does he think that Constantine's wife, Queen Sophie (who was sister of the German Kaiser), had any influence at all upon the opinions or the policies of the king. He believes that Constantine was wholly misjudged, and that his deposition and banishment from Greece were serious mistakes. My Three Years in America. By Count Bernstorff. Charles Scribner's Sons. 428 pp. The recital that Count Bernstorff makes of his experiences as German Ambassador at Washington must be universally regarded as a contribution containing a certain amount of new material relating to the neutrality of the United States in the first three years of the war, and to the circumstances leading up to our severance of diplomatic relations with Germany. It is probable that the ex-Ambassador might have secured a wider reading and a larger measure of attention if he had postponed the publication of his book for another year. Just now the story of German propaganda in the United States, and of the American attitude on submarines and other issues affecting our neutrality, is not under discussion and review. The immediate political situation in Germany, and the great unfinished questions having to do with German disarmament and indemnity payments, are holding the attention of statesmen and journalists; and the time has not yet come for the publication of reminiscences by German military leaders, diplomatists and politicians. The Bernstorff book, therefore, will not have so wide a reading now. as it would command if it had been held back for future publication at some moment of greater calm than the world has yet regained. Undoubtedly this volume contains official spondence and other information that historical students and writers must duly consider. The reader into whose hands it may come will not fail to find its chapters exceedingly interesting, as they review familiar episodes from what to Americans is an unfamiliar standpoint. corre American World Policies. By David Jayne Hill. George H. Doran Company. 257 pp. The prolonged Senate debate on the Peace Treaty, the platform declarations of the two great parties at their recent conventions, and the prominence of the League of Nations Covenant as an issue in the Presidential campaign make this book one of the most timely volumes of the season. Abstracts of magazine articles by Dr. Hill have already made known his point of view to readers of this REVIEW. His task in this book is to make clear the reasons that actuated the Senate majority in its struggle for its own prerogatives. Dr. Hill belongs to that group of American publicists who believe that a choice must be made between the League Covenant (as it now stands) and the Constitution of the United States. An appendix contains several of the most important documents under discussion. Italy and the Jugoslavs. By Edward James Woodhouse and Chase Going Woodhouse. Boston: Richard G. Badger. 394 pp. This book represents one of the very few attempts in the English language to set forth in a calm and orderly way the factors involved in the Adriatic problem. The authors show no marked bias in the dispute, but give an impartial statement of the real grounds on which the conclusions of both sides are based. Aside from its value as an exposition of the particular differences which came so near to wrecking the Peace Conference, the volume is important as a detailed account of the diplomatic relations between Italy and the Jugoslavs. There is much documentary material in the appendix. The Balkans: a Laboratory of History. By William M. Sloane. The Abingdon Press. 412 PP. The first edition of Professor Sloane's book, which appeared in the early months of 1914, came into unexpected use as a summary of Balkan conditions preceding the outbreak of the Great War. The author has now revised and greatly expanded the text, incorporating the diplomatic developments of the war and the Treaty of Versailles. In this difficult work he well maintains his reputation for fairness and impartiality as an historian. By Bolshevism: An International Danger. Paul Miliukov. Charles Scribner's Sons. 303 pp. In view of the fact that most of the criticism of Bolshevism that we are privileged to read comes from non-Russian sources, we should welcome this attempt of a great Russian scholar and statesman to appraise both the doctrine and the practical outcome of Bolshevist rule from an international standpoint. Professor Miliukov, who will be remembered as the leader of the first government formed after the revolution of 1917, here traces the progress of Bolshevism through war and revolution into a practical experiment in government and exposes the Bolshevist propaganda in other countries, showing that its leaders are aiming at nothing short of a world-revolution. Sovietism. By William English Walling. E. P. Dutton & Company. 220 pp. This is a summary of Bolshevist utterances, made with a view to showing what the real aims of the Bolshevist leaders are. The official documents and decrees, the speeches of Lenine and other leaders, the published opinions of Maxim Gorky, acclaimed as the greatest Bolshevist writer, are the chief sources from which Mr. Walling has drawn in formulating this "A B C of Russian Bolshevism." Mr. Walling assumes that the public wants to know "what the Bolsheviki actually stand for-according to a fair summary of their own acknowledged words and deeds." "Barbarous" Soviet Russia. By Isaac McBride. Thomas Seltzer. 