VIEWS AND REVIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1913, 22 November 1913, Page 9

VIEWS AND REVIEWS.

"A Country to Keep Away From. ■Aa Country .to Keep Away From." '• Thait isjpractically the moral of -Mr. • "Ambrose'Pratt's - book, "The Real .South -Africa" (G. Bell and Sons, per -Whitoombe and Tombs). Mr. Pratt is aii Australian journalist, who went to South 'Africa with t-ho Hon. Andrew " Fisher, ,- theli Prime .Minister of tho Commonwealth, to .attend t-ho opening of the .Union Parliament.; '. The author, Whoso "Life of David Symo" (Synjeof tho "Ago"); will bo remembered, travelled through British South Africa from Cape jTowh -up to .the Zambesi .Falls) .interviewed statesmen, politicians, .mining magnates, "farmers—Boer. and Britishstudied statistics, riiade careful notes of what- he saw and heard, and evidently - fame to . tho conclusion,, indeed lie openly avows it, that, it was his .duty to warn, his Australian . brethren that South Africa .is a country to avoid. . Making allowance for exaggeration, for it is really difficult to believe that-things are quite so bad as Mr. Pratt paints them/there is .no denying tlie ugly truth of some of Mr. Pratt's pictures. Tho soil, save in patches, is .poor as .compared with that of Australia; the : lancf is worth anything the Dutch have .- got. and will stick to, farming methods, . both agricultural .and pastoral, are hope- . lessly out; of date, -slipshod and ineffecv tive; crime is rampant and ever increasing; the Rind mines are a curse rather -than, a blessing to.the country; the back-veld Boers are not to -be pk: vl, the racial' prejudices are as strong-or stronger than ever, and worse , than : anything ; and everything else is what :Mr! Pratt;, terms "Tlio- Black .•: Menace." Everywhere the blacks in- , crease,; as .the result of there being iio longer any- trifial wars-to thin them out;. everywhere tlio black grows more res- , tive under the white dominance; everywhere the propaganda of the' "Ethiopan. Church," the preaching of the doctrine of "Africa for the Africans," threatens to constitute in the near future a grave danger to the Europeans. What • to do : with the "poor whites, the whites who are landless, who are not skilled •artisans, and yet who cannot, must not compete with Kaffirs in-manual work if the white .m?n's mana is to be maintained, is rapidly becoming one of the gravest problems which South African statesmen have-to' solve.;. And the , white . of them—what of them and their future in a country <vhero technical education is'as yet prac- : tically non-existent, and-where there, is,, outside tHe towns, but littlo work for a skilled artisan? . - The Rand Lords and Ladies. '.: Mr.; Pratt is-even-unealiant enough to pay -unpleasant-"things ' about -the' Afrikander ladies.' They must either' read, -sleep, or ' yawn . themselves' iiito a - state of ! boredom. ' They claim, and enjoy, ; a license unkiiown, save in England's smartest, sets. .. . ; Their ; talk is broad, exciting, and subtly cnajlenging. i. ... Their,eyes brood, ' their'lips, murmur,-.veiled criticisms . yon- their fruitless lives.: ... Such " • -womgn, ought..Jiot:;.to "bo.;mothers. ' i/ Tlioyo|(rei,a-iniehace.-.ta!thorfnttire of ' the race. • . r ; ■ ■ ■' As for,'.Hr.-.Batt'.s 'chapter.. on the Band miners and th«'. condition,'.under "vyhich . the . "\vhit-©~ miners work, and live, as, to {he truly awful mortality" • rate and - ■ other matters, what .; he says- -is apparentlybased.upon official statistics,'and makes ■ Out. doleful reading. Of tho Rand magnates, he says:— . They live like princes, waifted .on by retinues.of liveried flunkies, .rushing; about in their motor-cars, . entertaining, receiving, squandcr- , ing money like wiitej', vet. growing . . richer every day. .. ... Within a' . ■ few ..minutes', -walk v'is'-.... tho . quarter, of the poor whites, .wretched victims of the Kaffir's- mono--poly of . tho unskilled labour market, who derive an infamous liv- . ing'.by the laundry .labour of their ..wives,, the, prostitution', of their -..daughters, and by selling liquor in ; secret to. the nativo hordes.

