The Chronical PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER,21. 1915 THE SOUL OF EUROPE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 November 1915, Page 2

The Chronical PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER,2I. 1915 THE SOUL OF EUROPE.

A notable book that deals with some 01 the inner aspects oi the great war l'.ow opened is "*ilio Soul ot Europe, lis author, -\lr .Joseph McUabe, is wellknown ui New Zealand (apart from '-is voluminous writings 011 theological iualtv l'sj ironi the fact that lie travelled ri these parts a lew years ago and leulured on matters ui import to humanity apart 110111 tli-o pressing ones of Dare existence. From a review ot "The Soul oi Europe" that appears in tin 1 latcist issue ol "The llcviow of Reviews we note that the book begiws with a pathetic picture of the annual hi othorhood of the nations at play, such as may have been seen in July, 191-1. (Gatherings in all the great cities oi merry groups, heedless of the grim lor Us Willi ch here and there marked boundaries. And in one moment, as it seemed, all this was changed. The result of race-hatred? Nothing of the kind, though race is a fact not to De ignored. Neither was it that any particular nation was avid; of blood. 'VK AlcCabe says that the guilt of Germany and Austria needs 110 demonstration from him, yet in his careful"analysis of the psychology of the nations at war lie states with emphasis that cruelty and deception are not parts of the German character. The Viennese are amongst the most generous andi joyous people in the world; the typical Turk is an honest, truthful and self respecting man; in the Balkans trucultnce is confined neither to one race nor one religion. So our author goes on, aiming at and destroying the ancient "tags" which are so mischievous, and endeavouring v to make intelligible the mental or moral diversities of t.'je different peoples and, in some measure, the degeneration ol normally excellent characters in time ol war. let Mr McCabe agrees in effect with the dictum of Mr I<\ A. Smith, tiro university professor, who travelled troiii end to end of Germany and Austra, and then wrote the comprehensive book "The Soul of Germany," in which he lays down the dictum that neither freedom of .speech nor political liberty belongs to the German, though the ' Kaiser allows him freedom oi'thoughb; but as to the war, the people, he says, . are as guilty as their Emperor, for he is the incarnation of the national character, of German duplicity and brutal self-assertion and indifference to others. With reference to the guilt as to the war, Mr Smith states that on July 25th a brother professor at the university of Erlangon, ivho is an officcr in the 1 Reserve, told him that he had received hi. 1 - orders and war was certain, and : during the following day reservists came into the barracks in numbers.. ' but quietly, so as to avoid observe- ( tion, whilst after the 27th none wv? 1 permitted to leave the barracks. Mr 1 McCabe dwells upon the Liaiser's char.n of manner and genius, but feels sure , that ho mounted the throne with a definite policy for the aggrandisement of Germany and of himself (by the mvord probably), and has pursued; it \ i

t'> this day, using his zeal for political reform, etc., as a cloak. Regarding Russia, Mr MoOabe is not optimistic. Too much depends upon one mau there, as in Germany. His beli-ef 4 however, •i* in the Russian democracy, and bethinks that this must be quite understandable to France and England. Free Trade lie advocates, proper treatment of the. Jew "he demands, and, (speaking of the instinctive aversion o< the Russian to Avar and aggression, he says that the people which is the least aggressive is most capable of defence. The present Avar is a defensive Avar, disagreeable, but necessary, and after the Avar is ended Ins people Aviii bo the first to extend a liand of iriendsliip to their present enemies, moreover, there* is no intention oi augmenting Russian territory at the expense ; i Germany and Austria; an Alsace-Lior-raine-Galicia Avould be deplorable. The Dardanelles should! be neutralised, !'e thinks. The book, in short, is a notable contribution to the literature of the Avar. It is published By Fisher,