276 pp. Ill. Favorable pictures of present-day life in Russia under the Bolshevist régime, as sketched by an American traveler. Mr. McBride gave special attention to labor conditions, education, the status of women, and the character of the Soviet leadership. Interesting documents, including a report on the financial situation of Russia, are included in an appendix. EUROPE UNDER RECONSTRUCTION The American Guide Book to France and Its Battlefields. By E. B. Garey, U. S. Army; O. O. Ellis, U. S. Army; R. V. D. Magoffin. Macmillan. 331 pp. Ill. American travelers fortunate enough to obtain passports will find this little book full of practical suggestions which should help them to make good use of their time while sojourning in France. If any of our readers contemplate a journey to the battlefield area they will do well to obtain a copy of this book and read attentively chapter two, which gives specific directions to be followed in applying for passports. There are two other chapters containing things that you should know before arrival in France, and describing conditions that will confront you upon landing. The remainder of the volume is descriptive and historical, one chapter of forty pages being devoted to an outline history of the war itself. Throughout the book special attention is directed to those regions and battle sites with which the A. E. F. was particularly concerned. A concluding chapter gives a brief account of each American division, shows where each fought, and what it accomplished. There are abundant maps and other helpful illustrations. Ladies of Grécourt. By Ruth Gaines. E. P. Dutton & Company. 246 pp. Ill. The "Ladies of Grécourt" are members of the Smith College Relief Unit in the Somme. In a volume entitled "Helping France," Miss Gaines had already told us the story of the early activities of this unit, and in the present book the record is continued in a sketch of some of the most important and appealing aspects of the reconstruction work done for France by this noble group of American women. Miss Anna M. Upjohn's pencil sketches of French peasants and rural life add greatly to the attractiveness of the book. By Rising Above the Ruins in France. Corinna Haven Smith and Caroline R. Hill. G. P. Putnam's Sons. 247 pp. Ill. Observations in the devastated regions of France, made since the Armistice, by two American women who have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the work for "the Children of the Frontier." By the use of pen and camera these women undertake to show us in America something of the destruction that the North of France has undergone and something of the brave spirit with which the population has sought to rebuild its devastated homes. . Vagabonding Through Changing Germany. By Harry A. Franck. Harper & Brothers. 357 Pp. Ill. Mr. Franck's method of studying countries from the pedestrian's viewpoint-a method which made his "Vagabond's Journey Around the World" and "Vagabonding Down the Andes" such entertaining travel books-has been utilized to good purpose in producing the present interesting account of the author's recent journeyings through Germany. Mr. Franck does not go merely where the guide-books point the way, but is always eager to leave the beaten track, if thereby he may come into closer contact with the "natives." In going into Germany he sought to find what the German people were really thinking and doing. His book gives us first-hand information that for the most part has been denied us for the past six years. AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN HISTORY History of Journalism in the United States. By George Henry Payne. D. Appleton & Company. 453 pp. Mr. Payne's history of American newspaper publication is well written and well proportioned. It is probably true that most Americans think of "journalism" as confined to the writing and production of daily newspapers. Whatever may be said as to the accuracy of this use of the word, it is certainly a prevalent conception, and Mr. Payne has made his book conform to it rather than to the more inclusive sense of the term which would embrace all periodical publications. The late E. L. Godkin was for fifteen years editor of the weekly Nation, of New York, and in that period had established his reputation as a journalist. But Mr. Payne regards this experience as of comparatively little importance as compared with Mr. Godkin's later career editor of the New York Evening Post. The objection may also be made that Mr. Payne's book has regard only for the political aspects of American journalism. Although this may be regretted, it can hardly be regarded as a serious fault so as long as the author treats politics broadly as a factor in our national history. With Mr. Payne the writing of this book was evidently a labor of love. He has made the story interesting from beginning to end. As an experienced newspaper man, he could hardly do otherwise. The Influence of Oversea Expansion on England to 1700. By James E. Gillespie. Columbia University. Longmans, Green & Co., Agents, 367 pp. In this treatise British colonial development is approached from a new angle. The author has made a serious attempt to analyze and present the effects of early British expansion on England herself. He discusses these effects in the concrete, under the heads of social customs, commerce, industry, finance, morals and religion, thought, literature, art and politics. Such a discussion is useful in that it brings together for the first time a variety of materials that have heretofore been widely scattered. It serves to crystallize and clarify our views of a most important period in English history. The Canadian Dominion. By Oscar D. Skelton. New Haven: Yale University Press. 