BOOKS AND BOOKMEN

Evening Star, Issue 23527, 16 March 1940, Page 4

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN

VERSES THE MAN WITH THE HOE (Written after seeing Millet’s worldfamous painting.) Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans . Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground, The emptiness of ages in his face. And on his back the burden of the world. Who made him dead to rapture and despair, A thing that grieves not and that never hopes, Stolid and stunned, a brother to the ox? Who loosened and let down this brutal jaw? Whose was the hand that slanted back this brow? Whose breath blew out the light within this brain?

Is this the Thing the Lord God made and gave To have dominion over sea and land; To trace the stars and search the heavens for power; To feel the passion of Eternity? Is this the dream Ho dreamed who , shaped the suns And marked their ways upon the ancient deep? Down all the caverns of Hell to their last gulf There is no shape more terrible than this— More tongued with censure of the world’s blind greed—■ More filled with signs and portents for the soul—• More packt with danger to the universe.

What gulfs between him and the seraphim ! Slave of the wheel of labor, what to

him Aro Plato and the swing of Pleiades? What the long reaches of the peaks of

song, The rift of dawn, the reddening of the.

rose ? Through this dread shape the suffering ages look; Time’s tragedy is in that aching stoop; Through this dread shape humanity betrayed, Plundered, profaned, and disinherited, Cries protest, to. the Judges of the World, . : ' ! A protest that is also prophecy.

O masters, lords and rulers in all lands, Is this the handiwork you give to God, This monstrous thing distorted and soul-quenched? How will you ever straighten up this shape; Touch it again with immortality; Give back the upward looking and the light; Rebuild in it the music and the dream; Make right the immemorial infamies, Perfidious wrongs, immedicable woes? O masters, lords and rulers in ail lands, How will the Future reckon with this

man ? How answer his brute question in that hour When whirlwinds of rebellion shako all shores P How will it be with kingdoms and with kings— * With those who shaped him to the thing_ he is— When this dumb terror shall rise to judge the world, After the silence of the centuries P —Edwin Markham. NEW BOOKS CENTENNIAL SURVEYS ‘ SETTLERS AND PIONEERS ' All lovers of New Zealand history will appreciate the worth of the New Zealand Centennial Surveys, a series of works being published by the Government with the object of presenting a comprehensive picture of the nation’s development. The writers selected to cover the field are ■ all recognised authorities and, authors of some note, they have the ability to present their material in a worth-while manner. One of the series is ‘ Settlers and Pioneers,’ by James Cowan, a noted Native historian. The book is not a history of events over the , years. Rather does the author endeavour to place before readers a clearer view of the more salient features of pioneering life. To this end he has admirably succeeded in that the book is not confined exclusively to early settlement life in any one particular district or province. The full history of pioneering endeavour will never be told, for the events surrounding tho early struggles of any one group or family of immigrants would fill any one volume, and over the years novels, with an authentic background will come from the presses. However, Mr Cowan, in his latest contribution to Dominion literature, has given a fairly accurate pen picture of an immigrant’s life in the colony in the early days. Life in_ the bush in the north, where men literally hewed out homes for themselves, to the wide tussock plains and hills of the south are admirably touched upon in a series of vivid sketches. The book is well illustrated. With the others comprising the full survey, it will find its way on to many private shelves.

A LITERARY CORNER

1 JAPAN 1 ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR AIMS One effect of the great war now raging is undoubtedly to focus attention on the great nations of the world. Consequently a book on Japan, written by an Englishman who lived there for many years, should be of more than ordinary interest at present, particularly as it was pointed out recently by someone that Japan was the nearest foreign Power to New Zealand, % fact not generally realised here. The author of this book is Leslie W. Johns, who lived in Japan for nearly 20 years, but who also lived in other parts of the world long enough, it is claimed, to be able to regard Japan with an unbiased eye. The Japanese are shown as they appear to the author, and one does not need to read many of his pages to realise that he is a champion of the people of that land and their aims. “ There can be no doubt,” he contends, “ that vast sections of the Oriental peoples are in favour of a new order in the Far East, an order led by Japan to a new power and glory. For' centuries the Far East has been overran with foreigners from Western nations who have exploited their countries without shame. Now these sections of the community look to Japan to lead them once again to the power that was theirs in the years gone by. China has a population of 450.000,000. India has another 340,000,000, Japan 100,000,000. Think of this mass of people, all under one guiding hand. When medicine and education are widely spread they will multiply until they cover the world. . . . Europe-has had her

