BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 211, 31 May 1919, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

A League of Nations-"Made in Germany," '.In view, of the prominent position as--signed- in the Versailles Peace Treaty to the League- of Nations, and of the frequently. recorded speeches of Here Mathins Erzberger, the leader of tho Centre Party- in the Ueichstag, the a|i-pcarnnce'of-an English •■translation (by Mr. Bernard Miall) of a book written by Eraberger-,- nnd published in Berlin. ■ iii September, 191S, is of timely interest and importance.- The-'title is ""The Leagiui of Nations" (U.oddar and Stoughton). The author puts forward an eloquently expressed, pica for the establishment of a League' of Nations, with Germany as an immediate and equal partner with the Allies and other nations; and expresses a lons serie3 of riiiito pious sentiments in 'which the horrors of war are sanctimoniously deplored and the virtues' and beauties of universal- peace duly extolled. Obligatory arbitration, disarmament, the "equality of economic privilege," and the future of the lose German colonies are amongst the many problems discussed. The. author, is no doubt a very "clever' man, and puts forward what, until it is can , .- full.v_ examined, is a very plausible and seemingly strong ense. But directly his arguments, and, even more so, his interpretations, of tho history of the war period come to bo closelv' scrutinised and analysed, their insincerity and dishonesty become all too plain. As exemplifying the transparent dishonesty of the author's arguments in favour of "the freedom of tho' seas" (which really means, to the German mind, freedom for Germany, in case of war, to. get supplies of munitions from other countries unhindered by the. British Navy), let me quote tho following passage:— ■ . • : . England has conducted an unmitigated : war of -blockade; > .German submarines have, within definite prohibited preas, sunk enemy and neutral ships. In- spite of its .necessity In this war, and its justifiable employment in view of tho action of the Entente, the submarine campaign has had moral and -political effects "and consequences which have indirectly contributed to intensification <vnd extension of the war. "Violence begot need, need begot counter-violence and the further extension of the war; but no instrument of ; sea-nower which ware upon the f reotrade of the world Ha& : succeeded in bringiiiß about , tlie'end of:the war or its decision. ' , " ■ . In'the .concluding, (sentences 'of. the above ipassage,' Erzberger is a ■little,"too previous,-" for unquestionably it. was the British.Navy which enabled America, to transport 'her armies to Europe, and thus so' enormously strengthened 'the original Entente as to-compel the Germans to sign the armistice. As to. the dishonesty of tho implied suggestion .'flint German' submarines only operated , within "definite prohibited areas," and therefore did not interfere with "the. freetrado of the world," it could be at once exposed by quoting "quite a dozen instances/where not only.'British, French, Itnlianj and .\rnericnn, but Spanish and other neutrally-owned vessels verc ruthlessly destroyed far outside nnv of the so-called "spheres of • enemy action," in which nominally; the Hun submarines were supposed to a'ct... . ■■■ Np good ipurposo would be served,, even, did space permit, by quoting other passages of the book in which the author appears to presiirrin an. ignorance and lack of all common sense on "the part of the Allies nnd neutrals, to whom,; fur more than to the author's compatriots, tho book is really addressed. All through the book, Erzberger assumes that the German word will now he accepted by the world. "Which is, precisely. what tho world,' knowing the- Hun far better' than, the author" thinks,..aiid'hopes it doe's, declines to do. 'The book fairly reek 3 with impudent. travesties of the truth." ' . . ' ". ''~ A. glaring example of this can be found in the chapter headed "Colonial Problems." After parading" tb.e palpablo mendacity that "Germany's c'olo■ninl, policy has been entirely freq from 'mercantilism,'" that is, ."'militarism in the sphere oft economic policy," an asser-. tion which could be contradicted' pointblank, by dozens of passages taken from Pan-German and Junker-■speeches and newspapor articlos, the author has tho audacity to say ■.—"That Germany should hnvi) a large share of colonial possessions is in {lie interest ■of universal peace." When, and, where, and how, it might well bo-asked; has German been exerted .-in favour of universal peace? Has Erzberger. forgotten that it was Germany which refused' to sign Tin Hague proposals which made for international arbitration, and that Britain's suggestion for a tapering oft' of naval expenditure was at once "turned down" by Berlin? If only to show and provo how utterly unscrupulous, treacherous, and mendacious is. the official German, how insincere, how , subtly , dishonest "is his alleged anxiety for . a world's peace, llei-r Erzberger-s book is wortli reading. As a serious and honest con. tribution to the discussion on tho League (if Nations it is valueless. The Jugo-Slavs, Under the title, "The Fight for Freedom of' the■ Jugo-Slavs,"* Mr. (!. L. Scansio, of Auckland, sets forth the political ideals: of the Southern Slavs,, narrating the story of their contribution . to tho. overthrow of the Au/tro-Hangurinn Empire, and interpreting Uie significance of the events which, have occurred since the herniation of the new JiißO-Slav State in iTclntion to Hie final peace settlement. Altogether, so the author declares, the J"ugo or Southern Slays, ihat is. Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes,' liiiKo n total M cloje upon, thirteen millions of people. Long subordinate to alien control, tliuy now desire.complete union in one free.. and independent Sliite, which, so , Mr. Seansie contends, would be "the surest obstacle to the westward spread of ilul. shevikisni. ,, . The book :s divided into three 6ections, entitled respectively "I'iie ,lugo-Slav War Aims," "The Fall'of Austria and the. Ilisp of Jiigo-Stavia." anil "The Rift in tlitv Lute." Under the lastmentioned, heading h put forward an eloquent protest .iigainst tho legitimate national aspirations of > the . Jugo-Slavs being sacrificed, either, in Dalmatiu. or elsewhere, to the interests of .July or any other Power. Allowance. diily, made for national ambitions and racial prejudices, Mr. Scansie's little hook may be regarded as u handy unci very useful handbook on certain international woblems upon which the average New Zealander is not usually well informed.