BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 9, 5 October 1918, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

"The Crime." . . In the second volume of "The Crime" (Hodder.aml. Stoughton) the anonymous au tlior di that world-famous book "J'Accusc" gives us a further instalment of his crushing indictment of tho Pan-German and militarist party, who, so he conclusively proves, deliberately planned the war. His first book aroused, naturally enough, a storm of indignantly adverse criticism from tho Gorman political processors who ever since- the war have proved themselves the willing and •unscrupulous tools of the court and military party. Prominent amongst these critics of "J' Accuse" was a certain Professor Schiemann, who now receives a verbal trouncing such as it has fallen to few publicists to experience. The author of "Tho Crime-" doo3 not, however,-confine his attention to exposing; the cynical contempt for truth and tho common honesty of controversy which was displayed by Schiemann. The main purpose o'f this second instalment of his indictment of Kaiserdom and Jiinkerdom is to lay bare tho inner, and, to a largo extent, previously secret history of Germany's foreign policy, and steady and steadfast preparation for a war of conquest during tho two decades previous to 191.4. He deals, as lie says, with the antecedents of tho ''Crime.'J He disposes, by means al . undeniable doen-' mentary evidence, of tho Gorman official plea that the war is a defensive war and a preventive war, and proves conclusively that its only true appellation is an imperialistic war of conquest, entered into and carried on with deliberate contempt for international law, 'for the interests of civilisation, and for all the dictates of ordinary humanity. In the chapter on "The Theory and Practice flit Preventive War" he arraigns tho German Government before the court of the world as the embodiment of misrepresentation and mendacity, a Government whose diplomatic representatives abroad wero encouraged, and, indeed, compelled to resort to duplicity, and even worse than duplicity. In other chapters he denounces Germany's consistently antagonistic at'titude to: the principles which brought The Hague Conferences into existence; .and.proves that England's pacifism was a real thing, and no hypocrisy, and lays bare, as with a surgeon's dis-secling-knife, the inner canker of tho German Government—the utter disregard of tho feelines and will o<f tho people, and its deliberate intention lo make Germany the master of the world, regardless of national liberties and rights wherever and whenever they are to. bo found.

Iu the section headed "The. Spokesmen of Militant Germany," the author gives a series of cleverly-drawn portraits of various members of the court and niilitaiTst party. There is somo scathing satire in the following little sketch of the Crown Prince:—

Tho chief pillar of support of the PanGerniau Union and ot its otforts wus, as wo know, tho German Crown l'rlnce. Tliiu young hero of war, who was haunted by tho laurels of Ins, ancestors, longed lor war for his own glory and lor tnu greater -increase of the power of tho Empire over which ho is ono day destined to rulo. In ray bopk ("J'Accuso") I have cuduiivoui'. ect to show, by -reference- to hia own writings, in what an atavistic circle of ideas tins yoiing; man moves. Ono wonders whether lie still believes that "the sympathies of tho world aru with tho sturdy and bold fighting armies"; whether to-day, when millions of oorpeca fertilise tho battlefields of liurope, tho "J'cal thinp" is still the object of Ills deepest ycarainx'. 1 believn it ie, if I judue arigiii tho psychology ol our rulers. I'or to them it appears' a law of naturo that tho priuco in uniform seated on a fiery steed—like nakeci "War" in Htuck's famous picture—should rido about over fields strotv'n with coroeeH. -Their hearts do not appear to bo moved, ,while tho setting sun illumines in the .miness of "blood thousands and thousands "i faces and of bodies contorted and disfigured in the struggle of death, when tho trenches aro filled, to ovcrflowiue wltß t-lw doad and wounded, when the subterranean mines eiplodo and; project into' the air a jet of human limbs, heads, arms, legs, and blood-stained rairs, when thouBKnds of innocent ones, praying women and waiting children, are swallowed up. in the gurgling -whirlpool ■ through tho "heroic net" of a U-uoat commander, when millionu of hapless beinse aro driven out of burning villages and towns on to tho country highways. These things must be. It is- for tbeso things that wo are what wo are- by "the graco of God"; Tho same prince, whoso eyes may.grow moist when his wife at homo writes to him of the feverish cold of one of his young proRSiiy, r-imaine «00l and composed, his appetite <&A slumber undisturbed,-when- a frontal attack which he. has ordered in tho morning comfortably seated at the coffee table lighting a cigarette, stretcheslow on the blood-stained battlefield thousands of sons, of brothers, of fathers.

In his concluding chapter, the author sheets home his crushing indictment against the Pan-Germans and military party as the real criminals in having deliberately projected and planned, and brought about, the war. His final sentences aro as follow: — It has been docuinentarily uroved tliat Pan Germ.inis u and German chauvinism wero infinitely stronger, but above all infinitely more influential ami therefore more dangerous, than any similar move.incnt in any other country. In contradistinction to similar movements in other countries, the. spokesmen of militant Germany havo alono possessed the. power to direct the ship of State, with the Imperial steersman at tho rudder, into their dangerous -track. They alone havo possesflcd the power t(* transform their uesire and tiitir will into the decisive act. Tho crowned rulers committed tho deed. But it Tvao tho German chauvinists who wore tho uncrowned masters of thoserulers, aiid their aiders and abettors, The third and final volume of this great work, which will remain for centuries to come tho most ruthless, logical, and crushing: indictment of German rulers'and statesmen that the war has produced, will be published in duo course, and will comprise a special section on "War Aims." No public or private library in which a place >is given to historical literature should bo without a copy of this truly monumental and memorable work. (Price, 12s. 6d.)

