LITERARY NOTES ON THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2400, 4 March 1915, Page 3

LITERARY NOTES ON THE WAR

IlBER.)

Von Der Coltz on War. The name of Field-Marshal von Der Goltz is now familiar enough to readers of this journal. He it was who, after commanding one of the German armies which forced- their way through t Belgium last year, became Governor of Belgium. More recently ,he has, so it has, been reported, acted as chief military adviser to tho Turkish Government. ; Ho has been styled "the most eminent pupil ot von Moltke."-. He served in the war against. France in 1870,. and afterwards spent some years in Turkey as the instructor of the Ottoman army> being credited'with the authorship of a plan of campaign which gave victory to the . Sultan's forces in' the war against Greece in 1897. In the war against Bulgaria and the Balkan League, tho Turkish commanders abandoned the piaii for a .defensive campaign 'which he had prepared, and the rejection or his advice had disastrous results, ihe commanders who did best during the campaign in Thrace were, it is said, his pupfls. Air these facts being remembered, it is not surprising that the appearance of a . treatise on modern waiiare from the pen .of so distinguished, an authority, should' have occasioned considerable interest, not only 111 Germany, but'by. military men all over Ui'urope, when it was published, as it) was in Berlin, in An English translation, entitled "The Nation in Arms: A Treatise on Modern Military Systems and the Conduct, of War, appeared in 1906, and has now teen reissued in cheaper" form by Hodder and Stoughton, with editorial notes by A. Hilliard Atteridge. The book, _ which is of .considerable, length, differs in niaiiv ways from the works of Von BernharJi and other German writers on war. As Mr. Atteridge points out in an interesting preface, there is in the works of Von Dor Goltz, ,f a> complete absence of the "Jingo" element to be found in some of .the. younger writers of the German army.- 'He argues that universal service is the .necessary price that a. great Continental nation must pay-to secure its safety, but he never expresses the strange opinion that war is something to bo sought for its own sake. .To his mind, it is rather .a trying experience that will come from time to time in the life of a nation, and for which the most complete preparation must be made." The book, which 'is of' an exhaustive character, makes deeply interesting -reading, even to a layman, at the present time, but space forbids anything, in' -the • shape of a detailed summary ,of its contents. I may quote, however, , a passage (on page 255), which shows that ,at least one great German corhmander recognises'that victory is not achieved by means of arms- alone. The author says:—"The unrestricted . pursuit of .3 objects of war is, no doubt, enormously facilitated if the army finds, in-affluent districts of the enemy s country, provisions enough to maintain itself temporarily wherever .it turns. '.Jut it .must be doubted whether this fact has any appreciable effect upon, the finances.of the State. .... The idea, whicli. might have been- ■ justifiable in th& ; seventeenth and eighteenth, centuries, that it were possible to force an enemy to yield by carrying the war into his oountry, has now a limited application indeed. The possibility of folding out; does not depend upon whether we are on this side of the frontier or on the other, as upon our international credit." This is a truth which, fortunately for the Allies, will now every month that passes be brought more closely home\to. the 'nation of which Von Der Goltz is a' son. Everyone who has a copy of Von Der Goltz's book should place Von Der Goltz's work alongside. (New. Zealand price 3s. copy per Whitcombe arid Tombs.)