_If all .this -be true, then verily is the Rand in a bad way, and its future likei? worse. But 0110 cannot help thinking that this Australian view of South Africa is over-coloured. If, how-ever,-"but 011'e-half Mr. Pratt says about the country and its people—be true, tlipn assuredly it is a country to beep an ay from. I should like to see some South African criticisms 011 this book. I fancy they would make very lively reading. '

The Nation's Library. Two recent additions t9 Collins's admirable series, "The Nation's Library," ■ reach me from the publishers. One is • by Professor Vivian L. Lewis; tlio 'other, "The Feminist ■' Alovempnt," ,by , Mrs: Philip Sriowden. ! Professor Lewis's book gives/ a" well1. planned,'"compact,; and'; admirable" sur,'Vey ;of.'the- present and' future'of the ;" world's*- supply and world's employment . of -petroleum .oil.. . The formation and ;co!ni)ositioii'of potrolo'um ; the oil fields . of the world; 'the recovery arid refining of ■petroleum; tho transportation and 'storage, of oil; liquid fuels other than petroleum; liquid fuel arid its composi- , tion; the production of power by petroleum in the internal combustion engine; the nso of petroleum in lighting, lubrication, etc.; the future of petroleum and dil fuel—all these various branches and-phases cf the subject. are dealt with-as exhaustively, as is possible in a work of such relatively small cornpass. Tho author claims to give information which can "only othorwiso be obtained by perusing several expensive works; but his manual, he adds, "aims at something more than presenting ,a condensed roview of the subject, and somo of tho views,; expressed, especially with regard to- the -supply of petroleum, will not be acceptable to many interested in its exploitation."

jlrs. SuoWden's book is one of notable ajid timely'.interest,' By many people the feminist... movement is confounded "with and assumed to be identical with what is popularly known as tho Suffragist movement. This is a • fallacy very fully and. ably- exposed' by Mrs. Snowden. f The' gospel of feminism is, »he says,' "Tho. recognition, full and ■complete, " of the humanity of women . . . > the achievement of freedom for womanhood and its equality for opportunity with nianhood." In successive c'haptcrs tho author discourses upon tho meaning of feminism, examines the evidence as to tho position, in past and present times, of Oriental, Slavonic, Latin, and Germanic women, traces the history of the struggle for woman's education, tho'connection of women with social service, and describes woman's position witli regard to public servico. Sho dovotcs special attention to the Woman's Suffrage movement in • all its phases. The "economics of feminism," the position of women 'before the law and tr.e attitude of feminists to-, . wards questions of public and individual morality are also discussod. Mrs. Snowden is a trained and practised student of and writer upon-,political and sooial questions, and whether tho reader accepts or rejects her ' contentions, the earnestness, eloquence, and. literary