An Artist Author. Norman Lindsay's reputation as the finest black and white draughtsman Australia, has yet produced is firmly established. Of late, too, the versatile artist has given evidence of the manysided mture of.his artistic talents by producing a number of water-colour liguro and genre studies the delicacy of the colour effects in which has been voted as delightful as the breadth and power of his work in blade and while. Mr. Lindsay, however, is apparently not content with tho artistic honours he has secured, but seeks fame, as an author as well as a. cartoonist and artist. He now {lives the public, in good timo for the" Christinas gift book season, during which the volume will bo in great demand, a handsome quarto volume, ontitlcd "The j\la»ie Pudding: The Adventures of Hnnyip ISluegum and His Friends Hill Hariiiioln and Sam Sawnou*," both picture.'; and letterpress being tho work of his antivn brain and cloverly-linndlod Jii'ii and crayon. The book, which is iniblished by Messrs. Angus and linbertsnn, Sydney (Wellington. S. and W. Mackay), will accord a rich treat for lovers o'f wholesome humour aiidclevor drawings. The latter, of course, provide the main raison d'etre of tho book. They aro simply excruciatingly fiuinj;.

Bunyip Bluegiim is our old friend the Australian native bear of so many previous series of drawings by his ingenious artistic creator. With him take part in many droll experiences Uncle Wattleberry:* Bill Barnacle, a sailor: Sam iSatfnofr, "a penguin bold" ; and "The llagic Pudding," which figures in the title of this delightful piece of drollery. In addition to tho various characters who belong to the bear family, other well-known Australian "beasties" and birds, such as iguanas, wombats, kangaroos, rabbits, and crows, figure in the story, which includes a. most amusing court trial. ,In the description of this latter, alike in his prose and rhyme, for, like the immortal Silas AVegg, Mr. Lindsay occasionally "drops into verse," tho author introduces many slyjiits at the occupants of the Bench and the gentlemen .of the long robe. The verse is decidedly Gilbertinn not only in metre, but dfteu in its quiet irony. Sometimes, too, I seem to detect a suggestion of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." Tho book is really a quito remarkable achievement, which exhibits Mr. Lindsay in a very different character to that suggested by some of his previous work. There is, for instaree, a veny. pleasing absence of that- note of positive brutality by which I, at least, have considered certain of his earlier work to have been disfigured. The new drawings will como as an unqualified dolight to all who admiro fine bold ciayon. work,'. whilst the humorous conception of the themo as a whole and the ingenuity and wealth of imagination exhibited in the working out of tho basic idea reflect the highest credit upon the clever young Australian ar-tist-author. Norman Lindsay's work as a book illustrator alike as an artist is liow eagerly sought after by American and English as well as Australian connoisseurs. "The Mngio Pudding" should be in great demand during the coming gift-book season, and early acquisition of a copy is therefore! desirable.

The Art of Keeping Well. There is an old saying that the man who is bis own lawyer has a fool for a client,, and it is notorious that no small harpi can'bo done to persons of over-iningiiiative mind by tne perusal of-.works on nirious complaints and diseases and the treatment, thereof. "The Art of Keeping Well," by G. Eonald Campbell Mache, M.8., U.M., LL.D. (Casscll and Co.; per S. and W. Mackay), has, 'howover ; nothing in common with what might be called the popular medical "cyclopaedia" class of work. The author, in offering his advice and counsel on the hesi way to keep out of the doctor's hands, is careful to refrain from giving any such detailed and particular advice as a patient may obtain in ' a consulting loom, but tenders, sound and useful general advice on such general subjects as air, good exercise, sleep—in the hope, as ho says,- that tho counsel "may, in some instances at least, convey a warning of unhealthy habits and lead along the path' of physiological righteousness into the happy land of Health." As in most latter-day books ou tho preservation of goad health, emphasis is laid upon the importance of the dietetic characters of tho principal foods. A special chapter is devoted to breathing exercises, and attention is given to- tho development and preservation, of muscular activities. Sleep, the effects upon tho system of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, the. importance of scrupulous cleanliness of tho skin, com-mon-senso versus "fashionable" clothing, tho valuo of fresh air and good ventilation in tho home, are amongst tho subjects dealt with, and a special chapter is devoted to the all too prevalent modern malady of "nerves." The author avoids as much as possible medical technicalities, and conveys his advice in a clear, straightforward way which makes his book very pleasant reading. Treatises on popular hygiene are plentiful enough nowadays, but Dr. Macfie's book is so eminently common-sense and practical, free from anything which would encourage amiablo hypochondriacs of tho nialndo imaginairo type, that it deserves to be widely read. Tho illustrations include portraits of Professor Pavlov, tho eminent physiologist and Professor Chitteuden, tho well-known authority on dietetics. (N.Z. price, Bs.)