BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 11

BOOKS AND AUTHORS.

(By LiDEit.)

BOOKS'OF THE DAY Japan and the War. , The forecast, published this week, of Japan's propositions at the coming Penco Conference invests Sir. Frederic Coloman's bgok, ".liipiin Moves North: Tlii! InsUlo Sfory'of the Struggle for Siberia" (Cassell ;md Co., per S. imd \V. .Mackay), with a. specinl interest. Mr. Coleman, who will lie remembered ils "» American war correspondent, who visited New Xi'iiliind » couple of years ago on a lecturing tour, and as Ihe author of the excellent war books "From lions to Ypves with I'Yench" and "With C.'aviilry Over There," went tu .bpnn nflor the fonclnsiun* of his lecturing tour in Australia as special correspondent f° r " Melbourne paper. He made a long stay in Japan, and visited Vladivostok and Nicolniovsk, interviewing leading Jnpaliese. and Russian authorities and making a special study of the. possibilities of Japanese intervention in lln.stern Siberia. The result is a short but e.v Ircmoly interesting book which is well worth rending by .all 'student.; of the- ' Far Eastern position, both.. present and future. Writing, of course, lons before tlio tide of success turned in favour of the, Allies in the West, Jlr. Coleman emphasises the groat importance! and value to the Allies nf Japanese intervention in Eastern Siberia. IFe evidently suspected a certain disinclination on the part of the Washington Government, to agree to 'such intervention, nnd snares ■ n'» wins to show thpf, the Allies should give Japan, as tliey ultimately did, a comparatively free hand at Vladivostok and in. tilt; Pri-Amur section, J.apan. he evidently coiwdr.Ts, is the fonly.. IVnver which can restore order in Siberia, nnd ho is not in the. lens 1 nisiiidous of any. sinister motives (in her part. ITe writes:

The policy, that Ja.pan must pursue, as Count' Toranchi, .Viscount -Motono, and Japanese statesmen of .that class are well aware, if she, is to take her place among the nations of the world, is a policy open and above board from beginning It) end. Nothing would: hurt Japan's ,, position among the nations of the .West than a morn towards territorial aggrandisement in (ho Hussion Par. East. Janatf knows that—or at least those at'the head of her adairs know it. In spile of the fact that she ia not a democracy, and that none of her statesmen who' arc in office today is democratic, in epite of her record' in China, Japan will be, most, punctilious' in any action she Will take in Siberia. Japan will play the Rame. Never mind what ideas many Japanese have held before. Never mind what ideas some of them hold Japan will play the game in -Siberia. To do so will he the strongest move she can make 'towards strengthening her national security. Tho biff men in Japan know this, and it's her biggest, men who control her policies and politics to-day. •••

The chapters in winch Mr. Coleman' describes'the Russian Revolutionary Government at Vladivostnck and the Bolshevik movement generally in Sibpria are among the most interesting in the, book. Tlifi delegates, sent from l'Dtrogrnd .tn organise the revolutionary Governmentin 1-lastern were a singuiavlymixed lot. Soine were well-meaning', idealists; but others, so Mr. Coleman evidently saw when ' lip ccmo into contact with them, were simply semiinsano anarchists. .Everywhere amongst those nieii ho found a blind and ' unreasoning mistrust: of the Allies; This, so Mr. Coleman thinks, was largely due to German propaganda—in one case conilnctedby'a Swede who posed as a Tied Cross ijgent—which painted-the Allies as conducting a capitalistic war. The Allies must, so the author slates, educate the new element in Hussin into a batter understanding of th'o real aims and objects of the, Powers who were, when he wrole, lighting to secure peace and liberty for the wmid.. There is an .interesting chapter on. the. .Russian, soldibr.. Jlr. Colemhn give.s some striking instances of the shocking brutality with which the Russian officers treated (heir men. The only wonder is that when tho revolution did break out (he officers were not murdered en masse. The author dMls'at length with (he subject of the Trans-Siberia'.i, railway and the vast capacities of Siberia' for industrial and .commercial development. As to Japan's relations with China, Mr. CJoleman, , who (liscussos this subject at some length, holds that Japan has made great sacrifices for China—quoting'"her sacrifice in Mnnchuciii when she fought Russia, and her sacrifice in Kino Chan when she fouslit Germany." , Ho savs: ' ■