296 pp. Ill. The Paths of Inland Commerce. By Archer B. Hulbert. New Haven: Yale University Press. 211 pp. Ill. Adventurers of Oregon. By Constance Lindsay Skinner. New Haven: Yale University Press. 290 pp. Ill. The Fight for a Free Sea. By Ralph D. Paine. New Haven: Yale University Press. 235 pp. Ill. These four volumes in the "Chronicles of America" series have to do mainly with the nineteenth century. An able Canadian writer, Mr. Oscar D. Skelton, has traced the rise of the great Dominion to the north of us. This includes the successful fight for self-government and the accomplishment of federation. The fascinating story of pioneer transportation in America is related by Archer B. Hulbert. The development of Indian trails into real roadways, the use of waterways, both natural and artificial, the birth of the steamboat and its later importance-which now seems almost incredible-in the settlement of the West, are all graphically described. The story of the fur trade, as told by Constance L. Skinner, is the outstanding feature of Oregon history. John McLaughlin, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and John Jacob Astor were the preeminent "Adventurers of Oregon." The fourth volume of the group is concerned with our War of 1812, the chief episodes of which are related by Ralph D. Paine under the title, "The Fight for a Free Sea." The book has special chapters on "Perry and Lake Erie," "The Navy on Blue Water," "Matchless Frigates and Their Duels," and "Victory on Lake Champlain." A Short History of the Italian People, from the Barbarian Invasions to the Attainment of Unity. By Janet Penrose Trevelyan. G. P. Putnam's Sons. 580 pp. Ill. Mrs. Trevelyan has been an enthusiastic student of Italian history for many years. Although she modestly disclaims any attempts at original research, she has at least one qualification which historians of foreign peoples do not always possess a genuine sympathy with the people, resulting from intimate contact. Popular histories of Italy in English are not many. This one is likely to be recognized very soon as among the best. and who makes no attempt to conceal his love and admiration for the French people. Pan-Americanism-Its Beginnings. By Joseph B. Lockey. Macmillan. 503 pp. This work covers the period of revolution and the formation of new states in South and Central America and Mexico, and shows the attitude throughout that period of the United States towards Spanish-American independence. Interesting chapters discuss "Hispanic America and the Monroe Doctrine," and "British Influence." Roughly, the period treated embraces the first three decades of the nineteenth century. A Brazilian Mystic: Being the Life and Miracles of Antonio Conselheiro. By R. B. Cunninghame Graham. Dodd, Mead & Company. 238 pp. An account of the all but successful rebellion of a sect of Brazilian fanatics, led by one Antonio Conselheiro, in the region known as the Sertao, between the provinces of Bahia and Pernambuco, in the year 1897. This leader was eventually slain with all of his cowboy followers. Naval Operations. By Sir Julian S. Corbett. Vol I. (Text.) History of the Great War Based on Official Documents. Longmans, Green & Co. 488 pp. Ill. Naval Operations. Vol I. (Maps.) Longmans, Green & Co. In the official history of the Great War prepared by direction of the historical section of the British Committee of Imperial Defense, this is the first volume devoted to naval operations, and concludes with the Battle of the Falklands in December, 1914. It gives a detailed account of all the activities of the British Navy during the first five months of the war, and this account is entirely based on official reports and other documents. Besides the maps, plans and diagrams inserted in this volume, there is a separate case containing eighteen maps and charts. "That Damn Y." By Katherine Mayo. Houghton Mifflin Company. 432 pp. Ill. Friends of the Y. M. C. A. may well wonder why so uncomplimentary a title was chosen for this excellent book; but they should remember that the phrase was not made by the publishers or the author. The truth is that the A. E. F. made it. A careful reading of the book will show very clearly that the implied condemnation was quite undeserved, as we have no doubt many American officers and soldiers would now readily admit. We hope that no one who contributed to the Y. M. C. A. war fund will be deterred by the title from reading this book; for in it will be found the most complete account of the "Y" work in France that has yet been published, as well as the ablest defense of its management. It is truly an inspiring story, told by an impartial writer, who herself had first to be "shown." Miss Mayo took eight months' time for her investigation, paid her own expenses, and formed her own independent conclusions. That they are so favorable is indeed a tribute to the real value of the Y. M. C. A.'s contribution to the war. AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIPPING The New Merchant Marine. By Edward N. Hurley. The Century Company. 