day of power, she is now on the downward path.” The text of Mr Johns’s hook is that Japan must expand, and though one may not agree: with all his contentions, his arguments will be found decidedly interesting. Mr Johns says that China, weakened by civil war and maladministration, yet possessing huge, untapped resources, is the logical safety valve for Japan. While Britain and the United States _ strive to uphold the open-door policy in China, Japan aims at complete domination over the Far East. Of the conquest of Manchukuo he says the Japanese have poured money into the country, and money must still go to the experiment. He claims it is the greatest attempt in empire-building ever begun. "Instead of a systematic looting; of the country, , instead of hap-, hazard? growth, everything is fplannedi: is ■ and improve. Nothing da. left to'chance. Nothing must go wrong. - The best is not good enbugh, better must be oh-, tained.” The author also praises Japanese efforts in improving Korea and in the Pacific Islands which came as a mandate after the. Great War. He refers to these islands as “ the mesh of a sieve,” and says : “ Not enclosed by the meshes 1 of this sieve, but near enough to be reached without much difficulty, are the Philippine Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and the Dutch East Indies. The United States has left the Philippines, New' Zealand and Australia are empty of people, and the Dutch East Indies is lonely and unguarded. All these territories are rich, bursting with undeveloped natural wealth. Busy enough in her South Sea Empire,. Japan has yet enough time to glance occasionally at these choice morsels, lick her lips at the thought of their possibilities, and then look back to her work, while the owners of and the dwellers in these lands feel a slight shiver as they feel the breath of Japan so close beside them.” Again, the author says: “It is not my function to prophesy in this book what is likely to happen in these areas. But there are, certain natural laws of supply and demand that rank higher than man-made laws, that overrum man-made boundaries.” For the character of the Japanese the author has the highest 1 praise; he describes themS as being generally industrious, honest, brave, and polite. On the other band, in the course of interesting descriptions pf the country, its people, and their I customs, he points out that there are many social evils and weaknesses in\ town and country. “ Japan,” he says. “ has not yet growm up. She has caught up other nations in the race for economic advantage. She has caught up other countries in many ways, but in other matters she is still jears behind, and, although the Japanese recognise this fact, they will admit it neither in public nor to themselves.’.’ The publishers are Messrs Stanley Paul and Co. Ltd., London. ! DRAMA—BUGAMOATED Miss Joan Kennedy has added another to her very impressive list of romantic novels. ,■ ‘ Through Deep Waters ’ follows closely on the lines of many of her earlier hooks. It features a happy little family with whom Fate and a boorish villain, not to mention a designing minx, play all sorts of heart-rending tricks, But it all comes out happily in the end, and the little family is reunited in the little house in the little garden 'suburb, tp the music of the copper-beech rustling a benediction.” Messrs Robert Hale Ltd. are the publishers.

‘BALTIC ROUNBABBUT' ‘ Baltic Roundabout ’ is an enter-, taining book of travel that comes appropriately at this , moment. "■ The author is Bernard Newman. His mode of locomotion was a trusty_ bicycle, and this particular tour by him included' Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia,Latvia, Lithuania, Memel, the Polish! Corridor, and Germany. Mr Newman, is a born traveller, and the hardships inseparable from such a journey in the Baltic countries are subjects for humour rather than complaint, The author visited the cities of the _ countries through which he pedalled his way: H® describes their main features' most interestingly. hut it was in the countryside that he found most delight. Ho stayed in the homes of many of the peasantry and small farmers, and had no difficulty in making the most friendly contacts. It is a very lively narrative in which the best features 6f thes® northern lands are vividly described* His pen pictures of Finland are of particular interest. The life, manners, customs, and agricultural methods of the different peoples are described by him in vivid language. This, for instance, is what he says of the Setus folk; of Estonia; “ These Setus are illiterate people. They have no books*—their folk-lore has been passed on by mouth from generation to generation. Some people have better memories than others. These are the song-mothers* for most of them are women. One old lady could sing for you hundreds of folk-songs or tell you hundreds of ancient stories. ’ What is more, she will improvise songs for you at In the course of his comments on political trends the author remarks: “I am not in the least surprised that tha little Baltic States are stilj very nervous of Russia. Actually, Soviet behaviour, to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania has, in the main, been very correct for the last 20 years, but there are so many people still living who can remember the, horrors of 1918 and 1919 that it is not, surprising that suspicion lurks so strongly m the Baltic minds.’ ll In his comment about'Poland—befor® the invasion, of course—Mr Newman writes: “ I beg to conjecture the fat® of Poland.' That this virile country will survive I am confident, but unless the signs are grosslymisleading, Poland has in her turn to pass through' days of suffering and despair.. Yet the Poles are a resilient people. . For 150 years they were submerged under Germany, Russia, and Austria, bui they remained Poles. Hitler attaches no importance to history. Ivdo. „.By_ the time this book appearstl^lahdrmay be fighting for her life; Sli® ; will.- survive, for her spirit is indestructible.” Mr Newman’s bicycle ride'round the Baltic was 2.995 kilometres.. Travelling expenses amounted to two shillings for a broken carrier. His living expanses were well below the five shillings-a,day op which he had contracted to-do the journey. It was a.fine adventure,'graphically and amusingly told. The publishers of ‘Baltic -Roundabout’ are. Herbert Jetikins Limited. ■ x UNUSUAL NOVEL One of the, most refreshing books of recent publication is ‘ Man Alone,’ by John Mulgan, published by Selwyn and Blount, London. To the New Zealander it is of more than passing interest in that it deals with the postwar years in the Dominion, and tha life of an English soldier who arrives in this country to seek his fortune. The story possesses nothing in th® nature of “ frills.” It is coldly realistic, and presents a picture of a strata of life in this country of which too little is known. The depression years and the riots in Auckland are featured in the story,, not for their value as news, but as a background for the man who was involved in them, who_, sometimes hunted, through tribulation and poverty became somewhat-embittered* A novel from start to finish, the depiction of life in the farming districts hr the author bears too close, a relation to fact to be the product of imagination. Indubitably its basis is fact. It will be read with, more than passing interest by all those who have any desire to see themselves as others se® them. MODERN THRILLER Murder mysteries comprise , the greater bulk of light fiction finding its way on to the market at’the present time. Lacking the descriptive value of classic literature, they nevertheless find ready acceptance during moments of relaxation. One such is J Thy Guilt i» Great,* a Herbert Jenkins (London)j publication by C. I. D. Smith. Lik® all books of its type, it gets straight to the pointr—the murder—and its solving by keen .police officers. As usual, too, suspicion is. cast upon quite a number of people before the real culprit is discovered, so that the reader's interest is held, So skilfully has tha author devised his narrative that nowhere can he be charged with bad logia or undue reliance upon coincidence. While the author presents the clues to his reader, a highly perceptive mind is necessary to anticipate the correcl solution.