BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

The Method in the Madness* It must bo credited to Mr. Edwyn Bevan, the author of "The Method in the Madness (London, Edward Arnold), that ho has written what is by far the most enlightening book on Germany's ivar policy and methods, and on the very divergent views of leading German publicists on after-war questions, that has been published this year. 'Mr. Bevan is a well-known scholar, whose "House of Seleuccus" proved his capacity for dealin" with historical questions. He has endeavoured to bo perfectly fair to Germany, and his book is laudably free from sensation-mongering or vulgar rant. At the sarao time, as he himself is careful to inform ns in his preface, lie i-; not I that particularly unlovely kind of person—the detached, intellectual observer, who thinks himself a superior being because the which run through his people leave him cold." In other words, lie is not of tlia.t curious fraternity of which Lowes, Dickenson, Uobhouse, Trevelyan, and other "detached" observers are sach' choice specimens. lie makes out a damning ease against Germany, and he proves it 6tep by step, up to the lult, by references which show a most industrious and comprehensive study of documents in the shapo of extracts from the speeches and writings of leading Germans. One of the most valuably instructive of his chapters is that in which ho analyses the German war aims, or, rather, the aims which are put forward, often in fiercely-expressed competition and rivalry, by the various German parties. His remarks on the 'freedom of the seas" claim are very much to the point. Germany'does not want any international agreements as to seasupremacy" It is," says Mr. Bevan, "more muddled thinking' not to see that the only real 'freedom of the seas'

is equivalent to Germany's sea power in solid, actual fact, and that Germany's sea-power means the retention of Belgium and the North Sea ports." On this point lie adduces several instructive statements made by Von Tirpitz, Von Eoventlow, and other prominent members of the pan-German party. As to the ambitions of the German Colonial Party, of which Dr. Solf "ami Messrs.' Dernburg and Ballin are leading representatives, Mr. Bevan .thinks the majority-of Germans aro now just'ii little cold on tho subject of "German Colonial Empire." He says, however:

IE in Germany the passion for colonies shows signs of waning, wc have in England a group who are doing their best to keep it alive in the ficrmaii breast H.v continual asseverations that Germany could not, but find a permanent grievance if it aid not get back its colonics at. tho end of tho war.

It is plnin that Mr. Bevan regards with great distrust any peace scheme which would give back. Germany her African colonies. He seems to think that Iho Germans have given up all hoj/e of regaining hoi; lost possessions in tho Pacific—l would I could share this opinion! —but that they will figh,t hard for their African colonies. What will that mean to us in tho future? Mr. Bevan writes: If Germany gets once more any colonics in Africa, the intention is not to Icavo them as "defenceless" as they were at tho outbreak of the war. They arc to ho Jicld by much more considerable forces— Europeans and black troops trained arid officered by CcrmaDS—and crammed with, munitions. Then, even if communications with Germany «ro again broken, the colonies will be ablo to conduct tlieir own defenco for longer than any Kuroncan war could last. Even in theji- comparatively "dct'encclcss" condition they have coat the British, the Boers, and the French a lair amount of blood and trouble to conquer, but as they would be equipped in the future it ivould be a very-different proposition. A German African Empire, armed to tho teeth—as conifortahle an element in the Africa- of the future as Germany ! itself has been in Europe!

In the chapter headed "The Fronde Against the Chancellor," (hero is a searching analysis of the various factors which iikcile tar Von Hollweg's downfall. Mr. Bevan dismisses as a. grave error what has been u popular idea in certain British and American circles, that the exChancellor "stood for i moderation and moral principle against tin- German Jingoist." As to the exact aims of the German Government they are, thinks Mr. Bovan, in a constant .state of change. He says:—

Tho German Government is waiting upon events. It is prepared to net out of the war as much as ever it can. But H-s fuller knowledge of the military and international situation causes it to realise, as the jingoes do not, how restricted the possibilities may be. : If cjrcumslanceß turned out such .as to allow it to annex or to exact indemnities there irj little doubt that it would come into line Willi the jingoes in this matter as it did in that of submarine warfare. If. on the other hand, it becomes obvious that annexation and indemnities arc impossible, it will make it appear that nil along it had agreed with Bcheldemann, and till decisive events take place in the military held it continues to safeguard its future liberty of action by a Delphic ambiguity.

Since Mr. Bevan wrote the above lines, Dr. Michnelis has replaced Von Hollwejj, and for the present at least the Government appears to be under Fan-German influence, and more reactionary than ever. But it is always possible (hat all the recent "swank" about a no-,compro-mise policy is only, intended to the German public that all is well with the German cause. This is, however, a delusion which Haig is rapidly shattering so far as; the' Western front is concerned. Lack of space prevents my giving even a brief summary of the chapter hii,ded "Concerning Lies." It makes very curious reading. Referring to the atrocities, committed by the German Army,

They seem (says Mr. Bevan) to have, been committed by plan wkhij certain definite areas at certain definite time*. In other areas, and at other times, tho conduct of the troops conformed" with the civilised rules of war. It js this regulated inhumanity which gives the atrocities their special quality of horror. We eee not .hordes of primitive barbarians tumbling into the country and' giving disorder'..* rein, wherever they come, to their hotblooded propensities, but creatures with high organisation who deliberately repudiate, when v it suits their policy, scruples and ambitions which are an essential part of humanity—not Huns, but Martians!

