ALL THE BEST IN CENTRAL AMERICA:

by Sydney Clark, '12. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1946, 288 pp., $3.

Central America is so unsuspectingly near us that for its very nearness, if for no other reason, it should be a logical choice for the traveler who has a short time at his disposal. Geography being what it is, the seagoing distance between New York and the Panama Canal is shorter by far than the span of railroad travel to the West Coast. And what is more important, traveling in Central America, despite a reputation for turbulence, is apparently no more precarious than walking on the campus duck boards.

The five republics of historical Central America—Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica—with the more recent addition of Panama, have a great deal that would commend them to the favorable attention of the prospective visitor. In a very ingratiating manner, this book manages to put before his eyes the things that are conventionally worth knowing about those countries and also many others that may even escape the native Central American. A large part of the background information is devoted to Guatemala and the land of the ancient Mayas, which taken together is the smallest area in this hemisphere where one can see at its best cross section of all its possible range of historythe pre-Columbian, the Spanish colonial, and the independent periods, each with a distinct development. The other republics, partic ularly Costa Rica, a matter-of-fact democracy in a small scale, have also their winning side

Hardly anything in the way of information that would contribute to the enjoyment and comfort of the traveler, whether he is going by plane, train, or steamer, or motors through the Inter-American Highway, is left unforeseen. The author takes you into his confidence and tells you not only about the red tape that need not irk, but also about men in strategic places—and he calls them by their first name —who can show the way to-the best food to be had in the country, the pleasing American bars, and other welcome amenities. If there is room in your plans for an occasional fling, he lets you know casually where it can be had with no undue risks. Altogether, this travel book is a boon companion even for the reader who does not intend to stir away from his summer garden and likes to take his traveling ensconced in his easy chair.