ability with which the author presents her case 'cannot'fail to bo-recognised. This is , one of the "very best volumes in an exceptionally useful scries. Each volume has a .short bibliography ayd a full index. 'J'ho New Zealand price is iiftoenpence. The "Useful Knowledge" Series. , In tho many, cheap and handy series of works dealing with scientific and other. subjects in an' attractive and popular way, "The Useful Knowledge" series (Hodder. aiid. Stoughton) should not be. overlooked.. Messrs. S. and W.\ Mackay send me ' two volumes' recently added to this-excellent series; "The Atmosphere,", by Douglas Archibald, M.A.,' F.R.Mct.Soc., and'"The .Alphabet," by Edward Clodd. Professor Archibald's little volume represents both the results of original research and gives a resume of.tho discoveries of the more modern school of : meteorologists, The. chapter entitled "Suspension and Plight in' tho ■ Atmosphere," • contains much interesting information on thc'subject of aerial navigation', but is not sufficiently up-to-date. With this exception tli'e work leaves nothing to be desired. Mr. Clodd's little volume I have found most interesting reading. The : author gives a' useful account, of the' history of mem-ory-aids and . picture-writing of tho Chinese, Japanese, and Korean scripts, of cuneiform ' writing and Egyptian hieroglyphics,- Cretan,.' Scripts, Greek papyri, arid the runes and "ogams" of the ancient - Scandinavians, Manx, and Irish. Both Mr. Clodd's and Professor Archibald's . books, are. liberally illustrated; (New Zealand ,i>rice, fifteonpence.). Some Magazines; "The Bookman", for October (Hoddor and Stoughton)- is 'an autumn double number. If only, for two articles', that on George Borrow, by Thomas Seccombc, and that on ,the now famous French entomologist, . Henri Fabre, by Alexander Teixera de-Mat-tes, the number is well morth buying—and carefully preserving. Mr. Seccombs's- article on the great George is really an admirable littlo monograph on the life and works of tho_ author of "Lavengro" and "The Bible in Spain." It is liberally-illustrated by portraits and _ pictures of Borrovian scenes'. A special photogravure portrait of Borrow is. given as r a supplemental plate. Under tlie heading of; "The Bookman's Gallery" '• appear appreciative. criticisms of the 'work . of. .two clever young English writers, 'Warwick Dupeng and St. John Lucas.; An excellent number throughout. ' In tho Octobcr. issue of that admirable' magazine, -"The British Review" (Williams and Noreate), are to bo specially .noted articles on "The' Celtic Nationality of • Ireland," by - that clever young 1 ! iyriter,;_Padraic Colum; : "The, Breaking .Strain—A > Study, of .'Labour on the Rand," by E: L.C."Watson; and ' 'Vegetable ■Degeneration• by Professor George Hemslow. The purely literary feature's in'which the'.number is specially strong, include a witty, and suggestive article, "The .Critic as'-De-, stroyer," by Robert! Lynd; r who is- very"! severo upon, certain latter-day "booming" and; log T rplling; Mrs. .Hugh Ben- ' * on ' s ,' "Hoitse j.'pocnrs' by W. :B. Yeats anc] Michael Armstrong'; a-'.whim-sical criticism of Bernard Shaw's" lat-. est-play,/-'Androcles arid the" Lion" ; and a. study ot';tho uucaniiy, byVAlgernon J! lack\vaocl, ; who seijins- to specialise in. tlio _ stfpei'natural ,'and succceds! in making it appear .marvellously real.--The. editor's "Obiter. Dicta.'!,.oll various; subjects; 'Sir' Oliver. Lodge's now : famous address, in particular, arc marked by good sense and good taste. The "British Review" is- excellent value for a shilling. ■In "Scribncr's Magazine" for;- October (Constable" arid' Co.), a good feature is an articlo'on presbiitr-day ..' Portugal, by-C.-L. Freestdn: "Trout Fsliihg ill Norlnanby," by Ethel. Rose, -is -specially Interesting by reason.' of its illustrations. • Mr.' Roosevelt' continues his animal studios,'coiicludiug his study of elephant life. In the November issue lie is to dealwith the rhinoceros and the hippopotamus. . The fiction, by ■ Edith Wharton, John Galsworthy, and-Kafch-erine Gorould,. is exceptionally good. Mr. Punch's. New Overcoat. . Messrs. Bradbury, ■ Agnew and Co., the proprietors-of "Punch," have been good enough-to send me a copy of'tho issue for October 1 of the famous comic journal. In an accompanying note tlio proprietors say:—"For the first timo for nearly soventy years there is this week a change in the cover of the ordinary weekly issue, and wo hope j-ou will agree that ■ the appearance of 'Punch' is much improved." Tho rest of -tlio letter is an eloquently worded appeal for new subscribers. I fail to see where the "improvement" conies in. The change -consists in tlio' printing, in a crude yellow, of. . the actual, title "Punch," an 3 the tinting,' also in .yellow,. of the delightfully fiinriv frieze which appears at the .-foot-, of, "Dicky" Doyle's famous cover design. ' From an .artistic point of;, view, the -old "plain j. black-and-whitewas' imrileasureably superior. That "Punch" doc's.'noed-im-. proving no; one needs to' be told who'can remember or can see a' volume of . "Punch". published, say, in the- 'eighties' or 'nineties ■oF the last ventury. To my-mind there.was.'far better drawing ill. .-"Punch" of the '"eighties .and 'nineties than in "Punch!' of'to-.da.v. Charles Keenc, the finest-master,.of lino that English humorous art has ever known, was at his best; - George Du Maurier was contributing his' gracefully humorous Society -pictures ;. Tcnniel's cartoons.,so dignified in their academic-like stylo of drawing, were far bettor than tho cartoons of to-day. When do we see a cartoon, for instance, in "Punch" of to-day to equal Teniiiel's famous, "Dropping the Pilot." Then, too, there were Linlcy Samboiirno's delicately fanciful second .'cartoons. Harry Furniss wa3 doing splenr did work in his parliamentary pictures, ond somo of the littlo." vignette ' drawings signed-E. T. R. were- marvels of pictorial fun. To-da'y "Punch" 'has a much larger band of . artists to draw upon, but their Work has seldom the vigour, the effectiveness, which- marked the work of tlie "old gang." The reading matter, too, exhibits a similar decadence. "Punch" of. to-day seems afraid to hit out; he has grown flabby, with increasing age and prosperity. And, worst change of all, the advertisements, once confined to their proper place, are now interleaved right through the paper. If "improvements" were needed, it was not "Dicky" Doyle's famous cover design which should have I been meddled with.

A little book which should bo worth tho attention of all who arc interested in defence ■ questions is to be published by Mr. 'John Murray at the popular price of sixpence. It is a collection of addresses delivered by Lord Roberts in various British cities on tho military needs of the nation. . Sir Arthur Clay, whose . book- on "Syndicalism" won so much praiso as a. careful examination of one. of , the developments'. of latter-day industrial warfare,, has edited a work. "The-' Dangers of Democracy," written by the late 'Thomas Mackay. John Murray is the publisher.