LITERARY NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2321, 1 December 1914, Page 7

LITERARY NOTES ON THE WAR

.(By Libee.)

"The Corman Empire's Hour of Destiny." Mr. John Long sends me a copy of "The German Empire's Hour of Destiny," an English translation of "Des Deutschen Reiclies Schicksalsstunde." by Colonel Frobenius. Amongst . tlio many books recently published which leave no shadow of dbubt as to tho causes of tho great war, this book by Colonel Frobenius is one 'of the very first importance. It was published, in its original German fprm, only a fow days before .the war 'began, and that amiable young Anglophobe, the German Crown Prince, sent a warmly congratulatory letter to the author. Colonel Frobenius ■ not only predicted tho present war, but to quite an astounding extent in.view of recent happenings, ho predicted tho strategy thereof. In the interesting preface, contributed by Sir Valentine Cnirol, tho foreign affairs expert of "The Times," that gentleman points out that of "all tho writers of this school, England-is, for him (Colonel Frobenius), the enemy par excellence. But in some respects Colonel Frobenius surpasses them all by imputing to, her, even in the conduct of the coming war, the same Machiavellian duplicity which has, of course, in his opinion, characterised her diplomatic preparations for it. "Tho world is governed only by trickery and deceit, wrote Frederick the Voltaire, and the Emperor William prides himself, above all, on. being the direct heir of the Frederickian tradition. But he who puts his faith in trickery and deceit, and makes a constant practice of them, is apt to assume that everyone else does the same, and this assumption lands him in grievous miscalculations." That Sir Valentine Chirol is right in this is proved by the author's contention that England, whilst anxious to see Germany involved in a life and death struggle with France and Russia, would do uer best to keep out of the conflict herisolf, "with a view to profiting, as she has always done, by the ultimate exhaustion of the belligerent Powers." A wilder travesty of the truth could not well have been imagined. As to helping France-on land, Colonel Frobenius considered that Great Britain would not think of such a thing, as if France were victorious over Germany "she would in its turn become once more, as she has been in the past, a source of disquitude to tHe British Islands." Discussing the pait Great Britain might play in tho war he so, clearly anticipates, indeed so confidently predicts, Colonel Frobonius - does not, like 60 many other German writers, underestimate her strength. Where he makes his chief blunder is in'his assumption that either she would not object to Belgian or Dutch neutrality being broken by, Germany, or that she would herself break Belgian noutrality by landing an - expeditionary force at Antwerp directly tho war began. The Colonel seems curiously anxious about Denmark. Tho Danes, ' he says very plainly, "will be found on the Bide of our enemies." Tho military power of tho Frenoh ha is inclined to underrate, but it is evident he considers Russia a most formidable foe, one destined to grow more formidable as every year passes by. Price, 2s. 6d.

"Swollen-Headed William." Even so gravely serious a subject of | war may have its lighter side, and the vainglorious egotism which has found expression in the' Kaiser's speeches and telegrams has already received full attention from European satirists—outside Germany.' An. English publication has now appeared,. which,, in ..its own quiet vein of sly humour should prove peculiarly, unpalatable to the Lord of Potsdam, who, so it was . stated the other day, is keenly anxious to know what is written of nim in the country he _ is specially aiuious to humiliate. This is a little quarto .volume entitled "Swollen-Headed William" (Methuen and Co.), consisting of verses' by Mr. E. V. Lucas, with accompanying drawings of an equally delightful drollery by 'Mr. George Morrow Tho book is an ingenious travesty of, the once wellknown German children's book, .in which are recorded the escapades and follies of Little Struwelelpeter. Here- we have shockheaded Peter' transformed into Swollen-Headed William; we see him playing with European matches and burning his fingers, or setting out to shoot the Belgian hare. There ,is the story .of Peter (or William), who would not have any "peace soup" and the BtoryofFidgetty Will, and'so forth, and in each and all Mr. Lucas provides a new nursery rhyme, all in the approved style of juvenile simplicity, but full of ingenious and telling satire. "Fidgetty Will" is a specially happy effort on the part, of the, author and artist. Mr. Morrow has drawn a good German, the Hauß Herr, and his stout Haus Era j sitting at table with a tureen of Gorman Trade Soup before them. But Fidgetty Will, despite all injunctions to sit still,

