LIBER'S NOTE-BOOK

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE-BOOK

The Best New Books on the War. \ . The following is a-short list ofiirh'at may fairly, be considered the best of the most recently-published books on the war:— "Ordeal by Battle" —Frederick, .. Scott Oliver. (■ . "Russia and the Great War",— Gregor Alexinsky. "The Soul of the War"—Philip Gibbs. "General Sketch of the European'; War" (First Phase) —Hilaire Bel- . IOC. ■ -' ' /'The Political Economy of the War" —F. W. Hirst. '.'lnternational Law and the Great .War"—A.. 0.. Phillipson. "J'Accuse": (English Translation) —"A German." , - "Nelson's History of the War" — John Buchan. - "Russia and the World"—Stephen Graham. ;

Mr. Oliver's book, though adversely criticised in certain quarters at Home 'as being an. insidiously clever advocacy of compulsory service; is, nevertheless; the' most thoughtful of all the many books on' the war so far as regards Great participation in the great struggle, is concorned. It is now, 1 believe, •in its seventh edition, although only published in July ' last. "J'Accuse" may. or may not havo been written, ■as is alleged to be the case, by ■ a German—it'was-first published / at, Geneva, 'and *is rigidly suppressed iii : Hun Land—biit it is a terribly strong indictment: of Germany's policy-;'of-/militaristic, aggression;' and translated, as already it has-been, into several European languages, it'-is having an exceptionally widespread circulation. > Alexinsky's book on Russia is also: well spoken of, although my own view is that for not only a, general, but a, detailed view of the Russian position —especially : as regards tho outlook on the war of the Russian people, as apart from that "of Russian officialdom—Mr. Stephen Graham's "Russia , and the World", would better meet , the require-' ments -of English . readers. As for "Nelson's History of the War;-" I have already written in praise. of Mr. Bucfaan's excellent work. . The_ sixth volume is now on sale- (ls ; 3d.) in New Zealand. : If. you get the "Daily Telegraph's'' War Maps—of the .Western and Eastern fronts and of Turkey (Is. 3d. each) and study them in connection with Nelson's History, month by month as the volumes appear, you. can get an excellent • idea of how : the struggle is progressing, and you will find the daily cable news much less puzzling..; •

Some Forthcoming Novels. Despite: the war, or.-perhaps, it' may be, in; response to a demand for literature which can at least temporarily dispel- anxiety, grief, and mental aepresion, .quite a ' number of;, new-'., novels ■ by 1 well-known writ-era: : were announced iu London last month as being ready for publication. , To soma of these , I have -already alluded! K Here / are ,: sorao additions to my earlier notes. Miss Ellen .Thorneycroft Fowler, whose "Isabel Carnaby" was .so popular, promises a.mow. story,-, ."Ten Degrees Backward." /'Beltane the Smith" is the title of, an entirely new "three-decker" novel by Jeffrey Farnol, author of "The Broad Highway" and "The Amateur Gentleman.". - Clever -Pett Ridge has a new story of London life, "The Kennedy People',", and "Lticas Malet" (Mrs. Harrison, diaries Ejngsley's daughter) a- . storj' entitled . "Tho Wisdom of Damans." So far, Mrs. Harrison has never quite fulfilled the promise of her first that powerful, if', somewliat 1 unpleasant, story:' 'Sir Richard Calmady." Both "Tanto" and "Adrian Savage" were more than merely "readable," but'.. both : were far below' the exceptionally,. high standard set .in "Lucas. Malet's" : first novel. An announcement of special interest to many ■ readers will bo "The Invitation to Romance," by Hugh Walpoler If it be as good as that fine'novel "The-Duehess' of Wrexe" is will be very welcome. Sir Gilbert Parker, whose' book on the -War has had, I read, a "big sale on both sides of the Atlantic, will. 'give us anew story, "The Money Master," and Mrs. ■ Henry, Dudeuey, a novelist whose work has a special "bitter-sweet" flavour all its own, a novel entitled "The Secret Sun." Amongst other forthcoming nov.els aro'"Balshaws," by the Baroness von Hutten (who wrote.the amusing. "Pam"' series); "Liberty," "by Philip .Gibbs, the war correspondent, and author of.. that capital.'story of journalistic life in. London, "The Street of Adventure";; ."Michael O'Halloran," by Geno' Stratt-on Porter, author of the immensely popular "Freckles" and "The Harvester"; ' "The Victorians," by Nelta Syrett; and "Paint the Lily," by tho anonymous author of that curious but beautiful story, "He Who Passed." ; Evidently there will be'no lack .of good fiction for reading- during the summer holiday season.

The Cerman Professor. In a little one act play, "Bombastes in the Shades," by Laurence Binyon, who. has 'written so much good verse in his day, thero is a. clever hit at the German professor class. : An imaginary conversation, much in tho Landor style, takes place between Heine and Socrates. Heine: I look down into the mists; the'vapours part, and 1 fiee it, the old Germany of my youth, : the hills and the streams and the , green and gold forests. . . . A simple race; joyous*, eaters, cordial drinkers; something akin to the. ■ brutes at bottom; , but when the moon shono 'and the "rcat trees trembled softly throujjh all their leaves, then their hearts were melted, .and wonder was,, bora in . them, an d tho oldest thoughts in , the world flowed fresh from their mouths in music. ' !