296 pp. Ill. This book is an outcome of Mr. Hurley's observations and experiences while Chairman of the United States Shipping Board. It seems difficult for the American of this generation, in considering the future of our commerce, to think of it in its relation to the building and maintenance of American ships. For the half-century intervening between our Civil War and the outbreak of the Great War in Europe our commerce was chiefly dependent upon foreign shipping. Mr. Hurley in this volume seeks to make clear to us the real meaning of the American merchant marine of to-day, and to outline some of the problems that are sure to confront it in the future. Ocean Shipping. By Robert Edwards Annin. The Century Company. 427 pp. Ill. The fundamentals of ship management and operation are treated in this excellent manual, which is truly a practical guide for the owners and officers of merchant ships. Such a book is needed, now that ocean freighting is once again becoming an American pursuit. Ocean Steamship Traffic Management. By Grover G. Huebner. D. Appleton & Company. 273 pp. Ill. Young men in training for the ocean shipping business will be further aided by Dr. Huebner's book on steamship traffic management. It has been brought well up to date, and embodies the most important changes that have recently occurred concerning ocean-going vessels. International Waterways. By Paul Morgan Ogilvie. Macmillan. 424 pp. In this volume the author traces, in the first place, the evolution of the principle of international waterways, and in the latter half of the book indexes the important international inland waterways of the world, with references to the treaties and laws governing the international enjoyment of these waters. FOR WRITERS AND BOOKLOVERS The Lure of the Pen. By Flora Klickmann. Putnams. 305 pp. Amateur writers of both sexes and all ages will find in this book by an English editor something more than useful hints for would-be authors. There is much of refreshing criticism, and a great deal of advice on what to avoid, both in theme and treatment. But above all there is, in the latter pages of this volume, a stirring appeal to genuine creative genius. It might even be said that if a young writer fails to profit by this inspirational book he had better leave off his attempts to write. If You Don't Write Fiction. Phelps Cushing. McBride. 85 pp. By Charles Experience, humor and ability, mixed in equal parts, with a dash of editorial vision and the spice of reminiscence, mark this attempt to aid the would-be writer of informational, or non-fiction, articles for publication. The breezy breath of the West is in every chapter. It is a headlong dive into a new venture by a man who has something to say and says it-interestingly and tersely. It will pay any beginner-and perhaps some writers of experience-to run through this book for suggestions. Mr. Cushing's points about timeliness, postage, typing, illustrations, and so on, are well worth heeding; and best of all, he coaches wisely regarding hard work and salesmanship. The Modern Library of the World's Best Books. Boni & Liveright. 86 volumes or more. This is a set of volumes by modern writers which brings the world's best literary products of recent years into uniform binding at moderate price to satisfy with an astonishing range of selection the yearning for good books. To pick out groups of three for illustration, let us name from the list Gertrude Atherton, Balzac and Baudelaire; Chesterton, D'Annunzio and Daudet; Howells, Ibanez and Ibsen; Meredith, Moore and Nietzsche; Rodin, Roosevelt and Schnitzler; Stirner, Strindberg and Sudermann; Voltaire, H. G. Wells and Oscar Wilde. Out of nearly a hundred volumes more than one-fourth are devoted to short stories, verse or plays. Fiction occupies the greatest space. From either a geographic or a cultural standpoint, the range is almost universal, and includes folk lore, philosophy and some of the best platform eloquence of two leading statesmen of recent years. Russian, French, Spanish, German, Belgian, British and American authors, all received their merited attention; and among these may be mentioned Lord Dunsany, Havelock Ellis, Anatole France, W. S. Gilbert, Maxim Gorky, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, Ellen Key, Maurice Maeterlinck, Schopenhauer, Swinburne, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Woodrow Wilson and W. B. Yeats. Many a layman, hungering for good books to read as he lolls in the shade on his vacation this fall, and perhaps lacking the time, knowledge or patience to assemble a collection of worth-while reading, can go to any bookstore and make almost a blind selection of these books and feel practically certain of pleasure and satisfaction. That is perhaps the greatest service rendered by the publishers of a set of books of this kind. Additional volumes will be published each year. If these new books hold to the present standard, they will be well received. |