BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2600, 23 October 1915, Page 9

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

THE ACHIEVEMENT OF FRANCE. It was a decidedly happy thought to reprint and issue in a handy little volume, entitled "The Achievement of Franco (Mothuen and Co.), the series of articles so headed, which appeared in the "Times" newspaper at the end of June last. The story of the campaign as it is here told from authentic French sources : ) will enable many for the first time to, see the great events of the first ten months of the wax upon the Western. front with some approach to a true perspective. 'Still more important, bo it is, jwinted out in the preface, are theso articles "for the light they throw upon $10 French' conception of what Eugland' has donq, and what England ought to do, as France's true Ally." The French recognise the value of the British —especially the bettor educated and bettor-ihformed.-of.the Frencli :people—but the opinion is very commonly held that "tho war has not bitten so deeply into English national life, its gravity is not so intimately and universally realised" as amongst our Allies. ■ Tho writer of the preface emphasises; the fact that England has been spared the sad and terrible experience; of invasion, and continues: — That/ fact alone prevents the masses of our people from feeling tho same intense individual -passion' ' for war which is-causing men_ and women in France to wage it as they have waged none since the Revolution. Every .company' in tie French army, we are told, conmen who have ruined homes, murdered kinsfolk, and wives, dishonoured to avenge. ' Men who have not seen and suffered such wrongs cannot feel as those,-who have. Even the knowledge ; that tie Germans' are thirsting to; inflict them upon us ; cannot stir ua in quite the same way as the whole- : sale outrages committed on their soil have steeled the hearts of Belfians and of Frenchmen. But the earfc of our people is sound enough. No victim of German atrocities on his nearest and dearest can bo more resolved than we are as a nation that' scientific barbarism must be beaten ' out" of existence."

What France has done and is doing as her share of that "necessary and honourable task" is set forth ■ most lucidly and most eloquently in the articles here collected. ■ From- tie last of the articles I select for quotation tho following interesting passage: — • There is no cement like blood shed in a common sacrifice. On'the Western front, along the. Marne and the Aisne, and everywhere from .Vermelles to ipres,, there are little cemeteries of -tho dead.-; Eaoh patch, of coppice and; corner of meadowlaud lias a cluster of rough]wooden' crosses. On ■■ these > you will read both French aAdr:English. ' names. Nast to the: cross which-'marks. the resting-place-jOf: Scottish Bordpi^ravilr^be'; tells liow Pierre .IP!— 1 ; '-'"aii.i Alsa- • tian," died'for France. The country people'tend 'these : quiet- graves, or the -troops 'from >" the'nearest trenches, French or English, ■ spare timo to' keep ' them neat. •; -Allies have died, together in the same . cause, •• and then, quarrelled, but nover, I think, after an: ordeal so - fierce as this. ... . .> , A suitable conclusion to the little volume is an ( English translation of a nounet by tho'French author, Maurice Allou, which'.the-editor gives as "a pioof of tho. new unity of Western Europe":' ' ; ■

OUR, ALLIES .THE. ENGLISH. '"We know not France," so ran'their frank decreeing;. And we, we joyed not in their humour rude,. i ■ ' : They praised our fire, tut scorned our fortitude., "Fog-bound their-land," yrfi said, "and dim their-seeing," - But side by , side deployed in t-ruceless wars, .■ . Sudden our hearts are clear beyond surmising, They know-a France, to. the'great day uprising;' We see beyond their: fogs the ancient stars. ' . •Tis Kipling's 6pirit,: fierce, unshacklod, and bright, His songs of deepest peace and ardent flame, .. . . That in the eyes of her true warriors gleam. And England, now thou look'st with lieroea' sight, Jhou know'st, 0 fiery Tace whom none may tame, That I'ranee has borne'.the sons of Corneille's dream. (The New Zealand price of the littlo book is Is. 3d.)