LITERATURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20786, 3 August 1929, Page 4

LITERATURE.

THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY. A GERMAN PEN-PICTURE. ’ If Portrait bf the Labour , Tarty.” By Egon Wertheimer, London correspondent of Vorwarts and the SozlaWemokratlscher Pres* •edlensCV Translated from the German. London; and NewAfork; G. P. Putnam’s bona, j (Cloth, Ss-net;)--, Dr Wertheimer is a man of varied parts. During the War-he was an officer in the German Air Fof(>e,.and later, with Ernst Toller, toot -part -in- the Bavarian_ Revolution. He became secretary to ihe first Republican Chancellor of the Exchequer in Bavaria. ' For the past five years he has acted as London correspondent of the German Socialist daily, Yorwarts, and the entire German Labour press. This book reveals him as a man of keen, perceptions, fully versed in Labour and Socialist theory and history, with a., gift-of clear reasoning and the possession of a facile pen. . , The chief value possessed by Dr Wertheimer shook lies in its, comparisons between British and Continental parties and methods. It deals in a. scientific-spirit With the varying schools -of thought At, the present time such a study is opportqna, and the author’s manner, of treat--ment gives it a distinct value. It‘does not. prated to be-anything hut a portrait likeness ‘ acce l )t H as a good. The bißstanding impression left on the reader'of these pages, is the essential difference between the British and '■ Continental view of Labour and Socialism. Fundamentally,' of codrse, it is the differenea of temperament and of nationality, bnt so many British Socialists have affeoted to accept Karl Marx, as the„godfather of their faith that one'might be upagimng the relationship The'P r, Wertheimer finds It. .. ® truth is that the reading of Marx S-™<r •$' % and the undertfending of him a gift denied to the many. Sn of thi 4 Dr . Wertheimer’s interpret- « potot ’ b "‘ be 5„H 8 im l? ress ion of an English w ; orkStari fl r” ,n '’ rt*? mbled the German little—indeed, not at an. Ine.crowd seemed “ freer fnniw this °rn,what differentiated’ humour® H ' ! tS daivc hilarity, its good humour, its enjoyment of a general lark -these were not the stiff English of our’ How £iSf in com-K-OThr meeting s' gSr'gt*; 5» course inere was a parson with his tWf"' -° ? r ~ an " sight » t O , «Peakefs at a thW-S 4 ' ty v.meetang,- “Suddenly there was a movement in the crowd and a young man, with the face of thbrufing class ia Great Britain; but the gait of a Fairbanks, thrust himself fortb .r° n g to the platform, costly f urs. Ihere stood Oswald Mosley, whose later ascent was to be one of the strangest phenomena of - the working class-move-the, world,-a new recruit to the cocia(ist movement at his first London meeting. Unthinkable that, in Germany, a plan of barely 28 years, a recruit, a typical. aristocrat, a' renegade, should - havp ; been sb_ greeted by an ‘assembly of ’workers, or should have let himself.he so greeted.” Of; his speech / the doctor adds: —“ No speaker at a work-ing-class meeting in Germany would have dared to have worked so unrestrainedly on. the. feelings-without running the risk of losing; for cyer his standing in the party movement;’”’ The explanation given is , that in England there 'are “ temperaments, passions—ifi; fact, individuals, all with thqm own particular style, hot, as S. ■ .