Tlint China did not vasls Japan, to .fight in cither instance, and thai, Jaimn. in each case, held what she had won, or liope3 to; do so. Dinhes her efforts no leee a.'sacrifice. . She paid a heavy , price lo •free China from the foreifnor. Though China has just as little, or less, to say about thene localities than she had before, and Japan's voice there has drowned out all other voices,- that is all part, accord! ing to I)r. Tnkahashi, of her great policy of .keeping the peace" of the Far Kaat. .It is the realisation of her duty, her mis-' siou a.? a nation that leads Japan along euch • roads. ■■■-.-■ The-above-is. as "Mr. Coleman tacitly admits, only one-side, of (he question. '1-Jf« .Chiliese pohit of view.is,.of course, very • different from' tliiit • which holds Roud at Tokio, aiid evpii .-tticre a strong parly elistru'sls oiitl (Uslikes thp idea , nf oxpiiiiiioii'v ■ and 'clearly fears (lint the •victory of -the Allies will -intensify what its 'members fear is already the (no Klrbngly-developed militaristic' snirit in Julian, " It is noteworthy, by Ihe way, that MivCoieman thinks '.Topan will not agree, so-Taras she is concerned.* lo any general scheme of disarmament. The whole book is replete with fond for thought and discussion on Far Eastern problems. (Prifco-75.). India Under Experiment. 'J'ho problem of Imjmn self-government will, since the publication of (ho now famous Montagu lieport, the. joint work of the Secretin - }' * of Slate for India and the Indian. Viceroy (Lord- Chelmsfonh, now', thai ' the war is practically ovot.v be. much more widely discussed, not only in Great Britain' ami India itself, . bul. throughout the Umpire. l"ou<,'lily -.peaking, Ihe Montagu lieport (which, by tho way, it. may be intoreslini; to Xew Zealauders -.In know, was actually drafted by an "pn-Ncw Zcalander, Mr. "Harris, who. had. a brilliant scholastic university! career in his own ■country ami afterwards entered the' Indian Civil Service), recommends I lie ertalinn of eight grent provincial legislatures in India., elected upon what, far India, is n fairly demoernt.ic basis. Certain sections of the population are, ■it is true, to be temporarilv classed as "reserved" .subjects,.ami will remain undov'tlio control, of the Indian I'xeeiilivp Council, but. the composition of that, body is to be rendered more .renrcsentativo.of the native races, and nrovision is also made for tho transfer, later on. •nf these. "reserved'.' subjects- into tiio nnsition of fully oiinlifiod citizen.ejcctoi-d. 'I'lie provincial leK'slutuiTs are lo have ii-cncui-i'il. linunce .and extended .powe-s, find .will deal with domeslje oiipstions, India's external relations, its defenre svsleui, and other non-local niatters being reserved* for an Indian T.epislniive ..' ■'. Pembly. wherein fhe; native element will have almost cciiml villi Kuropean members. :\s will bo see_u, the report recommends h-lih*. will be im iiiinieiisely important ninv departure .in Indian government. Thn report has liecn, on ■ the w'lole, well recoived lint only i" (ireal Brilnin but: in 'Tni'ia. 'I'liat 111" esliiblishnipiit of such a μ-s----lorn as it recommends wiM be followed by an immediate and complete disamionranee of the sedilious niovnmppf led by a certain section of Ilio Indian XaMntiuli<ils is, of course, not to be e.tppeled. Hut it is held by competent nutlwrifips Hint if a wider, and deeper sharp in l!in government: of tlieii t-nuiitry ''e (riven lo Ilio neotile of liidin they ivi" liecome much more' contented, and 'flint the commercial and industrial prosperity of the country will moke solid progress' under a more liberal system of government. The report and 11' p system it ■ nilvncates have met, however, as was to be eyneeted, with snine iiili-pr.se crilic'-m. 'i'h n re ere ;, iosr. i,'"n nt "nil" evpoi-ipneo of Indinii .-■lf:iir= n-l>o linbl M|,.| H,p pjcui.-iment n.' l-d i< fraught with serious danger lo British rule

Give a man a pipe he can smoke, Give a man a book he can read; And his home is bright with a : calm delight Though the room be poor indeed. -James. Thomson.

in India, and Hint it is not (iileiilnled to achieve any real or permiinent liinclit to the Indian people. Such is the general standpoint and eonlenfion of a re-cently-published book, "India under Experiment" (John Jliiri'iiy), Hie luillior of which, .Mr. Cieorpo M. Clinsm-y, vw thu editor for some years of a very inlluoutial English newspaper in India. Jlr. (.'hosiiey does not (.oueeal his distrust anil dislike of the proposed liew sysloin V'liich he aitack' with a quite iiOlicc.nbje bitleruess. .Mr. Chesunv appears to think that every Indian who advocateand champions imlinn ..elf-ci)V'<rinnent is neerssarily a disloynli-l. Ho asserts Hint behind nny Binall cln.=s which ('oiiccsKions o:vii aflt'ct, conies that body of ill-will snli(lilled by a common syHem of education which. Anglicised in expression, Asiatic, at hciiri.. envies us and detests n.«. nnd is bent on u?insr any means wiirnh w put. in it;-: way. of clearing u« out of the country. . . .

