BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16606, 18 July 1914, Page 8

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

AVAR. AND GOLD. MR BRAILSFORD'S NEW BOOK. Many years ago Mr H. N. Brailsford, widely known to-day as a. writer in the cause of international peace, took up arms. He fought as a Greek soldier at the battle of Demokos, and after the firing had censed ho stumbled across the body of a Turkish peasant. He began to read a history of life and home and toil into the simple face of his enemy, and then recalled tlio abstractions that had swept the foreign legion into battle against "tho forcoa, of Oriental barbarism." The picture of tho young philosopher and a Turkish peasant trying to kill each other, ono in the name of Hellenic civilisation, tho other in the name of a venerable faith, in a cause, as it turned out, that' of the Greek dynasty, which was equally indifferent to both of them, would rerve as an ironic illustration of the futile and mocking realities that lurk behind almost all the wars of mankind.

Mr Brailsford has retold this story in his new volume, ■" The War of Steel and Gold" (Messrs G. Bell and Sons). His book raises a great many questions, and he has been praised highly by many writers in Great Britain." Mr Norman Angell has shown that from tho standpoint of a nation conquest is an illusion. The conquering nation is no richer for its acquisitions. Are, then, war our armaments merely the survivals of irrational prejudice and ignorant passion? No, replies Mr Brailsford. Tbero is plenty of gober sense behind them.. Only it is the cool, calculating sense of a small class of very powerful people. If armaments represented merely the belief of the several nations that'they stand to gain by war, they would convict those nations of lunacy. But they represent something else- They represent the iorces.that support tho ambitions of-private capitalists. The foreign policy that leads to bjoated armaments and revives the old trouble of tho balance of power is one aspect of tho general economic system. The pressure in old days was the desire of new markets for goods; tho pressure to-day IS £i do T s ! re .°f new markets 'for capital. It ,s m that difference that Mr Bradford fi„d s the clue- to the change in the foreign policy of the country " A >™ di »S comm Un it v ; like early Victorian England, which can still profitably employ all its oapitaa] in its mills and shops, becomes indifferent to the-, acquisition of territory, and even tends to regard the colonies previously acquired as a'useless encumbrance, writes Mr Brailsford. "That was the normal state of mind of our commercial classes during the middle years of last century. They dealt in gpods, and in order to sell goods abroad it was not necessarv either to colonise or to conquer. To" this plnso belongs the typical foreign policy of Liberalism, with its watchwords of peace, non - intervention and free trade. The third phase, the modem phase, begins when capital lias accumulated in largo fortune)?, when the rate of interest at Home begins to fall, and the discovery is made that investment abroad in unsettled countries with populations more easily exploited than our own offer swifter and bigger returns- It is the epoch of concession punting, of coolie labour, j of chartered companies, of railway I construction, of loans to semi-civilised Powers, of tho ' opening up' of ' dying Empires.' At this phase the export of capital has becomo to the ruling class more important and more attractive than tho export of goods. The Manchester school disappears, and even, the Liberals accept Imperialism. . .... The. old Imperialism levied tribute.;, the ..new Imperialism lends money 'at interest." "Mr Brailsford's book," writes Mr J. L. Hammond in the London "Daily Chronicle," " is largely an exposition of foreign policy and the armaments policy in the light of this economic motive. Why do we build great fleets and raise, great armies? Not for war, but for. the power to back our capitalists against tho capitalists of other nations when there is some now country to bo exploited. Why are we officially indifferent to the condition of the people of Persia, or positively unfriendly to tin? signs of recovery and animation?' Because our one interest in.Persia,is the interest of concessionaires.' What is the Balance of Power? It is the nice equilibrium of diplomatic forces whereby the capitalists of one Power may reasonably expect to get compensation in one country when those of. another Power secure a loan in another. . . . Mr Brailsford works out tho operations of this principle in Egypt, and he discusses' and describes its influence on the foreign policy of the last few years with a great wealth of illustration and detail- No serious student of politics can neglect so powerful an exposition of this now force, its weapons, its methods, its. ramifications, its terrible exploiting of the working classes of Europe and of defenceless peoples everywhere. ''How can democracies protect themselves from this power? Tho difficulties are .fcremendous, for this particular .economic interest possesses money, organisation, power over the Press, command of the nvenues to influence and authority. But Mr Brailsford has some remedies, and he sees some grounds of hope. " Tbero are economic interests that provide a pressure on. the side of reform, for example, the abolition . of ' capture at sea, which would help to reduce the arguments for srreat armaments, is clearly to the advantage of commerce. " There is the leaven of Socialism in conscript armies. Mr Brailsford argues that when one soldier out ot three is against, a war. the war will not be conducted with tho spirit and endur-

