BOOKS AND WRITERS

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19902, 3 June 1936, Page 10

BOOKS AND WRITERS

COMMENTS AND EXTRACTS. The language or the hlncher‘< shop wont-aim scarcely a word mat a not! could 1155-, “Rump slaak." “rhump I‘hqlh" " khlum',” “valves’ llvnr,“ “tripe." “plr‘z rhnpk.” "Yruttew." "HlllSam‘~"-—\\h:|' a nu nl‘ harbarilles of speech. -nnm-m Lynn,

100 YEARS OF BANKING. l ——-- l ORO\\’.\' OUT OF CHAOS. MIDLAND BANK‘S CENTENARY. .Reglnald .\lcKenna, chairman of the Midland Bank. which with another 01 the “Big Five.“ the Westminster, is cei9brnting its centenary this year. has written an instructive foreword to “A Hundred Years of Joint Stock Banking.“ by \\'. F. Crick and J. E. Wallsworth. The present orderly but flexihle banking system has gt'ovxn out of chaos. .\lr .\icKenna \\’i'llt‘si ! “Seventy years ago then- \vcrc more than 400 commercial banks in England! and \\'ales. and probably none of them . outside London had deposits of morei than live millions; over 200 varietiesl 0t bank-notes. or all shapes. colunrsl and designs. were in circulation along \\ith gold coins and five-shilling pieces; cheques were almost unknown I to ordinary private people; ‘hank fail—ures wore by no means rare; few at the banks outside London published balance-sheets, and auditing in the modern sense was practically non< osttenl.“ More than a hundred hanks have contributed. directly or indirectly. to the making at the present Midland Bank. DANOIIS OI SANGTIONS. BRASSEY HANDBOOK \\'ARNING RISK OF EUROPEAN \VAR. The 1936 edition of that indispenss a'ble guide to naval affairs. “Brassey‘s Naval Annual." is edited. as usual. by Commander «.;. .\'. Robinson. and deals “Hi: all naml questions of the moment. In an important article. Rear-Ad-miral 11. u. Thursfleld examines the naval aspect of sanctions. Of Mr Attiee's proposal to close the Suez Canal to Italian ships. he says: “Its closure would he just as much I breach of International engagements as would resort to war. The action proposed by Mr Attlee amounts in reality to direct intervention by thei League Powers in the war by Inter—rupting the communications of one of the beiligerents; action which is not only contrary to the letter of the Govenant, but is directly contrary to Its spirit." It would. in fact. “be to endeavour to stop the war by extending its scope.“ ‘i Admiral Thursfleid makes it 'clearl that, In his opinion. any attempt to‘ increase the pressure of sanctions on Italy will bring the risk of war for the British Fleet. . The End of Dlsarmsment. In his section on “The End of Die—armament." Captain A. G. Dewar points out that collective security seems to require a large army Involving a system of conscription and general milltnry training which we have not got. and he asks: “Should a number of petty States which have no navy or. army to speak of dictate measures the whole brunt of which must fall on‘ Great Britain and France?" 1 A melancholy section on “Relative Naval Strength" gives the force of the 1 American Fleet Air Aim at 637 mach-i ines. and of the Japanese at 1.00. while the British total is only 1.00. nightly is this situation described as "disquiet-‘ Jug." i i -——._. i SHORT STORIES. BY NE\V ZEALAND WRITER. ‘ TRAGEDY OF A MAORI. “The House in Half—Moon Street," by Hector Rolitho, a collection 01' short stories. deals mainly with the supernatural. Most. of them have been published during the last ten years in different magazines and newspapers. and they deal with various parts of the world. . One of the best is "'l‘allreke's Eyes.“ the only .\laori story. It tells of a young .\laori chief. Ilongi Tall~ reke. who goes from Gisbor‘ne to London. and then to Edinburgh. where he specialised in optics. until they led to his death~~a grlicsoniv story. but written with case and conviction. "The ;\llmtross“ and “The tirying‘ Goat." each in Its own way. is a vivid example of the pmver ot’ thr‘ unexplnlnahlc.