GERMANY AND EUROPE. ' One of the inost moderately, yet eloquently worded, eminently sane, .and penetrating studies of the leading problems arising out of the great war that £- have yet read is to be found in a recently-published book, "Germany and Europe;" by J. W. Allen, Barclay lecturer in modern history at Bedford College/University of London (G. Bell and Sons, per Whitcombe and Tombs). The calmness, tbo freedom from anything savouring of uiifairness to the enemy,' the- evident' desire of the author to maintain an attitude :of unswerving justioe, are all just as much features of his book as ' are the author's sturdy patriotism, and ._ the sincerity . of his oonviction that ours is the cause of truth, honour, and justice. The book is divided into four chapters, entitled respectively. "Tho Theory of International Militarism," "Germany," "TTie Coming of the War," and "England," suet : being the titles of the four lectures of which the contents of the volume are composed. The freshness and logic of Mr. Allen's views are a welcome relief from the doubtful history, yet more doubtful ethics, and cheap; hysterical denunciation of tho enemy, of which too many works on tho war have been mainly composed. Specially gocM is Mr. Allen's explanation, of the* chance which has gradually _ come over Germany through its domination by the Prussian military bureaucracy. As to Great .Britain's share in the responsibility for the war, I know of no better antidote to the extravagantly mischievous, and',, to my mind at least, downright disloyal views recently put forward by Mr. George Bernard Shaw, than the calmly but closely-reasoned acoount given by 'Mr. Allen of the part played by Sir' Edward Grey in the international negotiations of that fateful last week in July, 1914. Nowhert has the case for. England been better, more clearly, more effectively stated. Where perhaps many of Mr. Allen's readers may disagree with him, is with regard to the terms upon which paace should bo concluded by the Allies, "when once the enemy has to confess himself thoroughly 'beaten, and as to that happening, long delayed though it may be, the author has not the slightest doubt. Mr. Allen's anxiety that the settlement shall be on racial grounds is laudable and reasonable enough, but I fear that, just now, and perhaps even in a lesser degree later, on, Englishmen will hardly accept the author's contention that Great Britain must not insist upon a heavy war indemnity. It is plain that on this point he holds views much akin to those of Mr. Norman Angell. Leaving this point aside, it is good to notice that Mr. Allen insists that "Belgium's bill to Germany must he paid." "It will," he says, "be a big bill, but it must bo paid not only for the sake of Belgium, but for the sake of Europe, including Germany." On the question of the German colonies and their future ownership, the author declares that if he could choose he "would not deprive Germany of a single one of her ' colonies." But he forthwith admits "it would be hardly possible to refuse to allow South Africa to take German South-West Africa, if she really wishes to do so. or to'refuse to allow Australia to keep the Bismarck Archipelago or German New Guinea." And, Mr. Allen might have added, with prescience of a most probable happening, that New Zealand should bo entrusted with the administration of Samoa] It is, however, on 'the racial question, as it .will- affect the aftermath of the war, that Mr. Allen is most logical and interesting. On this point he has much to sav that is both new and sensiblo. War. literature is assuming an enormous bulk, but I most warmly coinmend this, book of Mr. Alleii's to my readers as being a work of real value to all earnest and thoughtful students of tho international problems which loom, on tho horizon as a result of the colossal struggle now proceeding in Europe. /New .Zealand price 35.).

The cerman Spy System. Several publications, some of a .palpably catchpenny character, havo appeared during the past few months, purporting to unveil the secrets, of tho German system of espionage. The latest work of this kind, "Hie German Spy System From Within," by "Ex-Intel-ligence Officer" (Hodder and Stoughton, per Whitcombe and Tombs), is, however, much loss sensational in tone and detail than its predecessors, the author claiming that only such evidence with regard to the system is presented as can be verified from unquestionable sources. , Special attention is paid to the inauguration of .the modern system of espionage by Stieher, who took the world into his at least—in his famous "Memoirs,' but for the most part, the book deals with German espionage as it has been practised, and sometimes detected, during tile past ten or fifteen years, especially in France, Russia, and Great Britain. The author deals in detail with espionage, as practised by German agents, in connection with the diplomatic, military, and naval services of other nations, and with, the specially mischievous work of the agent provocateur. He lays stress upon the fact that the majority of German spies are naturalised citizens _ of, the countries against which their dirty work is directed. Referring, in particular, to the case of a German hairdresser, carrying on business in the Caledonian Road, London, who was tried for espionage in last, he "remarks: "The length of, time the. prisoner had resided in England was quite in accordance with the system pursued at Berlin, of planting men for use when they had passed out from of suspicion by reason of their having hecome, to all intents, citizens of the country on which is required. The fact of naturalisation is proved to have no. significance—nor, since a German regains his nationality if he wishes it, in spite of having been naturalised in'any other country, should naturalisation be held as a bar to suspicion." In. his- chapter on the aeents provocateurs, the author expresses the opinion—an. opinion ho «upports bv some very curious evidence —that it has been the special and persistently nursned object of the German Secret Service Demrtment to stir ut> industrial strife in France and Great- Britain, and that tho Department has been materially aided in carrying out this dosign by the Svnfiicnlist Movement. "Inquiry into Syndicalist work in' France and Entlmd alike will show that the funds of the Syndicalists have benefited, if thev have not been mainly supported, by German contributions." . It is a.. significant fact, tint Stieber himself, the_founder of the German spy system as it exists to-dav, "took service with a mercantile firm - and identified himself with German Socialism of the revolutionary kind." .', During the past few years there has been a tendency amongst certain ; English Labour leaders to ally themselves w?*h the German Syndicalist movement. This tendency has not been without its effect, even in Australasia, '.'but it'is s :>fp to predict that in future the. saner, British and Oversea British Labour leaders will'be extrewelv suspicious of any protestations of . "international which may emanate from Berlin. ■ Like so many other articles "made in German v." it? bonafides will be suspected. (New Zealand price 35.). .i: -