°” e ra ’ditibhal party style, which the officials of the party, under penalty of the loss of their authority, dare not depart from,” And then, in response to calls from the audience, “ the elegant lady 2^^^9M-i% t 4W’^ple.!TOrdß,-.Jfi; v Lady-. of the .annleted stewards who stood near •me, excited; and,later, as though thinking that he had not sufficiently impressed me, he added, ‘Lord Carzon’s daughter/ Hia whole face beamed proudly/' 1 The author’s coiqjnent is striking;—' Where I had come, from a Mosley Would have had to. serve for years in the ifiiter- darkness because he. Was Curzon > 5,.80n-;in-lpw- The party statutes would _- him far away from any position. bf-.iaflueiice, and his clajm for. a • been _disputed, with ironical-laughter, in- * terminably. . With conscious and uncon- , scions ■ intent,-. be; would - have been humbled, - made to feel that; ‘he wasn’t wanted/ He would have been sent to - work in the ' obscurest And’; most .insignificant places? and would have' been mistrustfully -watched to see whether he was getfpine and no careerist. Where I had come from" ambition was illegitimate, and-be who'had confessed it was doomed fop all time.” Such ia Dr Wertheimers method .of portraiture. And in several places this scion-of s , thei British aristocracy is mehtibned, the author’s belief being that he is destined ’to- ’ : PPinion - is held in Germany that tiie .British. Labour Party is safe because its a Jeadera have a greater . feeling of national honour,, pursue a positive coloniy policy, and, in contrast to their German, comrades, participate in - the alleged conBPiracy of -’ My country, right or wrong.” This,, of course,, is the opinion of reactionary German newspapers, and not .of true-red Socialists. The author says that ‘he position of the Labour Party resembles that of German social democracy in, the years of 1918-19 in this, that it; haa. yet been compelled to put. its doctrines to the test—the first Labour Government under the shadow of Herbert Asquith being only too manifestly an episode that gave no real clue to its true powers, Only after the Labour Party fiaa obtained a clear majority, when it has shown whether and to what extent “ ' its aims, will it be possnbrvi^B^^at l S i after H has " W-k I .b ev lM>le disappointments, nourished even •, l K : champions are broken, • “d jies. ah,altered, will the stuff of .wfiiph it.is tuQtle.be kuown. Only - 'what the Labour Tor ilj’vtbe- life of the nation xnoveformed as a ■ ne ptal experience, where the -.responsibilityof. power has checked l t p h aHcri PU? e 4? f a T^ 0 C B cn ® rati on of party ink f -*J e . clea Y a ß, e between reality and the m which they had' grown up was too deep for them. “ This crisis H as made tbuiu sceptical ’ and in mai) V cas e» has nounded to. .roots their' 1 capacity to « •% ll,us . ! ®n has been so complete WfL WIH . V® a generation f P'° social democracy of ” th T S vf c , ollDtrie s again becomes socialist. The absence of cast-iron Marxist dogma m Bntaiir may. assist Labour to fofrpT 1 T '' here ~ ts Continental comrades failed. It may be able to adapt-the existing f J? rm -iS f soc, , otJ '; Wlil 'in the limits of the possible and the attainable, to the legitimate wishes and needs of the millions, in order to secure for them a decent existence “ Should the Labour Parw will n D p! lS ?ioxi, Great Britain, too, v/ill have before het a future charged with quarrels, "disputes, and struggles in a mea* sure never ‘ before' known. Dr Wertheimer has divided his book into four sections:—’".Structure and Probems Aims and Objects,” “The Spiritual Aspect of the Labour Party ” •* To«ay and To-morrow.” It was ’written before the elections in May, and the adrpt,nt the"=secpnd Labour Government. The structure of the party, is-well known to all who are interested, and the problems dealt with are the crisis in the Independent Labour Party brought about by the rival schools of thought and the definite breach between the Labour Party and the Communists. With the advent of Mr James Maxton, leader of the Clyde Socialists, to. the chairmanship'of the Independent Labour Party, “sentimental politics were given free reign and deci- ' «mns determined by the agitational neceseities of the moment. In startling sncccsr -the autho.r, w the executive , identified itself with Arthur Ponsonby’s bcUicose anti-militarism, with Oswald Mosleys financial-political devices (now dropped in favour of the less exacting attractions of foreign policy), with H. N. BrailsforaV ‘ Socialism iri our time ’ *beme which aims at transforming society and industry by means of the living wage, with Fenner Brockway’s attempts to reconcUe and unify the Socialist and Communist Internationals, and with a purely Utopian colonial policy lacking in every