Socrates: Barbarians, it; seems, of tho milder sort. Heine: Ah, Socrates, mild, 110 longer. For this folk has been 1 bitten and poisoned. Those, words hold not only the green elves, .but in every cave lurk and glare tho spectacled, eyes of a professor. Socrates': A professor! Is that a dangerous animal? Heine: Tho most dangerous of animals, Socrates. The pedant is, ferocious by nature. From him, as from the brutes, is withheld the divino gift of laughter. The world is to him but the stinking trail that his nose follows, and one grotesque theory that 0, breath of fresh air would blow away ; is more to him than the sun and tlio stars.. I fought to free my country from the professors, but in vain. Socrates: But these professors will not triumph in tho end. - Heine: You have not heard the worst. Scratch a pedant, and you find a sentimentalist. Socrates: What is a sentimentalist?

Heine: One who is afraid of tho . truth and hugs the darkness in himself. And the sentimentalist in action is bloodthirsty, filled with tho rage'of the mediocre and the cruelty of the weak.

published at tho modest price of fourpence, in the Oxford Pamphlets series, havo not yet, I believe, reached Now Zealand. I'take the extract' 'given above from that always interesting little monthly, "The Periodical," which is published for the Oxford Press by Mr. Humphrey Milt'ord, '

Sydney smith on Patriotism. As- tho . result of another Sunday evening's dipping, I find that tho famous "witty parson," Sydney Smith, was by no means merely a humorist. He-could, on occasion, write weighty words of solidly good counsel to his countrymen, as well as make them laugh. Take, for instance, his Solemn and splendidly eloquent warning to Englishmen to beware of self-confidence .and to. accompany patriotic pride and faith. by patriotic good deeds.. Written though- they were nearly a hundred years- ago, the sentences which I now transcribe for the benefit of my readers . are quite patently apropos to the conditions and circumstances, and requirements; of Great Britain of to-day:— ■Bo not deceived,, there is no wall -of adamant, no triple' flaming sword, to drive off those lawless assassins that have murdered and : , pillaged in every other land; Heaven has mado with us no covenant, that there should be joy and peace here, and wailing, and lamentation in the world besides; I would counsel you to put on a mind of patient suffering and noble acting; whatever energies there are in the human mind, you, will want them all; every man will be tried to the very springs of his heart, and , those times are at hand which will show us all as we really are, with the genuine stamp, and value, be it much, or be-it little, which Na- . 1 ture has impressed upon each living . soul."

.Could wiser words be found to be addressed to Englishmen—aye, and New :Zealanders—in-this- year of stress and but year also, I trust,- of stern determination •to triumph—nineteen hundred and fifteen? I trow not.

"Maria" on Modern Handwriting. In "Maria. Again," by the author of "According to Maria," Mrs. John Lane thus, discourses upon latter-day styles ■of handwriting: The Victorian fashion of copper-plate .writing- has departed, like the late hoop-skirt, and it is nearly ■impossible to believo that .one's claim to be considered perfectly genteel once rested upon a fat down-stroke and a spidery up-stroke, and an ability: to write straight across a page. But that's, all Freedom is in the air; we've all rebelled against writing alike, and copper-plate writing now only exists on circulars and' letters, conducive to yawns, from out-of-date maiden amits in the country. Love letters nowadays demand a passionate scrawl, and as for writing .a beautiful hand, that has long since ceased to.be a credit to anyone. Each glories ,in his own,: and very bad.it usually is;- and tile, more distinguished he is tho wprse it becomes, and when he is great he attains to the: eminence of absolute illegibility. Concerning. Some Autographs, Witty Mrs. Lane is not,"l am afraid, quite right in assuming that persons of eminence generally write a. "scrawl." Certainly this does not apply to certain ' well-known modern authors. To this "Liber" ■ can testify, as. he gloats over a few . letters and autographs in l his possession. Thomas Hardy, for instance, writes a .singularly clear hand. So does ; the Dartmoor' novelist, Eden Pbilpotts: ' So, too; does Mr.; H. G. Wells, though.the wr.ting of the latter, like : that of Mr. Hilaire Belloo, is exceedingly'small.- Mr. Hichens writes a decidedly "bold" .hand. Mr. Arnold Bennett, although Hs 'siguature is. of a

singularly Gallic type to come from a "Five Towns", man, also writes very distinctly. The handwriting of the late 0. Henry, though quite undistinguished, is laudably plain. So, also, although it is eminently the liaud of a professional man, is that of Mr. W. J. Locke, who was for some years secretary to tho Instituto of British Architects. : By far tho most beautiful. handwning in my modest little collection ■_ of autographs of literary celebrities is that or Sir Arthur Quiller Couch (2), whose latest story, "Nicky Nan, Reservist," gives a most amusing picture or Tecruiting in Cornwall. "Q ; s" handwriting is so minute that it reminds me of the stories of Thackeray's pride in being able to write tho Lord fl I raycr on a threepenny bit. It really requires 'the aid of a magnifying glass to properly perceive its dclicacjy But, though small, it is'amazingly distinct, Which is certainly more than I can_sayot a much-treasured note' from _ tho late Mr. Andrew Lang, a note which generally defies all the efforts of interested examiners to decipher it. I have, _ too, a very friendly letter from Mr. \Y. \\. Jacobs, over which, when first received, I spent a good hour or so_before_l puzzled out its meaning. No'doubt Ml". Jacobs composes those amusing stories of his on a typewriter. T feel sure no average, "comp" would tackle his "copy." Some of these fine days, when iTni: Dominion- becomes an • illustrated paper, -1 might -give' my readers some interesting facsimiles..