LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 176, 26 July 1919, Page 18

LITERARY.

In "The Years Between," Mr. Kipling bridges the gap between his last volume of verse and his latest war poems. Most of the poems in this collection, a Dominion edition of which is published by Methuen and Co., have appeared in various publications. The reader who ; looks for verses of the quality which gave a circulation of 197,000 to ''Barrackroom Ballads," 152,000 to "The Five Xations,"' and 120,000 to "The Seven Seas."' will be disappointed. There are choice passages and rhetorical verse anijmated by the old spirit, but they lack for the most part, the masters "touch. We find the Kipling who captured the popular fa.ncy most conspicuously- in his ode to the ''Irish Guards".— '

We're not so old in the Army List Bur we're not so new In the ring c We carried our pacts with Marshal Saxe When Louis was our Kin" But Douglas Haig's our Marshal now And we're King George's men, And after one hundred and seventy years \\ ere lighting for France again*. Also in a poem written on the outbreak of war: — "'•o easy hope or ties * : hail bring us to -our goal, But iron sacrifice Of body. will, and soul. There is but one task for allOne life for each to give. Who stands if Freedom fall? Who dies if Kngland live': j Some of the best things in the book [are contained in hi 3 collection of epitaphs. J from which we make three extracts:— 'AX ONLY SON." 1 have slain none except mv mother* she ißlesslng her slayer) died of grief for mc. " THE COWAKD." 1 could not look ou Death, which being known. Men led mc to him, blindfold and alone. " EX-CLERK." Pity uoi: The Army save Freedom to a timid slave; In which Freedom did he find By which strength he came to prove Mirth, Companionship and Love: For which Love to Death he went: In which Death he lies content. In "Jingles that Jangle," a. book of unpolished satires, by J. A. Philp, of Brisbane, the author, who was formerly a member of the Sydney "Bulletin" staff, alludes in Ms preface appreciatively to his early journalistic training on the "Auckland Star." He dedicates his little book 'to my two soldier sons, and to the soldier sons of thousands of other Australians who, in the great world war, have been deaf to all sophistries, and have heard only the clarion call of duty." In his foreword he is particularly severe on those Australian communities which after the greatest war in history, are seemingly content to permit disloyalists, indifferentists, pacifists, and 'open and concealed comforters of the enemy' to occupy the seats of the mighty." Aβ a specimen of Mr. Philp's caustic wit, we may quote the following "Gympic Marseillaise"' (a chant): — I.W.W. A.W.U. Shin Fane! Shin Fane! Also One Big 17; Likewise L.O.L. And H.A.C.8.5., Are getting •fair Australia Into a blanky mess. The possibility -of communication with spirits of the departed is the problem presented in Mr. E. F. Benson's novel

•'Across the Stream" (John Murray). The author's leanings are probably disclosed in an introduction in which he states that the testimony of the men "eminent in scientific research" have affirmed their belief in such communications would be accepted by the world in general on any other subject." Of disbelievers he says: "This type of robust intellect has, during the last ten decades, affirmed that hypnotism, aviation in machines heavier than air, telepathy, wireless telegraphy, and other non-proved phenomena, are superstitions and scientific balderdash." Archie, the hero of this story, is a happy child creation, and he develops as a mentally and morally healthy young man, but abnormal in respect to certain psychic susceptibilities which enable him to hold communication with his dead elder brother. In later years this faculty results in serious evil, because he is unable to distinguish between messages from his brother and those from an evil spirit by whom, he becomes for a while absolutely dominated. How he is ultimately rescued through the love of a good woman, and at the same time emancipated from the thrall of a shallow selfseeking, girl, is the main theme of an attractive novel.

Mr. Jack McLaren, the '"MeNorth" oi innumerable interesting articles concerning Northern Australia, which have appeared in the newspapers tnroughont the Commonwealth, has written a novel entitled '""Red Mountain: A Romance of Tropical Australia," published by the X.S.W. Bookstall Co., Ltd., of Sydney. Mr. McLaren has taken the field he knows so well —he ran a '""ranch" for years in Cape York—as a background for his first jstory.

"'•losselyn ? s Wife," by Kathleen Norrie (John Hurray), ie a story that excites the interest of the reader in the life of a bright girl reared in a rural district thirty milee from Xew York. She gets a glimpse of the fashionable circles of that city, and there, as the wife of an artist, spends cix interesting yeare among the art studente of Paris. Returning to America, she is at once plunged into the luxuries of social life among the wealthy people of Kew York, where her husband's youthful and beautiful stepmother causes an estrangement between them, and a resultant quarrel between father and eon, that leads to an unfounded charge of murder against the artist. During the anxieties of the trial the wife plays a ■worthy part, and through her instrumentality the mystery is cleared up.

An interesting literary association has been broken by the death at Cheltenham of Mrs. Edith Alice Maitland. As a child she was a great favourite of the Rev. C. L. Dodgson ("Lewis Carroll"), and, according to herself, the original "Alice of his most famous book. The daughter of Canon Litton, of Gloucester, she was herself The writer of many books, a eapialtle woman journalist and ariist.

