BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 121, 15 February 1919, Page 13

BOOKS OF THE DAY

Three Years with the New Zealanders,

A book of special interest to all Now aealanders is {lint which lias been written Tr i ,10 "';-p° loi )ol C. IT. Weston, D.5.0., Jjlj.Jj. on his experiences' during tlm great war. The title is "Three Years with tho New Zealanders" (London: REMnngton and Co.; per Whitcomhe and -tombs), . Colonel Weslon is a wellknown member of the legal profession, practising at New Plymouth. Previous to tho war he had been « captain in the Jteervo of his regiment (the llth laranaki Rifles), to which position lie had retired before Lord Kitchener's scheme was introduced. In October, 1914, he sent in liis name for actiyo service was appointed to Ihe Wellington Company of the Sixth Reinforcements, and attor attending a five-months' "refresher" course at a Wangamii camp in January, proceeded to Trentham in April, and early in August sailed for an unknown, port. Landmg at Suez, ho spent only five days -kgypt, proceeding from Alexandria to Lemnos, aiuil eventually reaching Anzac Uny early m November, 1915. Colonel Weston niakes.no pretension to anv special literary ability, but his legal training lia.s evidently been of great assistance to him, ioi ins facts are well arranged, and the doin™ 1° the aml wondrous doings he was privileged to witness and tk /?*«• "!. T<W<,S vor y smoothly. After T - h f ptor we Kot ft ,lpscri > tion of the. winter rest, so Well earned, bo heartily welcome, in % p t, nTK i ( ] lpn the story of gallantry and heroism is af[Z e wi Fl ? nd r the Somme ns the background. In October;- 191G the Tn '"! ™™P an y ivitli Majors 0. R. S. a/uri l •' 5' o,vlps ' selected lo attend a senior offie-ers' infantrv course at ofthe hn , t ' 1 esto "' sl des c«Pt'"on ot the ten weeks spent at the erent T>'mr ■sh -military central, extrjmelfil!;! , ox ?°" ,cs a " admirably elear and lain™ f oso '; 1 ? 1 ' 011 of the Battles of lies--BUIM, La Basso Ville, and .Passchemlaele in all of which the-New Zealaiideiß bore thcmsolves with conspicuous gallantry iTfli « " ,ost Mastic ' , ® f? 1 unflinching spirit of deterD i' 0n n ' s P' 6l, did bravery from the Jintisli and trench commanders. In the 11 C i hn| l ler 0,1 rowhendaele nf u-nrl ft J?n 0 a vol '- v <ii>rin(f piece ?L u ' °? 6 I 7 ,Se s pant Pennefnther, of tho Hawkos Bny Compnny: ■H.^. d , Bylirt r ii « B wam the'Lys, which divided us, from tho eneiiy, aid, die' T?iS!?" R * a raft . on tlle ' r aido river Diadoa ferry with it nnd ivith some tplo--othl° tile Boaition , ™u llc ,. reconnoitred the after dart- rSriTf A )l ? t , Mln K-POSt, and tnl^J ferr ' e d himself across and atcd hut fiW 110 hmißelf was woundfi4r ssfor his Meda ' whoh 1,0 rMC ' v ? d 'Jo first week in October, 1917, the nlri Tlv-r'l 3 r OU " actl b >' n shell on the 7ellfnf' ne , ar Yprcs> Tll ° Neir /ealanders were advancing in a valley lhl oir i! " 1C 'Attack being made in , sm ? 11 Jours, of the morning. The amhor lay for some time in a shell hole, thl"w? nn ' f ß n (a Brook '.vn man by MnJlif oVCnt ! mlly ' at Rrent to and fln,ll Pro:PU u" ? ltio,ml assis tnhee and finaßy get t !ng his officer away in TW y t i. o ' ft J rPSS]nß: fitation in t]| o W'ielto : e 'P"L. Whence a tedious '-ailway jourw ,V h ®* n J!,' es ' fln 'l liter to Lo.idon and »2« n - ThnDle * nntl tllp fi'wl verdict, J.u. (permanently unfit). . Every page of Colonel Weston's book -eminently readable, but to many Teadere the fma l chapter, in which the aiithor discourses upon the salient characteristics of the New Zealand soldiers, t\ HI prove, as it has proved to me. one ot the most interesting in tho whole w„, ir s P ecl ally 'valuable trait in tho Isew Zealand soldiers character is liis capacity for leadership, Says Colonel \» eston:

J? i ifl / r f!«aTUaWo tliinn, tin capacity for leadership in tlio rank and file. As le<Sp^ Cl " T '• ncarly aU °" r mon fITC icaaers. in, roy own company promotion iori?v° D ifTli ISBio » ed r:l , nk ,vent b y 6™" Bon%v liat were rea r Jt> v< !ry few indoed Sn . " rn when it oamo. Almost without exception the New Zealander por* A Of T, :lea J iel,ohlp thllt enab,l!B twh.w 11 th ® hardeat position in tho British Army-tho man who is of tho rank corporal SI r lhe J p P° intmcn t of lancev respect goes wholeheartedly i? "pi-commissionod officer, and ev with i y - liince <!orporal. He lives ivith Ins section, they have been lift' greatest pals, and now he ia to rulo thorn Bis word imißt be law, and it is onlv doit A C ° of , cha ra«ter that ho can P n ati °n' in ol,n a J}fVSUiSVr S in tho selection of officers iii tlio field concerned 8 a' Nw Zealand Division in A young farm hand and a font p 5 £ r - mndc ! two of the most iral. wr« 1 of Hcers I knew. They were selected - because they were senim ill. service and liad made good no.!?™, »«"!"• iwiStE and , order that distinguishes the O'd Race ( l,n| lo i!lir' CSton tho imlivi■M diera fc 06 °' i'J • I t ew Zonlai "l soldiers. Iho rapidity with which onr ■sUbieeWP ft 1 , nSlrn 'l"?" r aS tlle fmment fi*« Col , nm ? nt ty Imperial officers, men fine physique is also in their IXti™ fi t ■ nl,eged sln °kness in saluting-, tho author attributes "their rather gauche salute" which, however conveys a genuino compliment," to a oar of appearing conspicuous and making fools of themselves." The passion for gambling which so many of tho men ~'in i - ,e II f'i el °™lont|y regards witli a kindly tolerance born ,of tho special circumstances under wliicli "twoup and / crown and anchor" have become so popular.' The life of a private soldier is, he says, largely without hobbies or amusements. "Reading is almost out of .the question, even to those who niKl it a pleasure; football is not open fcD thorn every day; concerts fioon tire, find kinema theatres are scarce. 1 " Tho • two-up' ring, therefore, becomes tho •private billiard-room or bridge table. "I could never/ 1 says tho Colonel, bring myself to think very harshly of these two games ('two-up' and 'crown and anchor')." *' : Much lias been written as to the religious sido of the soldier's life at the front. The author expresses the opinion that "tho padres with the Expeditionary Force havo missed' a very wonderful opportunity of influencing the rising generation of the Dominion/'

X Imvo listened to a great many clergymen preaching to tho soldiers under various conditioim, and one's fooling has very ottcn beer, of disappointment that they have failed to grasp tho moment of great deeds. A man, and especially a boy, on aotivo service is in a molten state. Tho life seems to brim; all the best in him to the surface, and, unconsciously, ho ilcmnuds Btill more light and guidance. He is in a condition to receive impressions that will engrave themselves indelibly on Jiis heart and brain. And what help do tiny (tho padres) ofTcr? A flow of words that lio cannot understand, or that do not interest him, On the other hand, sermons with illustrations from our own' history on patriotism, holf-sac.rlflc.e, bravery, and obe<lience, would be heard by human beings eager for suggestion?, and would do much to raise, tho moral standard of our country in aftoir years. It may be that in criticising the padres ono is condemning oneself. Wc officers do not appeal to .the ethical side of the men enough. Wo might do so far more and they would listen and act. , I must fain resist the temptation to quote further from Colonel Weston's excellent book. It contains n number of illustration's reproduced from (snapshot photographs, and a special word of prawn is duo to. the admirable sketch maps which illustrate the author's accounts of the battles of Hie Sonnne and iressines and the altaek on La Basse Ville, No public or pvivnto library containing a collection of books on tho war should ba without a copy of this in every way excellent work. (Price 7s. Gd.)

The New Poems by Zora Cross. Zora Cross, whoso "Songs of Love and Life," published a jear or two ago, reflected such it strong Swinburnian influtc.ee, and frigliteucd Lpt a few timid

