BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 275, 14 August 1920, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

A Book of Australian Art.

One of tho most important and generally attractive volumes of tho now wellknown "Art in Australia" series is that just published, under tho title,- "Socioty of Artists' Pictures" (Angus and Robert- • son, per Whitcombe and Tombs). It is tf. special number, dealing with the history of the. Society of Artists of Australia, tho illustrations being representative :of the most notable exhibits at thn society's show, in-1919. Mr. Julian Ashton, who -has done so much as an artist and as a teacher to foster a love for the best in art in Australia, contributes an interesting historical sketch, of tho, Kocioty which was founded in 1883 as ..the outcome of a feeling on the nart of certain professional artists that the oldestablished Art Society was unduly-con-siderate of the j tastes and privileges of tho lav; subscribers, and was out of'touch with, tlic mpdern art movement. In tho oonr.se of his article Mr. Ashton gives much interesting information as to' the work of many prominent Australian nrtiets, such as Arthur. Shwtoii-. Sid Long,.Laml>3rt, Fullwood, Hilder, Elliott .-Gruner (a. New 7ealandev by birth), tho Lvndsnv's, and others. I notice, by tho ■ way, that he refers to Mr. Farley Griffiths, now resident in Wellington, and represented in tho Permanent Collection here by a fine figure study, purchased last year, as a "most promising recruit" whose work -possesses "n curious andrnro quality of distinction." The illustrations include a Infeo number of beautiful colour plates, with others in back and white. Tho colour plates, all separatcJv mounted, represent work by Hans Heysen, who : is so specially gifted as a painter nf the Australian 1-iiish; J. Muir Auld.-Albert Collins. ..Elliott Grimer, whose "Spring Frosts" is the special ecra of a-very beautiful book; Norman- Carter, Florence l?odway. ,T. P. EltWhaw. Percy Leason, Norman and Lionel Lindsay, ond. others. , Some of. the sanm artiste bto represented in the monochrome and.black nndwhito section, whiclv by the way, contains ,'reorodnctions of several admirable etchings. Speaking generally theso Australian artists favour fignre studies' much more than do most New Zealand artists. The ■ reason for this Is no doubt to bo found in the fact that models are moro easily procured in Nydney and Melbourne than in the art centres of the Dominion: In thn landscape work, outside Heysen and Grnner,. the Now Zealandors- need not fear tho test of comparison with their Australian comrades -in art. but in figure '*"'"* the superiority-.unquestionably lies with the Australians. Norman Lindsay in his own line, is;almost unapproachable, but it is a great pity that lie is so dominated by sex. .The figure studies by Normnn Carter. Miss Cumbrne Stewart, aad R IT.-; Minns are snecially charming.' and therf Is a delightful studv of children by Percy Leason.. Reproductions of pottery, art jewellery,- and' needlework aro also included in a volume ■ which every lover of art who sees it will desiro to possess. _ In years, to come these publications will'greatly increase in.value, as they are vmblished in limited editions. Already the earlier, issues aro unobtainable, save at a premium. (Prica Hs.). .

"Nationality and Its Problems."

The object of Mr. Sydney Herbert (a lecturer at tjia University College of. Wales) in writinc his book. "Nationality and Its Problems" (Mc'thuen and Co.), has been to examine the origin and exact nature of the principle of nationality, to analyse its influences as .force, and,.to disedss its ■probable future in the light of modern eociiil developments. , Mr. Herbert sets forth what, have been the main-forces' which have contributed to the making Of nations, and investigate,? the inti.ttiate connection between nationality and politics, with special reference to European, conditions during the middle and later'.periods, of the last century,' and. closes bv an examination of the effects upon, nationalism of the present-day industrial movement. In his 'final- chapter the author warmly defends nationality acainst "tho cosmopolitan revolution." ■,-.•■.'

Whatever may bo the other faults of that movement, whatever miiy be itii virtues, and justifications, its attempt to destroy and undermine nationality is an extraordinary and illogical folly. A social creed which-has solidarity as 'its aim begins by attacking one of the few forces in the modern world which makes for solidarity. The error is gross and palpable and could only be made by men whose zeal has blinded their vision so that they mistake effects for causes. It Is not.nationality which makes wars, but Its perversion—a perversion due, as wo have eeen, to a, radically fftl6e social philosophy. To exaggerate the evils'of society is no way to mend it. 'Because men are economically uprooted, fo uproot them spiritually is to destroy-not bourgeois prcjudices-but the possibility of Bocial life of any sort. Thiji revolutionary cosmopolitanism starts from an unsound basis. It makes the error, an error whlcli Mazzini unsparingly and rightly denounced, of attempting to unite men on a purely economic around, and fails to realise that the satisfaction of merely material needs can never bn a astmg social bond. Tho need once satisfied, the link is broken, and nothing Is left but a fortuitous concourse of human f:°"!?•» iA he ? ere c °nflict o! private in■terert. it has been said,' "will never proik S well-ordered commonwealth of labour. Th« wiping men's minds clear of anything but economic wants will never produce a commonwealth of any kind. But Mr. Herbert wisely distinguishes between a . well-ordered nationalism which can perform a spiritual function and! a merely political nationalism which, as he says, "aims at tho creation ot a multitude of uui-national States." and which-is "concerned with keeping men apart .rather than bringing then, together. fta world needs not ; more tfmff walla and fortress barriers, but fewer. His conception of the Great Society of .the future is a truly noble one, 6et forth with much earnestness and true cloauence. Mr. Herbert htw written a very thoughtful - and useful little book on a very big subject. (N.Z m'icv Cs. 6d.). ■