prospect of success.” While all this is very illuminating and informative, the author’s character sketches ,of the leading personalities in the British '■Labour movenieDv.'are most entertaining poition of the book. “It would seem,” he remarks, “ that the British .people prize most highly, the. politician, next to the vivaciously temperamental, ' who is ’ endowed; with rich gifts of exaggeration or who .superbly rejoices in the superlative.” Of.,,.the Labour Prime Minister,' Mr Ramsay MacDonald, he has much to say. piucd :lhe death of four great Continental leaders, Mr MacDonald “is beyond question The outstanding figure pf International, .Socialism. His position in Ehgland, itself is peculiar,” ■he adds. “In those .political circles in London where a goodly portion of political opinion is formed, his personal unpopularity is al,most. unexampltvl- His colleagues in the ilousq: and in Smith square, the party headquarters,, complain of bis inaccessibiuty, his deliberate isolation from those on whose loyalty and devotion the success of any future Labour Government depends, • and of his schoolmasterish condescension, his hypersensitiveness and vanity. He moves to-day in a personal vacuum That is almost painful to behold, loose who have grouped themselves around lnm .of late years are not always disinterested friends, but' often men and ' vc ?T r l? n "‘ho hope to see their loyalty solidly.rewarded with Ministerial posts in the nest Cabinet.” The unprejudiced foreign observer can-regard Mr Mac- . i/onqjd without seutiiiieht or rancour and can, .vyithout blinding himself to the obyiousrfaults of an important figure, adit 3 ii'e his cool mastery of parliamentary tactics. He will attribute to hiifi. thost of the credit for; the geperous reception accorded by the Labour-Party to itsicoii-vcrts-.lrom. the middle and upper .classes. edUcatlon . ilr MacDonald is equal; to the best, and in culture, perhaps the best, of his contemporaries. “ Whether i he A a “/!“ action is not yet finally known. The episode of the first Labour Government gave no basis for ,a final ' One can perhaps more readily picture mm sitting and dreaming by his fireside, or wandering with a knapsack m the moors alone with Nature. In his general attitude towards life, he strikes anyone who crosses his path now as a Conservative. A strange play of historical forces has resulted in the curious - fact that the temperaments of the three leaders, Ramsay MacDonald. Stanley Baldwin, and Jjlpyd George, seem to be at odds ••with their political* views; the Socialist leader is essentially a Conservative, the Conservative leader is really a iiiberal, and the 'Liberal leader a typical ~ -^ff er Riving reasons for-Mi MacDonalds comeback” after th«» inglonOfis fafi of his first Government, he adds;-- (Anyone so deeply rooted in a nat , lo . Bs . fantasy despite an arrogance which is, perhaps; unconscious and an aloofness which-is perhaps only shyness, can look forward To the evening of life " t\ and security.” T S J-K'^Y, crtho . im ? r tJfen..speculates on Mr Snowden s drawbacks. Does he lack this charisma,” .divine grace .that:'weaves j legends about men? In -■ proceeds, .*'it .is a fact Thilip Snowden seems to be perpetually condemned- to ; walk. in MacjUonald s shadow. Mentally, Snowden stands a head higher than the party leadep. Ha is a -political thinker of cry. stal clearness, ’■though he ; may be without McDonald s adaptability. In spite ?f mg sarcasm, that , biting irony which “9 lkc a. - shield between himself aM the world, he, is a man to whom a humpn sympathy can belturned without its freezing to ice.”.