Though the table was laden With good things to eat. And evoryone happy And smiling and neat The House in good order, And money to' spare' persists in wriggling, and struggling, mid tilting his chair, until at last ho pulls with all his might, and down falls "bottle, soup ' tureen, and all." Mr. Morrow has drawn many a funny picture for "Punch," but ho is irresistibly mirth-provoking in these pictures .of the bewildered and angry Haus Herr and his Haus Frau. In the final picture the pair stand aside and contemplate the ruin -with liorror. As for the author thereof, he is hidden under , the table-cloth, and the fragments of the ruined meal. Where is William? Where is hoP Fairly overwhelmed you see. What a terrible to do 1 Dislies.' glasses, snapt in twol Here a knife and there a fork! William, this is oruol work Table bare and what a life ( For the German and his wife! See them scowl and . wonder how They will get their dinner now. There is a deep-lying moral under this and other equally playful satires, but into this I need not go. "Swollen-head-ed William" should be a mine of joy to those who can appreciate clever satire. (Price,' Is. 3d.)

"How the War Began." "How tho War began," by J. M. Kennedy (Hodder and Stoughton, per S. and W. Mackay), is tlio first of a series of war books written for tho London "Daily Telegraph." Mr. Kennedy's work has been warmly praised by leading English reviews and newspapers. Its valuo as a calmly written, most carefully documented record of tlio negotiations' whicli took place, betweon the various European Governments afFccted, directly and indirectly, by tho dispatch, of tho Austrian Noto to Sorvia, cannot well be over-estimat-ed. Each stage in tlio negotiations is c-learly explained by quotations from Stato papers and extracts aro also given from the letters, from Vienna, Berlin, and other European capitals, of the correspondents of London papers, as well as quotations from speeches delivered by Sir Edward Grey, Mr. Asquith, Mr. Redmond, and other statesmen. N I s'hould like to see this admirable little book find a place on tho book shelves of every well-educated New Zoalander, for a careful perusal of its pages cannot fail to deepen tlio fooling, to malco sounder and firmer the already strong conviction, that tlio war was forced upon' tli'o British Empire, and thai, ro far «s Britain i" «n----iJtSLEBfiSI ft » agb .ft-Aust,

the interests of our very national existance, it must be a. war to a finish, at all hazards, at all costs, (Price, Is. 3d.).

