“ROUND TABLE” REVIEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 12

“ROUND TABLE” REVIEWS

LORD MILNER The June number of this popular magazine opens with an obituary note about the late Lord Milner. It is pitched, of course, in the approved hey of “De Mortuis.” And for Gie same reason probably no one will arise ami. do battle with the presentment df the ideals, virtues, and powers of Lord Milner, -and his powers of inspiring enthusiasm m his subordinates. But fce pan scarcely expect *t this time .of day Unanimous agreement for all the points Of his fine panegyric. To realise how. tod why Lord Milner managed to be the most criticised, if not best abused, • man of his day one has only -to throw the mind back to the Boer War. Never:tb?le«, no one will grudge the men of Table, many of whom were with Lord Milner in many of bin works, the. consolation of writing praise ol weir old master whom they revered U a t contribution to the history of a man who endured much in his day. and did much that Was misunderstood. JNuj contribution will help to set Lord Milder .in.better perspective as a,great Imperialist, believing firmly, if not. fanatically, in the British Empire as the greatest power for righteousness in the world.' THE SECURITY PACT The next . article-—on the Security Pact. Cologne, and the League of Nations—is a masterpiece of contemporary information Buch as this magazine nas accustomed us to expect to see in ife thoughtful pages. The article sets the stage admirably—the rejection cf the Geneva Protocol, the new French headed of Painleve. Brianq and Oajlaitic; the reappearance • Pftmany to a positive force eignalISSrlt ® S,* rma 2. Foreign Office prof/onr Power Pact for the Ftarope, and the election of Hindenburg to the Presidency of a eo-republic-all these are put in Ife JWf positions of importance, that -these matters will have a' vast mfluenre op the immediate course of European potitice the writer has not much difficulty in praying. That they krinsc to the forefront the fnndamenfal problemof- to-day—the place Germany is- to AcCupy in the future ecOnomy pf Europe”—nobody will denv. The article seta the problem fully and tores good guidance for probable solution. AMERICAN POLITICS , The next article has only an academic interest outride of the United states, ft narrates' the quarrel between the SJenate and President Coolidge. explains how utterly the President was defeated and how, in spite of his resounding challenge and the furious support of his friends in the Press and on the platform, he took it lying down, ami Why. Having read we learn something more about American politics, but that something largely nartake* of the knowledge that American politic* am beyond the understanding of the outer world. SURVEY OF EUROPE * , T!, e ‘‘Letters from an Englishman Abroad.’ are as URuai well worth reading. Nobody nowadays is infallible, especialiv in matters of European postwar politics. But everybody ought to know ns much ni* ho rah abpnt-cur-vents of European thought. This is what the “Englishman Aboard” helps US to do. For example it is startling to itod' that-“fiver seventy per cent. ‘iniv€t“sity. ..professors, oerrljr ninety per cent, of the gymnasium teachers, and ip the north most of the primary echpol taachers are reactionary.” . Suggestive is the .information that n?( sorts "f schemes emanate from German brains for the solution of tbb problems of the day, among them one for tlie separation of the Rhineland ffom . Germpnv and its establishment es a hnffer stjito between and France. Then one reeds of' things approved because they strengthen --'i ■ '

South Germany, and because they weaken the Prussian influence. -Then one learns that among many Germans toe belief prevails that democracy nas discredited itself by the enormous coxinption it has let in. Moreover, many insist that democracy is ruined by the confusion of a Split into. 26 parties, and by toe “Proportional Representation which makee that confusion very much worse.” Then one learns that the “weakly war: children who seemed destined to short life and misery have grown up remarkably fine men and women.” The letter describing life at i? welcome by reason of the atmosphere produced by the league of Nations, We are made to realise the working of -the Leagne and the .strength ot feeling about its destinies. We see .that it has come to stay, that some day the League is going to be a great power. _ The chapter on Berlin and the Prussians is very suggestive; For Britain toe warning note' is the low Standard of living and wages. THE BUDGET AND INDUSTRIES - The articles oh. (he Dominions maintions and industrial matters generally hi worth reading- The outstanding fact is toe mcreaee of unemployment by heavy figures. That empnasiaes the statement of another of the writers that- toe appeal of Mr Btanley Baldwin for industrial harmony was a sentimental ' triumph, but Very barren of practical results. And it is interestmg to .rpad that the jbhilding contract recently secured by GertMmy showing a cheapening of Ts the cost of each individual ship.' Was probably due to a-deliberate making of loss in order to suggest the superiority of German facilities and equipments. In toe face of too many failures to explain this contract, this statement seems the best, it it is true, it throws valuable new light on the fiscal question as between Britain , and too rest of toe world which sets its faith on tariffs. - The articles on toe Dominions maintain their accuracy of statement, and toe informative value of this popular publication, IRELAND’S REVIVAL The article on Ireland is roassurfn® to an astonishing degree, in view ol tha pessimistic tone hitherto adopted by the “Round Table.’” The Budget is balanced, and the, talk of bankruptcy so alarming not long ago is. thus controverted. At the by-election involving seven seats the Republicans were defeated .by decisive majorities and. thru wesiave en explanation df the retirement of De Valera from active politics—a fact which strangely the article does not -mention, though it 'emnharises the tact that Republican agitation has disc open red. confidence being rmitored by stormege of pol'.tire!, agitation and the certain, securitv of _ life and prooertv; business is brisker and mocli on th» mend. A new tariff seems to give satisfaction. and there is a substantial reduction of tax•turn. The ho—d —r one-tion has los*itR .fde~*t f or }-ti, North and Sorth end religions strife ; s as-de-d cs Re. nnblioen agitation. In the North, the neneral ejection i--s ---cm substantial increase to il-c Vnii-'cp’ists. nm-'c--whom is Mr D—vltp. wfio b-s taken his seat iu the w-tr-.f* "T>g r li«ment. eu event celebrated hv n briquet in Dnh”n • ’’"'l emph— : r is l-id on the fac'. .bat North end f-ov'*' bsyc cc—-non iffoals in economics. From n-hich have •w'sen bc-.cs n f much better relations ho+Tvepn the two. On the whole the Irish exo^rv-cent. of self-o-vernc'o.-t is heiuw iustified. "Id as the -rite- Of tb" article .vers. we -re r-oliti— l ’- n „ u mr^r . k-o tb-t t’-e -Ifl interest in factionism o nil kinds has ei-eu w»v to scrions views or government end administration The f— t that th« n-ti-n.l indebtedness does ,-et —r-od half a -rear s rerenro is do- —iV-d as o oreat contrast to the hr-,l an that all other nations are carrying.