mice that characterise a really national struggle. _ The most striking illustration he cites is.the case of the second Balkan war; the war was not popular, and tho Bulgarian army lost 80,000 men by desertion. . "The Houso of Commons might be put in a position to control the Foreign who is now much more of an autocrat than the Foreign Minister of ninny less liberal nations. '•'The nationalisation of tho industry of making war materials would remove a. great element, of danger and improper influence. " Mr Brailsford's own chief contribution is tho proposal to keep a register of all the capital owned abroad by British subjects, whether in the form of. loans, concessions, mines, railways, factories or share investments, and to distinguish between reputable and disreputable enterprises. Enterprises that did not conform to certain conditions would not bo recognised and would find the door of our legations closed to it. Thus we should introduce some public system of control over foroign investments, and, instead of lending our Navy and l'oreign Office to any usurer or sweater strong enough under present conditions to demand this support, we should give our backing only on understood principles. This interesting proposal involves, of course, the abolition of the evil system of secrecy that envelops so much of our foreign "policy and administration."

OTHER BOOKSPeter Gaunt, young, adventurous and heir to a great name, is robbed of a precious heirloom, that has been regarded for centuries as the talisman of his house. He has reason to believe that the robber is his cousin, tho head of a rival branch of the house, and investigation shows that his suspicion is well founded. But tho six rubies that form the talisman have been scattered far and wide with the object of making their recovery impossible, and Peter, who believes that the honour of tho Gaunt-s is involved in his success, has to face many dangers and solve many problems before he holds again in his hands tho last of the red stones. This in outline is the story told by Justus Miles Forman in " The Six Rubies" (Messrs Ward, Locke and Co. Christchurch, Messrs Simpson and Williams). Tho detai's of the plot are developed skilfully, and the author has created some exciting and surprising situations.

Most people have heard, if they have not remembered, a song entitled "Two Eyes of Grey." Tho author, Miss Daisy M'Geoch, has used tho same title for a novel from her pen. published through . Messrs' Cassell and Co. (Christchurch, Messrs Whitcombe and Tomb?'). The ability to write a popular song is not necessarily a qualification for entrance into the world of literary authorship, but this novel, probably a first one, is likely to please readers who like a strong mixture of sentiment and melodrama. The opening scenes aro laid in South Africa, where two beautiful sisters,' one very good and the other very bad, are struggling for possession of a travelling Englishman. The bad sister is a really discreditable member of her sex, and before just retribution overtakes her she has several lovers, complicated marital relations and geuernllv disordered her own life and other people's lives in an unpleasant way. The' tale has few features of originality, but it is vigorously told.

Few men knew tho Pacific as thoroughly as Louis Becke, and it was his intimate knowledge of his subject that made him ouo of the most popular writers about the South Seas. In " The Adventures of Louis Blake" (N.S.W. Bookstall Company), tho author has told some.part of the story of his own adveiaturous life, mingled with other excellent stories. It is not difficult to distinguish the purely autobiographical portions of the book. Becke gives a. straightforward account of his early days in Sydney; ho explains how his inability to learn singing and music brought upon him the cruel punishment vof a brutal teacher which resulted in the deafness and the distressing stutter ho retained to his death. At the age of eighteen he went to San Francisco, and from there he began his adventurous career in the South Seas. Some of the most interesting chapters in the book are those in 'which Becke recalls his meetings with "Bully" Hayes! popularly known as tho "Pirate of the Pacific." but his other adventures are no less interesting or exciting. As a novel. " The Adventures of Louis Blake " provides excellent reading, and the fact that many of the inc'dents are actual experiences in the life of the lute author gives the book an added value!

THE MAGAZINES. Several new features distinguish the July "Windsor Magazine" as the first number of a new volume. A new series of romantic stories from diplomatic life, for instance, is begun by that popular novelist, Justus Miles Forman. Two entertaining 'pieces of comedy, in the form of short stories, are contributed by W. L. George and Albert Kinross, and a lnrge instalment of Sir H. Rider Haggard's romance from the earlier career of Allan Quartermain, " The Holy Flower," carries that strenuous drama of African adventure to a further point of interest. Dornford Yates and Edgar Wallace contribute complete stories, and there is a. further episode in " The White Horses," Halliwell Sutcliffe's picturesque romance from English history. A new series of articles is inaugurated with an account of University College, London, which is to be followed byother articles on King's College, the later developments now incorporated as Loudon University, and the principal University institutions of the . great provincial centres. Charles G. D. Roberts is represented by a new study of wild life as sympathetic as any of its predecessors, and there are some other attractive features.

The chief feature of the "Review, of Roviews " this month is an analysis of Sir lan Hamilton's report on the Australian military forces. The editor outlines tho compulsory method of defence adopted in South Africa, and shows how it can ho kept within reasonable bounds so far as cost is concerned. Dr Archibald T. Strong writes appreciatively upon Mr Gregan M'Mahon and bis work for the Repertory Theatre in Victoria. A useful article by Mrs Christine Frederick tells how system can be applied to household work. Mr Frind, who recently made some remarkable ascents in the Southern Alps, has allowed several of his wonderful alpine photographs to.be.printed in the magazine.