"A Scrap of Paper." Two later volumes of the "Daily Telegraph" War Books. (Hodder ana Stoughton, per Whitcombe and Tombs and S. and W. Mackay) aro "A Scrap of Paper:' The Inner History of German Diplomacy and Her Scheme of World-wide Conquest," by, Dr. E. J. Dillon; and "The Fleets at War," by Archibald Hurd. Dr. Dillon..has for years been . famous as a keen student of European international problems. Ho was one of the first to warn his fellowcountrymen as to the'importance of the German Navy League; and, as far back ft 3 January and February of this year,, foretold that an Austro-Russian conflict over the Balkan question must inevitably take place before the year, was out-. Taking as liis text the now famous "Scrap of Paper" utterance of the German Vice-Chancellor, his book is a masterly, merciless, and convincing exposure of the deliberate treachery with which, it is now clear, the I russian Military Staff mado their preparations for the war they had so long contemplated; Specially interesting is entitled "Forcing the Quarrel, in which much new and curious information is given as to the tortuous, but none the less deliberate, manner in which both German and Austrian diplomats misled Russia, and indirectly France, England, and even • } T ally, Italy, on tho subject of Austrian ambitions in the 8a1.,™3' ~™3 ' -r chapter, entitled The Infamous Offer," Dr. Dillon deals with the cynically dishonest offer made to Sir Edward Grey by Germany with "gard to Belgian neutrality, an offer winch, to the eternal honour and glory ot Great Britain, her Minister for For--2J2 11 Affairs contemptuously rejected. Dr. Dillon's book cannot be neglected / n yo"o who desires to have a clear understanding of tho general European situation previous to the war. (Price, Is. 3d.) Mr. Archibald Hurd is well known as a writer who'has long made a speciality of naval warfare and a special study of the relative importance or successive British and German naval programmes. ' In his? "Fleets at War" no provides' much interesting and use's '"formation concerning the navies , lea( ™g Powers and the parts that they may bo expected to play in the war. (Price, Is. 3d.) The Oxford War .Pamphlets. f„di B< l ng S tllo man J publications called forth by the war ono of the most inter-' t-stmg and valuable ; s the serieß of "Oxford Pamphlets, 1914," published by tho uxtord University Press at the modest price of twopence each. Every possible side or the war, its origin, -its effect UP °i n ui wi<ra ? nations involved,, its probable economic consequences, etc., is dealt with by writers of accepted reputation. Amongst others, the followm K i? su ?s >.avo appeared: "Tho War aim the British Dominions," by H; E; U-gerton, Beit Professor of Colonial History; I 1 ranch Policy Since. 1871," 7,1, 1 -?^ rgan aud H - F - W. C. Davis; T ?.. , a o°t Small States," by E. A; L. Fisher, F.8.A., Vice-Chancellor of tho Umycrßitv of Sheffield; "Serbia and the Sorbs,' by Sir Valentine Cliirol; Itussia, the Psychology of a Nation," by Paul Vinogradoff, Professor of Juris-' ?Jr, in the University of Oxford; ihe Germans—Their Empire, How Ihey Have Made It," by C. 11. L. Fletn 1 Germans. What They k ove irV same autnor: and "How Can War Ever Be Right?" by Professor Gilbert Murray. . It is impossible to praise theso admirable essays too highly. They are essentially practical in the arrangement of faots' aiid the marshalling of arguments, and a 1 laudable feature is tbo moderation, calmness, and dignity of the style in which they are written. • -To doubt the fact that Germany has Jong and deliberately aimed at the humiliation of Great Britain, at the annexation of many.of her.oversea possessions, and has with equal -deliberation planned a vast territorial spoliatjoii of which France, Belgium, and Russia were the intended objects, is made unmistakeably clear by Professors Egerton and Fletcher. "The Germans, What They Covet," is, in particular, a complete eye-opener. These . pamphlets deserve a much longer and moro. detailed notice than I can to-day find space for. They will. I trust,, be widely bought, and carefully preserved after being even more carefully studied;

"How Britain Strove for Peaoe." "How Britain Strove for Peace—a Record of Auglo-German Negotiations, 1898-1914, _ ; told from. authoritative sources," is a pamphlet of some forty pages, written "by Sir Edward Cook, at one time editor of the "Pall Mall Gazette," and published by Macmillan and Uo. The author proves beyond all reasonable doubt that during the past sixteen years it has been the settled arid sincere policy of Great Britain not only to avoid war herself, but to throw all her diplomatic ■ influence on the side of peace. The author 6ays, in his preface:—"My summary is based, for the most part,. upon official documents or Ministerial speeches, and for the rest upon information which, I have good reason to believe, is irrefutable. . . .It will be seen, first, that England persistently . strove to abate the pressure .of armaments, and that each and every attempt, was negatived by Germany." Sir Maurice Bunsen, British Ambassador at Vienna, told Sir Edward Grey in his final dispatch that it was .German interference which prevented Austria and Russia coming to an understanding. That dispatch ended as follows "A .few days' delay might in all probability have saved Europe from one of the greatest' calamities in history.-" Upon this Sir Edward- Cook's comment is that "one of the greatest calamities in history" is directly tracedble. to Germany's insistence upon' the use of tho mailed'list in preference to pacific diplomacy, even when Austria was.not indisposed to disperse with the shining armour of her ally." (Price twopence net.) ■

A Wonderful Pennyworth. A truly wonderful pennyworth of information concerning: the events immediately preceding the outbreak of war is contained, in a booklet of 102 pages, issued, at one penny, by Hazell, Watson, and Vinoy, London, under the authority of His Majesty's Stationary Office, and entitled "Great Britain and tho European Crisis; Correspondence, and Statements in Parliament, together with an introductory narrative■ of events." Hero we have the diplomatic correspondence in its entirety, also verbatim reports of the memorable speeches delivered in the House of Commons by Sir Edward Grey (August 3), and Mr. Asquith (August 4, 5, and 6). The Introductory Narrative. is a statement issued by the British Foreign Offico as to tho general and specific causos of tho war. A nioro crushing indiotmont of Teuton treachery, and more convincing testimony to the justice and truth of tho British case it would bo impossiblo to find.