6liquid Mr MacDonald resign within :the. next : .five years.., Dr Wertheimer thinks that ; .,Mr Thomas ot Mr Henderson, as representatives of the older generation, are possible leaders of the. party. “Of ti-iese vtwo, , Jimmy,’ Thomas is the most picturesque; “.and. is- quite one of the queerest figures in the International Labour movement. He is British to the core^and, is proud of his nationality to.an extent ■ a •: Continental leader would never: dare to' .profess unless '.he were an all-rouiid Chauvixiifit. He liak created. y? a j?d- him an atmosphere of vulgar corumlity and a hail-f cl low-well-met manner to,have taken in the whole British Emin re with ' fhfe’exception ’ of about a dozen Communists/’ He “ possesses the extremely rare ouality of civil courage, the one extenuating feature in the character of this painful but disarming personality.” Much more is written about Mr Thomas and his type of Laboiir leader. They are %nly distinguishable,” he says, from the working man who has been appointed chief pf the Conservative RiuTy organisation in belonging to. a different parliamentary -team/’ : V, „ Men like Mr Henderson and Mr dynes' _are products which the British Labour Party can justly regard with pride. No other proletariat in the world has brought forth fiien who'—-like these-vcombinA the ■ best qualities of the working man with B /, c b., case in the assumption of responsitnuty. and so much aplomb in the bearins of its burdens.” Of Mr Wheatley, Dr Wertheimer has not a high estimate. Unpopular, and mistrusted even by his closest friends, Wheatley as an individual is immensely interesting, but as a pollweal type For'this reason it is' one of those political paradoxes of which England s history is so full, that this man,;;a rootless Radical, should, with his Housing Act; have become one of the few--teal assets, that -will preserve first Gpvernment in history. Once the most formidable figure of the British Labour Left, and even a challenge to the leadership of MacDonald in the eyes of party and Parliament, to-day he has he-, come politically almost insignificant and '’ ifeWould seem, resigned to bis fate.” • ■ -The author, dismisses. Mr Arthur Ponsonby. as “of little consequence as a poll-, tical/factor. Ho has identified himself publicly with au international movement for; individual abstention from war activities, and this is the outward turning point of his career.” Qf the coming men. it is suggested that “ so far as the driving forces that lead to influence and general notoriety are concerned. Sir Oswald Mosley is easily ahead.” He not only desires power;—“ he is willing to earn it by unsparing energy and sleepless devotion to the task in hand. . . . The danger is that his ambitions may .carry him prematurely to a-position that-will induce a reaction .so strong as to wreck his career and cause him to be shelved bpfqre he has had time to show what he could really do.” Many other,less known men arc brought before us in this illuminating gallery. Incidentally it'inay be noted that Mr Cook is “ a man of words, not deeds.” The “ Cook legend” is a myth. “ For all the violence of his invective he is a weak man, and he is weak because he is without,consistence of conviction. . . . He was early fascinated with’ the half-baked Marxism he picked up at Labour college classes. . . ” And there are many such in the Labour'movenient. The future, as this Continental observer secs .it, is not as clear as? he could wish. The Labour Party has become something less than lukewarm on the question of electoral reform, because, among other reaspris, “ the principle of exact justice must be sacrificed to political expediency.” They see in the present electoral system “a possibility of securing a parliameuatry .majority in the inear-future,” ami a hope “that, by means .of:the electoral system, the Liberal Party will he wiped out as rapidly as possible.” U le author thempoints out what ho rcganlg as “the most dangerous results,, which the present electoral system may have both for the Labour Party itself and for the constitutional stability of Great Britain.” He writes: “ The eyes of millions of Socialists all_ over the world are fixed upon the British Socialist Party, winch seems to possess a bigger chance,of putting into effect an instalment of Socialism than any other 'Socialist Party in existence. The Labour Party to-day is the one. great hope of the democratic Socialism ’ of the world. If it is defeated,” he adds ; “ or if it transforms 'itself baekTntb a Liberal party, international’ Socialism will have lost its Battle_hf the Marne."”