readers by their frankly sensuous tone, breaks entirely new ground, and employs very different poetic forms in her latest volume of verse, "The Lilt of Life" (Angus and Koberlson, per S. and W. Mackny). That world-old theme, the triumph of love over Death, is tho subject of : tho title poem, in which thero are many passages cf striking' beauty. It is. followed by a long poem in blank verse, "Alan and Woman," in which various problems of what it is fashionable to call feminism ore dealt with in an original and striking way, the leading motif being tho quest of happiness W" a'woman who has lost love. Aphrodite, Pallas Athene, Helen, Andromache, Oenone, .and Hecuba all figure in tho poem, in tho final section of which the virgin Mother anil Mary Magdalen are introduced, and lovo is brought- back to the stricken woman, who realises- the lieauty of her own soul and purpose, and finds' love everywhere. In addition to tiiestf long poems are several "Sonnets of Motherhood," in which the troubles, anxieties and joys of maternity .ire mndo the subject of many fine thoughts exEemity 111 Vei ' S6 °' am ' There is but one war poem in the collection, but it is well worth quotation, by ronson °f. jy wistful, pathetic beautv. 1110 title is "Australia in England":—' 110 called. ... The ouiet nurse stole to Ins side, Scoinp: how with his hands he strove to hide Dull tears, that from his mother's breast had sprung And stayed in his because he was so young. He spoke, "How long must I breathe Kaprland's air When the home hills arc calling mo out there? She leaned to liini the pity of her soul. J'or the Death-drums beat out a muffled toll April was laughing in tho English lanes, Daintily scornful of his soldier-pains. April was whistling of a lover-band; utit, jiia closed eyes were in another land. ... 0, the lark, snaring up tho English sk.v, iiau suuij mm homo to meet tiic curlew's cry, ... lie smiled. . . ■. The little nurse bent over liini— Blue eyes nmnisted with a memory dimAnd .moving gently from the dead armrt, heart ifccn singing; in her In effective. and pleasant contrast to the poems which display a purely feminist touch, and those, too, again, in which a note of passion is Btrnck, nre several u verses, in lyrical form, .which lenect a delightfully whimsical fancy and a deop love for and penetrating understanding of children and childlike dreams, J Jie "Lilt of Life" of the title is nowhere better exemnlified than in the merry, choorv poem headed "Tinker rime/ from which I take the following stanzas j~*~ Tinker Time is a nierry old man n ending by with his creaking, vail, Shouting, "Ho," , As tho people go Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, ■Bring out your burdens aud your worldoiu Grief, Work is long and my hours are brief." ° u i„ th °y r, j n with their plagues unpacked, Hope ahead with her kettle cracked. Folly last With his bells held fast, Tuneless twansing by his tattered cap. tap! '* Cnr hammer's Heap your troubles In the Tinker's Inn. Who's this running with a broken'not? iortuno beggared of hor last lean jot .Togging by ' To a pauper's sigh; i r!!™» i, lde h( T with 11 CU P t0 mend. "pcndl my heartic '* wllh i dreni » Cares aboard for the rainbow's end." Here is Love .with a heart.in 'twain, . Youth repairing it with tears in vain. Fiddling song in tho jostling throng, Waves tho ribbon-of a brokon bow, failor. sailor passing to and fro. lime is swift, bring .your wares of woe. Down the road there's a rollicking cry, Off ho Roes with a winking eye, Singing, "Ho" -As the ecasonß go, Soldier, sailor, beggar man. thief, - lto got a solder for your rare and prief. Joy wears long, and your tears are brief." "Gipsy Joy"-is instinct with the samo frank joie-de-vivre, and I would I had 6pace to spare to (\ioto from tho serenely beautiful "Land of Henrt's Deand the charming lullaby song, Little Bo Peep." Mrs, Cross has added vary _ substantially to her already high reputation as a writer of tuneful verse by the publication of 1 er latest book.

"Tho Minister of Evil."

Although the name of Mr. William I,e yueux appears on the cover and title page of Tho Minister of Evil: Tho Secret History of Rasputin's Betrayal of Russia (Cassull and Co,, per S. and W. Jlackny), tho book is really a translation iroru n, manuscript, written in Italian, by ■S n v Itniovski, the son. of a lolish violinist. Kojeveki, who lived ninny years in Bologna, Florence, and Siena, and preferred to write in Italian to the language of his, native land, acted for some time as "secretary and body servant to tho infamous hypocrite nnil anointed scoundrel, of whose amazing innuenco over tho Russian Imperial family iur, Le Queux has already given the world 6ome very curious and assuredly highly sensational details in a work bearVr? i 5? tm of "R as Putin, tho Rascal luonic. The work now published is as lull as was its predecessor of luridly sensational stories. Whether the secretary body-servant 1 tells tho bare truth in Uieso new memoirs, or whether he has over-coloured his narrative, tne fact remains that the book gives a series of astonishingly realistic pictures ot the wholesalo corruption, tho unbounded, .and, 'in certain of its phases, positively disgusting immorality which, under, the Rasputin regime, was rife at the Court of the last of the Romanoffs, oturnier, l'rotopopoff, and many other pro-uerniiiii reactionaries-who did much evil work in Russia, figure very prominently in the story, compared with which niost sensational of latter-day novels must palo into insignificance, so far as tne supply of dramatic- incidents is concerned.

