BOOK REVIEWS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 15, 13 October 1943, Page 6

BOOK REVIEWS

New Zealand Stories And Poems “New Zealand New Writing,” No. 2, edited by Inn A, Gordon (Wellington. Progressive Publishing Society). Having leapt the hurdle between the first and second numbers, a big obstacle in the way of the success of any periodical, “New Zealand New Writing” should now make unobstructed progress. It will be a reflection on this country’s readers it it does not and a cultural loss not to be minimized or magnified by reference only to the contents of the first two numbers. The worth of what they contain cannot be measured beside the immensely greater potential value possessed by the project as a whole. Nevertheless, this second number must sell on its own merits and it should have no difficulty in doing so. Its short stories, sketches and poems attain a high average level. Among the prose contributions those of Isohel Andrews, Alan Mulgun, Helen Shaw, Roderick Finlayson and David Hull are outstanding. Isohel Andrews in “The Day of the Funeral” reveals by Hie. clever use of soliloquy a dramatic situation, involving murder. Helen Shaw’s "The Two Fathers” is a well-contrived study of friendship between an American serviceman and a New Zealand busband is overseas. Roderick Finlayson in “Sweet Beulah Land,” the title story of a volume of sketches recently published, provides a remarkably accurate picture of less attractive aspects of a hiii. “Blame Keats,” by Alan Mulgau, the story of a literary-minded accountant’s revolt against the soullessness of his boss, gives the reader welcome light relief in a volume which is otherwise deadly serious in its purpose. David Rail ‘in his “Little Girl Lost” offers an intriguing study and there are other prose works by D. M 7. Ballantyne, A. P. Gaskell and J. G. Male, a soldier whose competent writing is also represented in verse. The other poets whose work is included are J. R. Hervey, Anton Vogt, Keith Sinclair, Hubert Witheford, W. Easterbrook-Smith and IV. N. Rogers. Tljey all write interestingly and with much greater awareness of present-day conditions than is shown by the prosaists, only two of whom are concerned with the war. J. R. Hervey exhibits his usual technical excellence and, though among the younger poets it seems invidious to mention one before another, it would be difficult to pass without comment AV. N. Rogers’ “Troop-train.”

“Russia Through the Centuries,” by M. Philips Price (London: Alien and Unwin). —“Russia Through the Centuries” should fulfil an obvious need at the moment. It is an efficient short history of Russia, written with a thought to explaining Russia to people of the west. Mr. Price not only summarizes the history of Russia but points out how these happenings have reacted upon, the people. 'The Tartar invasions, for instance, from the earliest times, bred an endurance in the Russians and a capacity to rebound after suffering, and developed iu them that spirit which today makes our allies destroy their most priceless possessions with calm ruthlessness, rather than allow a conqueror to profit by them. This ruthlessness defeated Napoleou as it is defeating Hitler. From early times communal systems of farming were found expedient because of the vast spaces and isolated communities, so that collectivism was more easily grafted on to the rural communities than would be possible in other European States. To rend this history of Russia is to understand much of the enigma of that great country. Mr. Price sees the success of the world civilization of the future to depend upon the growth of understanding among Britain and Russia and America, all three in a working partnership based on mutual \understandiiig. “The Problem of Germany,” an interim report by a Chatham House study group (London: Royal Institute of International Affairs). This report results from an invitation extended to a number of qualified people, representing a balanced variety of experience and outlook, to form a study group on questions connected with the treatment of Germany after the war. Proceeding by an' analysis of the extreme hypotheses of total permanent domination of the whole of German life and total co-operation with defeated Germany on a basis of equality, the group arrives at conclusions in which, rejecting both these extreme courses, it seeks a realist policy practical and effective in preventing a renewal of German aggression, and likely to commend itself to the British people, on whom much of the responsibility of pursuing it would fall. The group realizes that the problem of Germany cannot be solved in isolation from wider matters of international policy, particularly so far as are concerned the future form, of government in Germany and the civil and political rights of the people. A risk of conflict is detected between the economic and disarmament clauses of the Atlantic Charter. The group does not., however, consider the technical difficulties of preventing Germany from re-arming are insuperable, the danger point being a weakening of the Allied will to prevent it. The group’s report is a stimulating document and should do much to guide thinking on this complex subject along practical lines.