- - Dr Wertheimer closes on this note:'—“The desire for'the preservation of The specifically Socialist element in the Labour Party is not necessarily the expression of revolutionary or .even of progressive sentiments. It is'eritiroly reconcilable with conservatism, in the higher, | non-party sense, 'with a conservatism to which the maintenance of the continuity of development of humanity as a whole is more important than dead traditions and the preservation of temporary interests. That this kind of conservatism is lacking seeqis to me to be. one of the disastrous .elements in present-day world politics.” Readers may find much..in this book with which they disagree, but they will not find it dull. Considering that it was written before the general election it shows almost-a gift of prophecy. It is' the portraiture, however, of living men—the loaders of the Labour Party—-

that is most interesting, for they are the warp and woof - from which 'the Labour Government has been made, and it is they who will be responsible for such success or sucli failure as have marked the rise and fall of their Continental comrades. J. T. P. MODERN BIOGRAPHY. A BROTHER DESCRIBES HIS SISTER. “ Sybil Thorndike.” By Russell Thorndike. London: Thornton, Biittcnvorlh, Ltd. (21s net). - :■ . The first impression gained from reading this study, is of the freedom and spontaneity of its style. Russell Thorndike is neither “ highbrow. ” nor serious, and the result is a biography presented as colloquially as if it were being spoken instead of written. The choice of style is a happy one from every point of view. It delights the reader by luring him to read on, and frees the biographer from being charged with any hope of reflected &uUi(ittOtli

The study begins with Sybil Thorndikes babyhood, and takes her to the present, day. -We see the growth of a highly interesting child—original, strongwilled, and passionate—into one of the greatest actresses of the time,- her faults subdued, and her virtues heightened. We eee the training of her genius from a riotmg sapling; to' a, well-pruned tree, and realise that the spirit which she dominates to-day is the same as that which, in her earlier years, dominated her. Further, w.e- realise that it . is no idle compliment -when we read that she is a weilloved woman. Her brother’s portrait oi I? such that it appeals to our own hunt * on " das ma 4e her charmingly There, is .nothing profound or great in the book, which is chiefly a succession of events and anecdotes, or such letters from bybil ns make up the chapter ou America. But it is a "delightful volume, from, wmek to quote,, and it is written so as to-draw, a laugh on . nearly e\fery page, io allow one to judge of its style, take a quotation at random:— y°u he a great man, Russell, like Charles the First?” she (Sybil) said one day. ”Do you know that he lnto . Parliament with his hat Next Sunday at Cathedral I followed , e ,T ample ‘ Hoadley, In his hobbled gown, left his stall, nudged ’ U r- 'tY 1- poker > and. whispered, miJhV satflodral,5 atfl odral, as if to convey "You. might get away with that sort of thing • draf" PariSh Chureh ’. but not in a oatho- - pretended not to - notice. Her . t 0 her prayer book. I looked at Hoadley, and whispered, “ The King can do no wrong/* myatlflmf re " bfith 0 answered, rather mystinea, but take your hat off,” Sybil gave me not' a 'look, I took ®y hat off. Hoadley retired. I Sybl!Rooked at me and frowned. 1 lolt 1 had been weak. ' ? Ur , , car] y, fantasies . were always connected with Dickens, for whenever ormffe/lse™* n R . o chester- : they talked or -Ilttje else. One day; Sybil-’and I were bowling hoops along tlio row, when an cameup and asked rviiLlui 5 ! , „ the joint where old man Showed k h?J I n e n‘ W ? asked him ,In, and snowed, him all over the house. V Father and mother were at Cathedral.- and 1 the ln “j? kitchen, so we had' the guest to ourselves. . -‘He was mn»f i5 ei! , ln everything, and' when ou? th/ im'erWi, ° me M Sybil^Was.-shnwlng American gentleman all -.mother’s the o?'dr WhiCh s he produced 0 from ' Sybil' suffhred. alas! from h serious ;weakness: ,sha had- no control' over he? in the e stage y OdJ: COUW her giggle ■;«SBJsy%4 ssi f- ’’ Jt ’ M’Qill University" Sybil m V a bSd ld sp^lc^S;SS B h« Was confronted by a speechX‘^vfsa,vi"; h s fraghl.?'"',t b '“| b , t abou t. by restrained • ttUßUier. It was too much for hnr c» , kopt afloat for a fow bars— u i -•' - ■ E. L. s. A MAN OF WAR. AN EPIC ROMANCE.

