays is his ability to recall bright and interesting remarks by famous people. It may be invidious to select the best of these, but one could

do worse than to nominate the quoted phrase of Mussolini: "You seize power with one.set of people, but you govern with another."