I Mr. Berlin observes that ifc is a pity Hint we should call the Germans "Funs,"' because, he says, "the crimes a'leged against tho, Germans would have .been i fat Its*'horrible if they'had been committed by Huns." The whole book makes .fascinating reading. Tt is a great pity that no index has been provided, for there is much in tho book of great value for reference purposes. This is particularly the case with the chapter heeded "The Competing Views in Germany.'' No student of tlie war should be without a copy of Mr. Bevan's admirable book. (•s.'/i. price, Os.) 'A Famous Churchman. In August, 1915, there died au Anglican clergyman who, in his day, had exercised a proiomid iiiliuencc as a Christian priest and Christian philosopher. This was the licv. Dr. John Richardson Illingworth. rector of Longworth, a quiet little village in Berkshire. In "The Life and Work of John Richardson Jllingwoith, li.A., D.D.," as portrayed by his letters .uid illustrated by photographs (John j Murray), an exhaustive and interesting I record uf Illiiigworth's career as n j churchman and as a writer on theological i subjects has now been provided by his i wife. Born in tho forties, and educated ; at St. Paul's School, ho became a scholar i of Corpus vChristi, Oxford, in 18(17. In ; 1872 he was elected a Follow of Jesus ! College, mid from 5872 to 188',! lie was ! Tutor of Keble, being ordained deacon ! in 1875. In 1883 he became rector of j l.ongworth. the living being in tho gift ; of Jesus College. ]t was oniy when relieved of (he strain of his work at JCcble (.hat he began to put out tho full fruits of his theological studies. He was a conIributor to that famous collection of c.-i.-ay/, "Lux Mundi," which created euch a sensation when it appeared in 188!), bis livo contributions being "Tho rroblom of , l.'uiu, its Bearing on Faith in God," and

i he Incarnation in Relation to Development." Amongst the members of what was affectionately called "The Holy Party," which was responsible for "Lux Mundi," were the present Bishop of Oxford, who contributes a prefatory note lo -Mrs. Illingworth's book, the Rev. At. (now Canon) Henry Scott Holland, Arthur Lyttelton, Francis Paget (afterwards Bishop of Oxford), K. C. Moberley, and Edward S. Talbot, all intimately connected with the High Church movement. Until 1915, when Illingworth's fatal illness sent them lo the Bishop's houso at Cuddesdon, conferences ot tlie party wore regularly held each year at Long-worth. It was when Illingworth's first Bampton Lecture, "Personality, Human and Divine," was published that the influence of his views became widespread. Other equally famous lectures followed: "Divine .Immanence" (189S), "Reason and Revelation" (1902), '•Christian Character" (1801), "The Doctrine of tho Trinity" (1907), and "Divino Transactions" (1911), and his latest theological,work, "The Gospel Miracles," being written in tho year of his death. His books have had an enormous sale, and have been widely quoted by philosophical writers. They won for their'author a wide circle of admirers in the United States. Two of them have been translated r| into Japanese, and one into Chinese. The war greatly depressed him, but lie never despaired of the ultimate triumph nf goodness over evil. Writing to a lady friend in January, 11)15, he says:

... I try to impress on people what all our greatest religious teachers aro saying with one voice thatr-wliatcrer may be our personal and national sins-we are in this war for Christianity against heathenism, for the recognition of mercy and love and gentleness as the principles which ought to govern tho world—as against the hideous doctrine that might is right—with all the wickedness that involves, in tho way of lying as a means to increasing might,, and terrorising -the defenceless. But if we arc to look at our own causo in this way it becomes a very hig.-i ai<d sacred one, and for that reason all the suffering that it involves, whether of death or wounds at tho front, or anxiety and bereavement at home, become part of that, sacred kind of sorrow which is tho causo of all the greatest good in the world —the sorrow of self-sacrifice for the sake of others •'filling up what is behind" "for Hiß body's sake which is the Olrurch." I think one must look at it in this high way —and that helps us to pray over it all. . . .

Mrs. Illingworth gives a full account of lier.husband's Oxford career, and of his quiet life at Longworth, where bo was an earnest and industrious parish worker, but whore, fortunately for the world, he had ample leisure for his literary work. His letters, many of which aro quoted in full, reveal 'a very charming personality', as well as affording evidence of the intense spirituality of the man. He was beloved by all who know hin;, and amongst his infimalo friends were men of Hie highest eminence in the Anglican Churph. ' The volunio is illustrated wiih a large number of photographs, portraits, and view*. (N.Z. price, 12s. 6d.)