“ Ta ? l »mh ne: T Th i Earth Shaker.” By Harold was McceSfuf VC W hi ¥ U^ dertook irasrs& saftSßft£ rTmarkableWk 8 The'L.tfo^hL \nll u In . Previous volume Mr otlS cr h 4 I ? le » Tr n,any read f er ® with the Gemrhis R } L„ Er V peror <>/ All Men,” v?enghis Khan, who preceded Tamerlane by a century and a-half. With this book as a companion to the present one not to mention _ his'other works, he has S ab ” b\Sp3iy nSC f 35 E ma6ter of Wstorical Tamerlane is the European rendering of Timur-i-lang, otherwise Timur the Limper h^naiT^^V this aloneTas Ina name until his foot was injured bv a ”^ arr ? % i' aii . d be .was not able to walk Jw door bniping. The inscription over , e , clo ° r of; the ante-chamber of Tamerwordt. ?? ftl^rkand is in these This is the resting place of the illnstrious-. and merciful monarch, the most great Sultan, the mbst mighty warnnrfi, j> L °a'ii Tnnur., conqueror of : the earth.. All, .this is. strange reading to moderns who are most familiar withlfapoeon and ,-Bismarck, .the details of whose lives we know. "But” as Mr Lamb puts !,;• ® n ? a failure, and the other triumphed in the.political leadership of a single empire. Tamerlane created an empiro, ana was successful in every campaign he undertook; he died on the march toward the last , power strong enough to oppose him.” b Tamerlane was not high born—ln the beginning he was master of no more than some cattle and land,, in that breeding ground of conquerors,. Central Asia. But he gathered together a people. To use Mr Dambs words: “One after the other, lie overcame .the armies of more than half ' Ho tore down cities, and rebuilt them in the way he wished. Over Ins roads the caravan trade , of two continents passed. Under his hands he gathered the wealth-of empires, and spent it. as he fancied. Out of mountain summits he. made pleasure palaces—!n a month. More, perhaps than any human being within a life he attempted ,r to grasp this sorry scheme of things entire and then re-mould it near to the heart s desire. The empire of, this remarkable man is called in general, blstiyics Tamerlane’s, rivte Centuries ago it was known as Tartary.' _ Christopher Marlowe used Tamerland in drama. Milton’s verse wa» influenced by , the legends: surrounding the mighty warrior, lesser poets used-him-in fantasy., but. strangely enough, historians tor a long, tunc have been silent. The reason? 'Tamerlane was not easily classified. He was part of no dvnastv—lie founded one; ho was not, like Attila, one of the barbarians who harried Borne —out there in the limbo of things lie nnilt a Rome of his own in t3ic desert*. He made a throne for himself, but be spent most of his years in the saddle And when he built he used no previous pattern ot architecture; lie made a, new °? e f !s? orc bng to Ids own inclination, out or elms ami mountain peaks and a solitary dome that be saw on Damascus before he burned that city. This swelling dome of Tamerlane’s fancy has become the motif of Russian design, mid i s the erown of the Tni Mahal. Ami the Taj Mahal was built by one of the-Moghnls— Tamerlane’s great, grandchildren.” bis man of bumble origin became a terror after five centuries it is clear to us that bo was the last of the great, conquerors. ’ Princesses from the royal

families of most of the .world attended at his Court at Samarkand and ambassadors were there also. . Mr. Lamb.’ allows his readers to look at Tamerlahe .through the eyes of the men who rode at his side.