'"Altitude and Health." tfnder the title "Attitude and Health" (Constable and Co., per Australasian Publismng Coy. and Whitcombe andTombs) have been republished three leotures originally delivered in London in the year 1911 by Professor Hoget, of the University of Geneva, under the' auspices of the Chadwick Trust, established in memory and honour of the late Sir Ed":in Chadwick, ,v prominent- Victorian sanitary reformer. In'his preface to Professor lioget's lectures, Sir William ,J. Collins, K.C.V.0., M.D., Chairman of the Chadwick Trust,. emphasises the po.«nc/ of environment. Ho .points -out that hardly any bounds can bo set to the beneficent and maleficent possibilities of aviation, the jm-.jiressive development of which serves to give addi- ' i? 1 !?"- s . h ' KS nll( l import to tho study ot the influence of altitude and its accompaniments • upon the human .organisation Aviation, says Sir Edwin,- has Intensified the quest for information , upon tho temporary and permanent results in so complex an organism as the human body of varying atmospheric pressure, with its concomitant phenomena. Roget has addressed himself to a consideration of the relative potency of reduced pressure, rarefied air (with its lessor content of oxygen), moisture and insolation in the effects of altitudo on tine human organism in health and disease. Ihe lectures deal at some length and m great detail with valuable scientihc and medical data gathered in the Alpine region of Central Europe, information gained by trained observers in other_ parte of tho world being also suramansed and studied. In the final section of a book which makes special appeal to students of clitriatoloßv and must be regained as a valuable contribution to the literature of modern hygieno generally, reference is made to the importance of sunshine and sun heat, the curative valuo of sunlight, the most teristic fealtnro of altitude, being vz L ,..<.., cd and insisted upon.

"The World's Meat ruturo,"

Mr. A. W. Pearse's exhaustive study of the live stock position and meaf prospects ot the leading stock-rearing countries of the world, which.was first pubm i,. ] & yelll ' mdav tllß t'tle "The Worlds Meat Future." has reached a second edition, published by Messrs. Unstable and Co. (Australasian .Publishing Company . and Whitcombe and lombs). Mr. Pearso's work was reviewed at some length in these columns upon its first appearance. Its author was well qualified to deal with the subject of the meat trade. As editor and proprietor ofthe well-known publication, "The Pastoralists Review," he has for many years, made a special study of meat production generally, and the freezing industry tn particular. His book contains detailed accounts of the meat export trade ns ,' s , r carrie d on not only in Australia and New Zealand, but in the Argentino,Brazil—which ho considers has a great future as a field for pastoral enterprise -Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Patagonia, ns well ns the United States. Canada, and South Africa. Tho work contains a vast amount of carefully compiled statistical information, not 'the least interesting of its many excellent feature* being the numerous and well-chosen illustrations, representing the varioiu breeds of cattle and sheep favoured by leading pastoralists in the countries referred to. The appendices include lists of meat canning and preserving works in the various Australian States and in New Zealand, together with the leading refrigerating works in these countries, with their approximate daily receiving and storage capacity.

Essays by Prentice Mulford. Prentico Mulford was a well-known American writer, _ who was one of the pioneers of what is now known as "The New Thought" teaching. Under tin' title "Spiritual Gifts and Other Essays" (George Bell and Sons), havo now- been reprinted, in a tastefully produced little volume, a number of brief essays which are representative of Mulford's teachings. According to ono of his disciples and admirers, Eliza Orchard Connor, who contributes a prefatory explanation and appreciation of Mulford's work, he seemed to absorb from ancient.phil&so phy, from Christianity, Buddhism, and Spiritualism what suited him and to rojeet tho rest. That is what everybody ought to do in the world of thought anH belief, suits Jill caso and take nothing because ho is told to, but Prentico Mulford incorporated this independence of. thought in his life as few havo the courage to do. Although in these "New Thought" essays it may seem to some readers, as it certainly does to the present writer, that tho thoughts and arguments put forward aro often devoid of either any special I depth or novelty, thero is no gainsaying the fact that they do inculcate much higher and healthier principles of social morality than too frequently hold sway nowadays. , The concluding essay, "The' Power of Honesty," though written thirty or forty years' ago, might well he studied as a homily and wise reproof of present-day selfishness and greed. (N.Z. price, 2s. 6d.)