But surely, if it be true Hint Hie old system of ,-sciui-;iutocralii' srovoriiMienl which wo havo imposed upon India durinir the last coulur.v. or so has inly had thu offec: of creatine what Mr. Che.-.ney practically conien.l.s is a yolid bmly of lnaliionteiit-i and act mil cneinies, that system—Hie system which the Mnnlnsn tieport; would replace by one more in j-.ccard with the Weslori! democratic-spirit—can ficar.cely be said lo have achieved any very wonderfully .cyooi] result. SI ill, it is Rood .lo hear lwilS siilt-s (if a. nue.-tion, and Jlr* f'liesiiev's adverse < is well worth wuiine as n possiMo eorreetive to what some may consider the undue optimism r< , Hip 'M'oiHii'jii lienort. To ci'itiri- - e Jl.r. .Ohcsncv's arsiiments in detail, calls'for n nmcli ltioro inlimntikmiw'loilv cf Indian affair.-- ihnu ; -- iiossosseil' by the i)r"-»'if writer. It is. therefore. ,a ln.sk T do not iilten-01. Tt would be well , were the New- Zealand .Vrf!;"! 'o -tlevot' , sonic sp°c.iiil i:tlo"Hon to the Ifoiilayi Tenorl nnd its uos?i!di>' nr.leonie. for Tndiiiii nlViiivs iniiM. in v'>p future, have morn than merely a" !"dirocl ai'd nf-ic'»mie i-itei , ' ,-1 for 'inMi Xew Zeolnnd and Australia. iep. Gs. (id.).

"The ftlory of the Trenches." Tn "The. Glory of the Trenr-hes" tlohn ■I.anivjiei , tie'jrge Kcberl-on nnd Co.), lfr.',Coningsliy Uawson describes some of his experiences as a member of the Canadidii Kxjieditiouary Force in the lighting-lino ami.in ho'spita; in England. ■The book is, in n wny. a seiiuel (0 that earlier and adminibh! work, '/Khaki Courage." Jlr. .pawson devotes special attention' to wha , ; may be called the psychology of. the war.'dwelling in terms of clu(|iipnt eiiihiisiasiu ii!)ijii the splendid patience and heroic courage displayed by the I3rilisli soldier, whether of 'the Motherland'or the!overseas. One of (ho finest products-of the war is the replncing of-'the -ejjown and love of erne, luxury, nnd selfish ness,, which ;qii<; years of peace had bred all too. freely on both' sides'.of'the Atlantic by a fine spirit of self-sneriticc and genuine " fraternity. Tho after-war •■world will be, ■ he , , 'is evidently convinced, a .much better world rlian tliat,. of. (Tie quarter "of-a century .proccrling -the outbreak of the great conflict. There'is much food for profitable thought in tlio chapter, headed "God as we see IliiiV," in which the author deals wilh tho , spirilifS side of Hie soldier's, life. I 'quote the folloiung , inter'estijig' passage:— . ■ As.B matter of fact, .if iou had asked me, when I was out -there, whether there was any religion in the trenches 1 should have replied, "Certainly nol." Now that I ve been out -op the .nglilins for a while I sec. that there-.ik religion-thcrc: a religion which will (loniiiiatc tlic world when the war is omled-the religion of licroitmi. Its a religion in which men .don't nrnv -iinich. With- me, before I went to the. rout, prayer was a habit. Out there I lost the habit; what cue,was doins seem. ecj__ ..sufficient.. I jjot.ilic feeling that I raight be meeting Clod a|. any moment, so 1 (lidii t need to be, worrying Him all the. time, hanging on to 'a spiritual (clepliono and Joeling-slighted if He- didn't-'answer me directly I rang Him m>. If God was really interested in niei lie didn't need constant reminding. When He had a world to manage it seemed best not to interrupt Him with frivolous petitions.- but to put my prayers into my work. That's how we all.felt.on,t.there.. God as we see Him! T couldn't have told you how I saw Him before ,T..went to France It's -funpy-ypu g0 away to the. most, damnable undertaking ever invented, and you come hack cleaner in spirit. The one 'thing tnat redeems the'horror is" that it does make a man momentarily big enough to 00 in sympathy, with Hi«. Creator-he gets .such 2lilnps.es of. Him in, , his fellows.

.Now.that the-war is--over books descriptive of trench and hospilal life mu=t necessarily lose much of their interest Hut: for Mr: Pawson's book there should still bo a large' public. (Price 3s. c<l.) "The Round Table."" "The Round Tahle" for September is fl'-nnmber of quite,-exceptional interest. Aiuonsst ..the- most;'--important, features are'articles on -''The Unity of Civilisation," in which the.sjileiid'id .unanimity of the Allied nation's .in their'combined effort- to-root up the evil of-Prussian inilUarism..rnceivcs full ■ justice;. "Auier-. ion's Will to" Victory,"'., liii' interesting account of .Americn'.s. v ?liare in tho' war; "The Spirit ol' tlfe Russian Revplntion"; "The Belter Government,- of, Hie United .Kingdom,".-in which is , set forth, the. need fof.-the devolution of Hip, control : .of local affairs from (he Central Parliament - on to .Provincial Parliaments; and ' "The-Moiilngu-Clielmsford Report on 'Conslilutioiial Reforms in India." In addition to these articles, which are all full of suggestive and useful thought, ore the usual letters on political and' 'legislative'subjects from various parts of the ..Umpire. Space prevents my quoting from (he various arlioles. bill il is safe lo say that 110 student of political progress and of the many sjrent problems now agitating the public pniml should neglect making himself conversant with Ihi! thoughtful, iniil useful informal ion which is presented in this most valuable periodical. . '