LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 199, 20 August 1904, Page 10

LITERARY.

There is an admirable article on "British Foreign Policy," by "A.8.C., Etc.," in "The National Review" for July. Previous contributions under this norn de plume in the "National" have invariably attracted considerable attention, and this particular article should be no exception. The marked feature in this instance is the distrust expressed of German schemes of aggrandisement and the need of guarding against them. Another article more directly dealing with German policy is J. De Koscielski's "Prussia and Poland," in which the subject of the conflicting interests of the two countries is ably dealt with. H. J. Tennant bases an investigation of the sweating of the milliner and dressmaker classes on the Hon. Mrs Alfred Lyttelton's play, "Warp Woof," and suggests methods of alleviating the trouble. There is an intimate account of the Dowager-Empress of China in this number, and a careful contribution on "Cobdcn and Cobdenism" by _, J. Makse. The change in the proprietorship of "The National Review" has not involved any modification of its contents. There are still the thoughtful comments on current questions under the titles of "Episodes of the Month" and "Greater Britain," and A. Maurice Low writes judicially on "American Affairs." In "The Empire Review" for July Major-General Sir Alfred Turner deals with the report of the Royal Commission on Army Reform, incidentally setting out the very cogent arguments that exist against the adoption of a system of His indictment of War Office muddling is not less severe than that of the Commission, but he hardly sees eye to eye with it in suggestions for serviceable reforms. Just at the present time J. L. Bashford's "The Truth About the German Navy" will be read with especial attention, as will also the editor's remarks on the dangers that Australia is threatened with from State Socialism. Miss Constance Baruicoat's second excursion into the subject of New Zealand industries is concerned with "Kauri Gum-digging." Other contributions to this review worthy of attention are Sir Charles Klliott's "The Indian Census of 1901," and Edward Dicey's "The Kiel Interview." A powerful contribution to the discussion of Austro-Hungarian relationships is Count Albert Apponyi's "Tbe Army Question in Austria and Hungary," published in "The Monthly Review." Mr Julian Corbett, whose contributions on military subjects are usually worth reading, has rather a scathing criticism of the report of the Royal Army Reform Commission. The title in itself—"The One-eyed Commission" — does not promise an over favourable review, and this lack of promise is more than justified. Practically the only credit that Mr Corbett allows the Commission is that of "patient and exhaustive labour, which has thrown much light on the pathology of the two land forces." Sir Cyprian Bridge has a word to say in favour of the value of classical education for men who purpose following a naval career. Alfred Stead deals with the policy of a "White Australia as it Affects the Japanese." "The Japanese Government," he writes, "has begun to wonder whether the Anglo-Japanese Alliance has anything to do with Australia, or whether, in case of a war in the Far East, involving Great Britain, the Australians would expect the Japanese fleet to protect their thousands of miles of coast line from a hostile fleet, although the crews of the Japanese fleet could not land on Australian soil." Mr Stead advocates in the very strongest language the repeal of the provisions of the Immigration Restriction Act as far as Japan is concerned. Recent excavations in Carthage and in Algura are interestingly sketched in this issue of the "Review" by Miss Mabel Moore and Baroness Augusta yon SJcbneider, respectively. "The God in the Garden" is the some what mysterious title of a capital story by Keble Howard, published in Unwin's Colonial Library. The god in this case turns out to be a personage no more formidable than a cross-grained old maid, who holds a pretty niece in loving subjection, and generally endeavours to rule vith a rod of iron all who come under her sway. Induced thereto by the representations of her niece, she sends the vicar and his family to the seaside for a much-needed holiday, on the condition tiiat she shall have the direction of his locum tenens, whose salary she undertakes to pay. The successful applicant to t his post turns out to be an Uhlctio young curate from a poor Lonion parish, and he disturbs the old maid itouhiderably by capturing the heart of 'u-r niece, making surreplitions assigna- ' lons with that damsel in her garden. Mid generally d"fying her authority. The ;!d lady threatens to disinherit her niece i she marries, but is finally induced to i.insent by a ruse conceived in the nimble brain of the niece, and the curtain falls to the tune of wedding bells. "Enid," by Marmaduke Pickthall (Constable's Colonial Library), is a de•idedly amusing satire on Society in the i wentietli century. A worthy draper. who has amassed a fortune, makes his debut in county society, where his two daughters, one of them after a brief .reUminary matrimonial experience of rather singular character, marry scions of ancient pedigree, while the daughter cf nn curl, having distinguished herself iy eloping with a groom, becomes the J roper's housekeeper, and later on his ■vifv. Her titled brother, to complete the picture, marries a lady's maid, with entire satisfaction to himself aud ultimate acceptance by society. There are. •cveral well-drawn characters. Enid, the draper's second daughter, beinc an especially original and attractive figure, whose impetuous Might with a man she lid not love, and equally hurried desertion of him on the eve of marriage, makes altogether a pretty story of wirl•di waywardness and inexperience. The -etting of the novel is an English village, with its usual assortment of quaint rural types of humanity, and although the author introduces a touch of melodrama by the resuscitation of the supposed defunct groom, who had so successfully enmeshed his young mistress in love's toils, the novel could stand very well on ts merits as a study in human emoions without such aid. In the "Masters of English Literature," which will be published shortly by Messrs. Macmillan, Mr. Stephen Gwynn attempts to give a clear and readable acount of the development of English literature from Chaucer onwards, by a vigorous process of selection. He has dealt in all with only about fifty authors, and of most of these a tolerably full critical account is given, with biographical details where biography is important, and with ample illustrative quotation. The book is designed chiefly it* «»ii>i—«f._