"Deeds That Will Never Die." M.r.'John-Foster-Fraser lia6 the pen of »' ready writer, ' and possesses a ■special talent for seizing upon dramatic incidents in life and describing' them in a vividly picturesque style. In his "Deeds that Will Never Die : Stories of Heroism an the Great War" (Gassell and Co.;; per Whiteombe and Tombs) he has. collected, • from a variety of sources, mainly from the personal- narratives of officers, soldiers, doctors, and iiutcos; a number of stirring stories of British! - French,' and Belgian gallantry and devotion to duty. Fifty times more romantic than the efforts of the cleverest weaver of'fiction is the unvarnished truth oT sonje of these narratives. Take, for instance, the following story of an experience which happened to a private in the First. Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, who was first shot while lying in a French cornfield,'his thigh being fractured. An attempt to rescue him proving. unsuccessful, he remained the night on the field. The next day he received another wound, this timo 'in the left hand. He then took shelter in a hole made by one of' the big German. shells'. The Germans had trained a Maxim on the part of the cornfield in which he lay, and the bullets were ripping across the top of the hole .and hitting the opposite side, where he 'watched them for quite a time. Tho third day he was shot again, a bullet entering the sole of his foot. He succeeded in crawling eight yards on tho fourlfT- day, and also had the good fortune to and some, rum in. a dead German's water-bottle. On the following day.he had crawled eight hundred yards ,w'hen he was rescued by_ a man of the Welsh Regiment, who, in spite of the heavy firing .of the Germans, carried him to safety. The only food) the poor fellow Bad during hi 6 five days' exposuro was a piece of bread which a wounded German officer gave him on the first Jay. Once tho German ambulance men refused to pick him up because he was. an enemy. A chapter which will be read with special interest at the present time is that entitled' "The Skill :of the British Airmen,'' in which certain memorable "duels in the air" are described. As to the British soldiers 'unquenchable spirit of pluck, plus gaiety, which has been the subject of so much admiration by. the French and Belgians, Mr. Fraser gives seyeral instances. The, British soldier was ever -a sportsman, pnd some of the best known English cricketers are a,t tho front. One of these, an officer in the j-Cheshire regiment, was doing his duty in the trenches. Now trench work becomes monotonous unless something is going on, and in the oase' of this particular officer the long wait in the samo position began to have the effect of making him . feel uncomfortable. He had been lying there for hours, hardly moving, for frequently; the slightest movement will end in a German bullet finding "its billet. At length our oricketer had to shift his position-and raised . his leg. In a second he was hit in the thigh. As he fell back all he said was: "Out, by George! Leg before wicket, as the umpire would say. Well, better luck next innings 1" Mr. Fraser'6 stories cannot fail to increase, were fSat possible, the : pride which every good Britisher must feel in those gallant follows at the front who are fighting so nobly,' so heroioally, for King, country, and Empiie. The book is in every way a capital shilling's worth. It would prove a very useful addition to a school library.

"The 'Daily Telegraph' War Books. Three recent additions to that excellent series, "The 'Daily Telegraph' 'War Books" (Rodder and Stonghton), per Whitcombe and Tombs, aro entitled "The Russian Advance," by Marr Murray; "Hacking Through Belgium," by Edmund Dane: and "Motor Transport in War," by Horace Wyatt. Of these the most • interesting just now is Mr. Murray's book, it being specially valuable for its. detailed yet admirably clear exposition of the gigantic task which is being so determinedly grappled with by our Allies on the theatre of the war.' Specially interesting is the description of the first Russian campaign in East Prussia. ' the author making cloar the causes of Rcnnenkampf's disaster at Osterode, which fellowed so closely upon the Russian success at Gumbinnen. Mr. Murray > has, I jiotico, a very high opinion of von denburg's abilities as a strategist and commander generally. The author warmly combats the view that Russia has uot accomplished as much as might■ have been expected from her, and ex-] plains in detail the many serious] obstacles in her path to ultimate victory, a victory, however as to tmmb.uoj

has no doubt. Mr. Dane's book gives a careful and readable account of the first few mouths' fighting in Belgium, and, as was to i-e expected, pays unstinted tribute to the gallantry of the defenders of fiat unfortunate little State. Both 'lie book and that on the "Russian Advance" possess excellent maps. The scope of Mr. Wyatt's book is sufficiently indicated by its title. It contains a large number cf oxcellent illustrations, reproduced from photographs. (Price, per volume, til'tcenpence.).