NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14225, 23 November 1909, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

TRAVELLERS' ; LIBRARIES. One of the most •; interesting things . in ; Mr. Roosevelt's account 'of his travels, now appearing in Scanner's Magazine, is a list of the books which he took with him. The list represents, we are told, in part the taste of his ' son Kermit, ; but in chief, we imagine, that of Mr. Roosevelt himself. It is noticeable that even on a hunting expedition he carries history and politics with him—the "Federalist," for instance, Gregorovius, Carlyle's "Friedrich," and Mahan's "Influence of Sea Power." There is a sprinkling of ; 'fiction but the greater part of the list is made up of the- poets and ■ essayists," 'Among the ancient classics, Mr. Roosevelt takes Homer and two plays of Euripides (the latter in Professor Murray's admirable translation). "Euripides the human" * figured, if we remember aright, in the camp library of another African traveller, Sir Harry Johnston. On the whole, Mr. Roosevelt's taster in books must he

\ •-. •'. ■ ■■■ : ;. •■..,".'", ■•"■• ; ; .;. :'■/: "1 pronounced both catholic and sound. The real test in these cases; however, is not what a traveller starts with, but what he \ sticks to. .Stanley told how, as he travelled further and further from his base, he had to throw away volume after volume, until. at the end he was left alone with the' Bible, Shakospere, and Carlyle, We do not know whether Mr. Roosevelt, also will have had ;to lighten his load. ; i If, so,,he must tell us hereafter which of his books were thrown to the lions. Stanley used to say of the volumes left behind on his line of march, that a century or two hence African antiquaries would ' wonder, how English classics came to be preserved, "among the lubari ■of ' Gambaragara. "Mr. Roosevelt, with a patriotic desire to spread the ■ fame of America, will perhaps select the "Federalist" for ; his first ; sacrifice. " ' •"".-■'

- THE GERMAN NAVY. i ■ The London Spectator points out'that it has. been reproached for saying that German ships - are built to fight - British ships, as though it had said something quite indelicate :—" Yet Germany , intends them, of course, for that purpose. We do not mean for a moment; and have never , asserted, that . ■ Germany conteni' plates an;, unprovoked attack \upon us. Yet, if her navy is increased to such: a strength that it passes that of all ; ; other navies except ours;: it is plainly meant to engage ours if necessary. To suppose otherwise is to suppose that; the German navy\ is composed, not of' fighting ; ships', but of ; floating ; museums (or '; excursion steamers, and ; we 'do not' imagine ; that Germans would think ;we , were paying them a ' compliment if we supposed that. But what would lead to the employment of the German navy against the British navy? It is not even necessary to assume ; a war. Suppose : a dispute arose between Britain and Germany in which our. conscience allowed of no concession a dispute about what seemed to us a matter of ordinary justice and right dealing and Germany threatened us j with the ultima ratio, we should have lost all our power for good if we had already,thrown away our power for negotiating— is the navy. " If the German navy, becomes even equal to' ours 'on paper,' our command of the sea will -be gone. In ; the exchange of every diplomatic Note the German navy would be potentiallyyfighting ' ours." • It ;is ..■ folly, ; the ' Spectator adds, to . delude ourselves into thinking that the ; German navy would be used differently.'