RAILWAVS MAGAZINE. FEATURES IN JUNE ISSUE. _..... _‘ in the June issue of the New Zea-[ land Railways Magazine "Robin Hyde" (iris Wilkinson) takes her readers to beautiful Arthur‘s Pass, where she mixes the famous scenery with happy humanity. in "Heroes of the Bali,“ U. N. uiilespie shows how faithful servants or the public Justify the de—partment‘s right to the slogan, "safety, comfort. Economy." Jamcs Cowan‘s selection of a famOUS New Zealander is William Ferguson .\lassry. in whimsical prose, verse and sketches Ken Alexander gives “ Pots at Pets " based on his remark: “.\iani the great big bassoon in creation‘s orchestra, yearns for a pet to pat." In “Panorama of the Playground" W. F. ingrani proves his declaration that] "New anianders are Sportsmen.” lt.| .\I. .lrnkins continues his popular ser- ‘l ics of “Limited Night i-Jnt‘ertainment.“l .\ new feature, “Heroic Lives," 1 opens with "The Village Heroine," a gripping story by F. A. Hornibrook ti.ondon;, “Helen" again gives gen—erous measure of helpful notes and advice to women. . Illustrations are again a notabiet ieaturo. ‘ t 1 NEW ZEALAND AUTHOR. 1‘ i . NEW BOOK PUBLISHED. i l _— i FLYING DURING GREAT WAR. 1 _... ‘ Advice by air mail from London states that the next publication of the iAirman's Bookshelf series, published lby John Hamilton, Ltd., includes i“V\'ith the Earth Beneath.“ by A. B. iKinssford, of Nelson. The story. which deals with flying during the Great War. is the second book accepged in London by the same author. and is written around the life of a pilot with whom Mr Kingsford was closely associated. i __ i BRITAIN “ I'oo CAUTIOUS." L 23. COMMANDER AS CRITIC. A new study of “The Battle of Jut—liand" will 'be the centre of endless i controversy. It is by a distinguished United States staff officer, the late Commander H. H. iFrost. is strictly impartial in tone. and is based on eighteen years of profound resent-ch.-Critical throughout, its judgments are oh Hm sweeping. But it is gintenscl; .i:icrcsting and free from either pro—.irllicoe or pro—Beatty bias. i't‘he :lllilml"s View is that Jeiiicoe and [the British Admiralty erred by adopt;ing a supercoutious, non—aggressive ipoii’cy. They had decided not to fight ‘ll decisive battle. “That decision fastened on the Brit—ish Navy an incubus of which it will not rid itself for many a year. Every British commander with an instinctive willingness to assume risks, which is the very foundation of naval and military greatness, will be confronted with a formidable library purporting to prove by emry form of skilful plea and clever argument that Jellicoe won the \Vorid \\’ar without ‘ieaving anythinz to chance.‘ " A Trafalgar at Jutland would probably. he thinks. have been followed by the collapse of the German Powers in the critical summer of 1916. He. does not accept for a moment the View that Jeiiicoe by rashness “could have lost the war in an afternoon.“ The. British I)rr‘pondei‘flnce of force. he points out. was enormous—— two to ones-and there were powerful i‘esertes available behind the magnificent Fleet concentrated at Jutland. Criticism of Officers. These are the author‘s criticisms of individual officers: Jeiilcoe: Super—cautious; had excellcnt opportunities to take action that would have resulted in i a decisive success at 5.55. 6.30, 7.15. 8.“), 9 p.m.. and f! 3.111. iivan-Thonms: The most effective tactical leader on the British side. Hood might have earned first place had he lived longer. Rmtty committed numerous errors rind did not show tactical skill. Despite spirited and aggressive Imtdership, distinctly interior as a technician to both Joliiroc and .\‘riiecr, ‘ .\‘i'hvt‘r executed an excellent con—repiion of war poorly. The verdict on Emily‘s leadership will not for a moment he accepted by thusv who know thr difficulties with which he had to contend. "’l‘hx' uurunn} I‘iTll'i|‘ni‘_\' of the Brit—isii iiiicllin'vnrl- service" is \\nrniiy pi'disviL The book is so i'icarly written that it should inziiw :1 wivlc appeal to the .izrncral public. E ~~ii.\\'.\\'. l MENUS FOR MINDS. LIST i\' LONDON I’.\i’iilt, The following: list of “\lf‘nlis for minds" appears in :i London paper: “Sir limos .\‘r-Viun, .\uitiitur.” .\n .ilii'lliitlul'dtiiU'. "\ l-‘lmiv in Sunlight" The life and \\urh nt‘ Thomas- dc Quincy. ‘Bv Ill“ ii'il ritultu'lll- \\’nsL - "l'ui‘vv-ii Iltlls «If .\l'i‘irn." 13y 151-". IN? Hi‘liiiii:\\.i}_ "'i'itn' l'rnih .\lmut Columbus." 11v I.li trim lmi'ifl ‘ "Th“ “""i1 ,\'u\\- liars.“ By .\iarjnrv and I: it, it. mictinvii. - “L“‘i NAM u!‘ S'i:ii;csp-~.ii'u‘< .\Lri'.“ Hy ii. .i. \isw”. "\'.lilt'i'lili\ llv'mmpj" \ i’]"-'l ”I“! :1 till.“ to" iiil‘ i‘i‘rlH'lil nt' HIP Luann“, i'.} ll |lu\\lll»llnliiiisun, ~\i-i~l"r's ut itussim \liisii'.” in M, I" ‘ ii\-t<'ili'i's~i tillil Herald .\lii‘dllulll. ‘ '_"»\'l-‘iit‘i'l." ll) .\li.iii .\‘irzi\\|irid;_-u. . . will‘ i'.tss.i;w " It) Intizliminli'i‘ 11l it ti'ii'iitl, '[lh ~\‘i i‘u‘uiiiiliiv.‘ ]i\ |;...; i'\llw ii.iii ' ‘ “I “1"“? “1""! ~irm~fi l:y trim-I Lin; . "‘ “‘ \\Ji‘l‘" 1‘» "\‘i‘ii lililtt‘i'. I “‘m‘Li-‘V' 1:: l’ml L-drh.