BOOKS AND WRITERS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20507, 25 May 1938, Page 4

BOOKS AND WRITERS

COMMENTS AND EXTRACTS ‘•A dog- Is much cheaper and easier to look after than a third child, and to the minds of some people, as much fun.”—Aylmer Vallance.

QUEEN VICTORIA LETTERS WRITTEN TO GERMANY NEW ZEALANDER’S BOOK In “Further Letters of Queen Victoria, from the Archives of the House of Rrundenburg-Prussia,” Hector Bolitho, the New Zealander, edits a considerable series of letters written by Queen Victoria to her Royal “cousins” and “brothers” in Prussia from 1841 to 1887. Titese have been resurrected from Prussian archives. One wonders whether the stubborn little Queen's ghost will come back to say to Mr Chamberlain (or Eden, or Churchill) what she wrote to the King of Prussia, March 5, 1848— “One day the French will have to atone for the many crimes which they so constantly commit, and no fate would be more just than that they should be condemned to work out their own principles on themselves and not allowed to escape the consequences of their actions by making war on other nations.” Affection for Germany In these letters, as in earlier recensions of other correspondence, Victoria bad the back of her hand for France and an affectionate palm for Germany. You remember how she thought Napoleon 111. an upstart bounder until he deftly flattered her as “the greatest lady in Europe”— after which she made him and Empress Eugenie her guests. In these letters she tells her “Dearest Augusta” (the Empress of William I.) about “the Imperial couple, who are extremely charming people”—but Eugenie had one flaw—“until the last day” (at Osborne) “she never came down to breakfast!" If Victoria were still alive? Might she not write to Mussolini about Anthony Eden, as she wrote to the King of Prussia concerning Lord Palmerston (January 9. 1852) “Your Majesty will have wept bitter tears with the rest- of Europe on hearing of Lord Palmerston’s retirement from my Cabinet? I pray that the public here will understand that England’s national policy was not correctly expressed in his interpretation of it !” Resolute Little Egotist It is no new Queen Victoria in these intimate letters, but the same resolute little egotist. The bundle of letters to "clearest Augusta” after the Prince Consort's death are interesting as a widow's apotheosis of the dear departed. Albert becomes “my dear Angel.” and “Him,” nearly always with Hie capital letters of deification. There was much posing; but, still, it isn't quite fair to mock at lorn widowhood. .

“UNHOLY PILGRIMAGE” A PARSON IN RUSSIA FOUND MUCH TO ADMIRE The author of “Unholy Pilgrimage,” T. L. Harris, an American parson, resolved “to see how. well Russians live without God.” Equipped with an adequate knowledge of the language and his pastoral experience, which had taught him how to acquire knowledge from causal acquaintances and random conversations, he was able to escape from the official guides and to talk to the people himself. In spite of his religious convictions and training, he found much to admire. On the credit side, perhaps his most interesting conclusion Is that the divorce of religion and morality is “almost clear gain for morality.” “As a minister,” he says, “I realise that perfectionism creates profound psychological confllots.” Unhampered by this, Russian youth achieves decency without “the formation of crippling inhibitions.” Sanction of Morality The sanction of morality for a young Russian is a social one. He wants to be “oultured"; his behaviour must conform not merely to things as they are to-day, but to things as they will be In the fully matured Communist society. A kingdom of man has replaced the kingdom of God; and as Russians are still inspired by a live revolutionary spirit and feel they are threatened by powerful enemies, Fascists and Trotskyites, they have a real determination to lead their lives so that their society, which has already given them so much, may be secured. "Outside of a monastery,” says the author, “I have nowhere else met such admirable consistency In men’s lives.” But although goodness may be achieved without religion there is much that cannot. “I saw no saints among Communists, noticed no desire to reach beyond the human: instead there was an admirable intention to count nothing human as alien* together with a very , questionable intention to reckon everything which was not human as altogether non-existent.” It is, after all, through the doctrine of perfectionism that the finest growth of personality is won. Religious Comfort Finally, there is, if not a religious belief, at least a desire for religious comfort. A girl’s reply when he asked her why she was in a church is significant: “Because, though I enjoy my work and my activities, my comrades stick like lice in my hair. In j church is it different. I can be really j alone.” To those who desire statistics this | book will not appeal. Mr Harris Is ! true to his purpose, and whether in j Moscow, or aboard a steamer on the ! Volga, or touring hospitals and fac- l tories, he Is trying to discover what ! Russians are like. He gives an inter- i esting and thoughtful account of his experience, and brings the reader nearer to a true understanding of the j character of a new society.

BEST-SELLERS IN LONDON AUTOBIOGRAPHIES POPULAR BOOKS IN GREAT DEMAND Reminiscence and autobiography have things all their own way this ; week, though "China, Body and" Soul," edited by E. R. Hughes, is in great demand, says a London paper. Favourite titles are Sir Arnold Wil-

son's "Thoughts and Talks," Maurice Collis's "Trials In Burma," "I Khew Hitler," by Kurt \V. Ludeclie, "My House In Malaga," by Sih Peter Chalmers Mitchell, and "Madame Curl*," by her daughter Mademoiselle Eve Curie. In Action, Phyllis Bentlev's "Sleep in Peace" and Cedric Belfrage's "Promised Land" head the lists. But "North-West Passage" still goes well, and there Is a growing public for Edward Thompson's gracious and moving “Youngest Disciple."