Stray Leaves, Those who have imagined that i rusaian militarism is only a reccnt development in Germany are reminded by an Italian journal that over «i hundred • and fifty years ago Yittorio Alnerj, tile famous poet, wrote to a friend that on entering Prussia it looked to him "nothing but a continuous largo-sized sentry post." Those who enjoyed the Unci? Remus stories of the lato Joel Chandler Harris (they can be had in Routle<lgc's Universal Library in a cheap and handy form) may he interested 1o know that a collection of ten hitherto unpublished stories, entitled "Uncle Remus Returns," has recently been published in America. Arnold Bennett is in a modest way a clever water-colour artist. 'Ilis drawings to illustrate a book ?ntitled "A floating Home" havo been warmly praised by several papers. "A.E." (George Russell), the Irish poet and essayist, is quite an accomplished artist, and both Chesterton and AYells have done some clever black-and-white work, the former for one of llil.iire Holloa's stories and the latter lor his own brilliant satire, "Boon." Amongst American novelists or storv writers, Booth Tarkington and Robert W. Chambers set out to be illustrators, and "Uncle Remus" (Joel Chandler Harris) and 0. Henry (Sidney Porter) both dabbled in illustration before they found themselves in their true, metier. Special features in the November "Bookman" (Hodder and Stougliton) include an article 011 the author of "TIIO Golden Bough" (to which 1 .made extended allusion (nst wgek), an

interesting little essay on "Wordsworth's Academical Honours," by Major Bntterwortli; a review of the latest H. U Wells book, "Joan and Peter," by George Sampson; and a characterjstically Shavian outburst by "G. 8.5.," The Dominie—New Style." Reviews ot many now books of importance, together with tho usual literary gossip and a brave show of portraits and other illustrations mako up an oxcoli , number of a periodical which uookinen have long learnt to consider indispensable. Yet another new edition of Shakespeare, this time from tho Y&f? TJnivers|t.Y Iress. There aro to be forty volumes, the edition being published m England by Mr. Humphrey Mil<>r<l. It is to American scholarship that we owe tho splendid "Variorum" edition edited by the late Howard Fnrness, and now bcinn continued by hip. 'en?-' r readers may well he sntisfied with the delightful little lemplo_ edition, edited by Professor & &olIl >»«. "'id for the wealthier ol»;btiyer the line Cambridge edition ,K»>sr fci ' r ™ fe H stfl t ry '' "Wild Youth," Sir Gilbert Tarker returns to the background ISWW beSt WOrk *' (he Cnna -| lian lsorth-T\ out, «u<l gives us -fresh, breezy story of adventures in the wilds. appeal's that General Alexander. DuusterviHe, of the British Army Thf .not long ago captured the rich oil fioldi ?-■ r ,'',y tlle original of Stnlkv ifi «lf wr ß eetle kyamlCo '' Ki l)li^','i«i----i ai 'r. "? n,c h " mol, o«s lines from Lvro M ™ m - U ! aU S „7 he 6 (Americnn) on "Diplomacy"; Th8 y m P «nn t i'l KinK ft ' b " nch of UltiiuataJ i messenger was non persona Krata. jl

A ae Con( i lot of TJltl : Ultlmata. marked by certain inunlfcst errati

On.'i 1 , 1 of W'i-Ulti-Ultimata, unuttcd- several prime desiderata. J fc w l'' 8 , medulla oblongata i many s,raui

The Hun Royalties have recently haili ir u l ' 1 ,"! n 8' ,1B > quite « surfeit o ultwilti-ulti-ultiinntu!" i

Jo \ Hl Ayscough, who wrote that ii| novel, Marotz/ ; and vhoso two receit woks, 'llirougli French Windows" aijl the novel ' Jacqueline," 1 have grentv enjoyed has written, I see, n semi-au.t-biographical hook', "i'etjiando," in whiih he traces the gradual approach to aid the Church of Kouie of an itelhgent youth bred among High Cliurth Anglican liilluences. "John AyncouglK is, it may here bo noted, the Right Jhi. Consignor Bicker,stall'e-l)re .v. I Three war books with specially prontising titles, published by Grant Rici iwds, are "The Mind of Foeh: AVith it Comparison of Trench and German Dof trincs,' by C. de Brczo Dai'nley-istunrL formerly of the French General \Staf, and late captain, Royal Dublin Fusilierf; "TuniiellOTß All," by Edward Svnton, la brok which will bring home ' tli6 realities of underground warfare <it tlii front.;'"Tho Dover Patrol; The Strait}: Zeebruggo; Ostend. Including a Narri tivo of tho Operations in the Spring cf 1918," an illustrated record by "Jacl76tatf".(J. A. Bennett). |