Among the many interesting articles in '"Chambers" Journal" for May is one on "Th* Future of Fish and Fisheries."' The author says there is ground for belief that the reduced catches during the war hare operated like a four years' close season, and that fish around the British coast have enormously increased. The Government, in order to" revive the fishing industry, have made a smaL" grant or loan through the Fishermen's Society to enable individual fishermen off the Cornish coast to instal motors in their boats, so that they -may go and return with catches without waiting for wind or tide. The amount of cold storage is also to be considerably extended. ' - *

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE "WAR By F. MAYNARD BRIDGE, 8.A., H.F.W. Deane and Sons, 31, Museum Street, London. The author of this book has anticipated a want that is already heing widely felt by teachers and many other people who wish to obtain a clear and intelligent conception of the outstanding military and naval operations which resulted in the triumph of the Allied armies in the Great War. There are several long histories and numerous books dealing with separate phases of the war, but this is the first work we have seen .which, within the compass of 250 pages, gives a concise yet comprehensive account of the military and naval operations on all the various fronts. The book begins appropriately with a brief history of all the nations that took part in the war, and an account of the long preparation by German}-, under Prussian lead, to attain a world domination. The opening battles of the war, especially the British retreat from Mons, the decisive battle of the Marne, and the splendid defence of Ypres, are described with spirit. The campaign at Gallipoli provides the material for some interesting chapters. The reader obtains from the writer's coniJSensed descriptions a clear idea of the part which each of the many battles on the Western front played in the final repulse of the German thrust against Paris and the ultimate defeat of the enemy. In the battles extending from Ypres to La Bassee half a million Germans were held back by 120,000 British troops. The British casualties numbered 40,000. Of 12,000 men forming the Seventh Division only 2300 were left, and the officers wero reduced from 400 to 44. In the prolonged battle of Loos there were 4-3,000 British casualties. The British ca.mpaigns in Palestine, Mesopotamia, and East Africa receive a full place in the author's review. His summaries of the closing montlis of the war shew how utterly hopeless the German position had become under Foch's smashing blows. Between July 18 and the end of October the Germans had lost 362,000 prisoners, 6000 guns, 35..000 machine guns, and 4000 mine throwers. They had no option but to accept the severe armistice terms which were dictated by the Allied Command. Plans illustrate" the various military operations. UNDER COSSACK AND BOLSHEVIK. One of the most graphic pictures of. Russia "Under Cossack and Bolshevik" rule, is given by Miss Rhoda Powers, in a book bearing that title, and published by Methuen and Co. The author went to Rostov, in. the Don country, as a Governess in a wealthy family, shortly before the revolution. "Her picture of" the deplorable condition of affairs at that time excites our commiseration, and explains why the populace hailed with acclamation the deposition of the Czar. The masses were on the verge of starvation; soldiers were being sent to the Front inadequately prepared, their boots bad, stuffed with old sacking, and often with only one rifle between three men; the country was literally worn out. Then came the revolution, accompanied by strikes and the general disorganisation of labour. Discipline among the troops became relaxed, soldiers insulted their officers, and peace talk became general, especially among the peasants. Desertions from the army increased the conviction that though the Cossacks might struggle to the bitter end the ordinary Russian soldiers would gradually lose their faith and drift back to their quiet home life. They were tired of the war, | and asked what good it was doing them. jWhen it became certain that the old ' reginie had been destroyed the revolutionists released all the prisoners, including criminals who had been convicted of robbery and arson. Generally pillage inevitably followed, and feeling" a_aiiis't the bourgeoisie became rapidly intensified. The scarcity of food grew" by leaps and bounds: crowds stood for hours in front of the food depots, and many people died of starvation. Meanwhile, rich people suffered no kind of privation, and in many instances flaunted their wealth in the eyes of the poverty-stricken thousands. This prepared the way for the downfall of Kerensky's Government and the ascendancy of ihe Bolshevists. The quarrel between Kerensky and Korniloir precipitated a crisis. No one went to bed with a feeling of security. Society was terrorised by bands of marauders who formed themselves into organised leagues. There was a Union of ex-Criminals, the Society of the Red Hand, and the Committee of Adventurers and Apaches. The struggle between Cossacks, Cadets, and Bolsheviks which followed was attended with unspeakable atrocities. Throughout all this disorder a certain respect" was shewn towards any British residents, and the author was enabled, with other aliens, to effect her escape from the country. "White Savage Simon," by Beatrice Grimshaw, is an Islands story of a quite unusual type. The principal character has spent the 'whole of his youth as a captive of a Central Papuan tribe of cannibals. In his late teens an expedition secures his release and he is sent to the city and educated. He returns to the and falls in with Willis Rothery, poet. Then this strange pair stray from island to island, meeting all sorts of unusual adventure. The novel is one of the best 01 the recent additions to the popular shilling N.S.W. "Bookstall*' series of Australian novels. Mr. C. o. Dennis, author of "A Sentimental Bloke," and other poems of "firstrate quality, has directed attention to .he very one-sided character of the American copyright law. In a cable message c.ddressed to Mr. Hughes in London he states: "United States authors secure Australian copyright by merely selling a cony of American edition in London. To obtain United States copyright Australian authors must set up, print, and bind in United btates. Pray inform Imperial authorities your intention to introduce bill reciprocating United States manufacturing clause. No other course likely bring about settlement in our lifetime." Mr. Dennis, after alluding to the large number of American books now on sale in the Australasian markets, says: "*__e United States will never voluntarily remove this injustice, and negotiation would not bring about a settlement in the lifetime of any living Australian author. But. if the Commonwealth Parliament passed an Act restricting United States authors* copyright here in the way the United States restricts us there, a satisfactory settlement would probably be arrived at within twelve months." New Zealand may well follow the course indicated by Mr. Dennis. At present, while our copyright law protects American authors absolutely, the British author, no matter in what division of the Empire he resides, before lie can gain copyright in America', must not only have had his work set up. printed, and published in the United States, but this must be done within a time limit, which imposes an almost insuperable handicap on his original publishers. " " 1