As a hoy Tamerlane played, as boys of his period doubtless also played, at war, and throughout his life he remembered and repeated the phrase, “ A man’s path is only one.” Early in his career Timur, to use the name he assumed when the learned eayyid asked what it was, took his place with the warriors, and started on. the long journey l to “ the end of the road,’ Very early he proved his,qualifications for .leadership— ‘ and he liked'.to ’ Apd he was over-confident—too till! of his own strength.” He married Aljai Khatun Agha, whose, beauty “ was like the young moon, and her body graceful as the young cypress.”’ The union was happy, and Aljai travelled much with her roving : ,husband.. In those: early days they knew privation and suffered reverses, •jljf Aljai had, pluck. When Timur and Aljai resumed the trek following prison, their worldly goods were a sorry-looking horse and a mangy camel. "0, my Lord, this, is not the end of the road.” Then follows the long narrative of Timurs campaigns in which 1 he showed personal courage 'and ..gifts . of , military genius. In these he penetrated Russia, conquered Persia, took a big portion oi India, and overthrew the. Rultan, of Turkey. It was a long road, and at. tim.es a rough one, and Mr. Lamb, finds ample material for his pen. As the great, empire grows Timur grows, old—at 69 years lus sight is railing, and lie knows he Las not long to. live. At Samarkand he held high festival .for.two moons, and' was still full of plans. He. sat in judgment 6m those, who .had governed in. his absence—some were hanged, others were rewarded. Re , planned a new tomb for Prince Muhammad, with a dome of gold and white marble, and a nqw garden palace arose, built of black and white stone and ebony and ivory - , supported by silver pillars.

When he > had conquered , all of Asia except Cathay the . old man. .again set ouL This was to be bis last campaign: Theymet sleet, wind, and snow, but kept on to see the walls of Otrar, .and shelter for the winter. Here Timur; rested. He planned to go on along thejjreat north to Cathay in the spring. ; With the first warmth of the new season the forces were marshalled. "The standards were lifted and the great drum roared, the regiments were drawn up on. the plain for review. The lords of divisions assembled their musicians for the-nightly.: sajutation to the Amir, while the pipes shrilled, and the drums echoed the thudding, hoofs. it was a salutation to the dead Timur had died at Otrar. In obedience to his will, the host marched again to the great north road. His white horse, saddled, was in its post under the imperial standard. But no one was in the saddle.” Timur had the • end of the road.

The book contains a. series of notes of human interest and historical value, a complete bibliography, .and a comprehensive index. Author and publisher .have succeeded in presenting a book which must be ranked far above the ordinary ' ' JjT. P.

A GREAT JURIST. ' ; SOME POLLOCK MEMOIRS. Lord Chief Baron Pollock.” - A Memoir by His Grandson Lord Hanworth,' P.C.', K. 8.8. ■ London; John Murray; (Cloth; illustrated; 10s Gd.net). .. . , I'hr well over 100 years the Pollock family has been prominent; fin-, the service of._ the British Empire, and the purpose, of this biography is to" set out some of the leading events in the'life of one of its most distinguished members,. It also reviews some of . the most famous law cases of the period as tyell as other notable events in which the Chief Baron was concerned. . The volume da-dedicated to the memory of the son of the author. Captain Pollock,, a young lawyer, who was killed near Moreuil in France, while carrying his wounded batman oh his back out of the battle zone and endeavouring to place him in safety. The subject of this memoir was born in 1873; he matriculated at Cambridge, and entered Trinity College, became senior wrangler, and was Vailed to the .Bar in 1807, .In turn he was elected'a fellow ,of the. Royal Society, was appointed a King’s Counsel, elected M.P. for Huntingdon, appointed Attorney-general, - and knighted. Rater he : resigned the - Attorney-general-ship, and returned, to work at the Bar, Six years later he was’ again- appointed Attorney-general, and the seal was set, on his legal , career by .his. appointment ‘ns Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer. - \ The hook belongs to yesterday, and the events of the period have an historical interest'only, but the years-of the Chief Baron witnessed some moving ■ events. Many letters are reprinted, and these cover a multitude of subjects, with which he was at the time much intimately connected. He was in Parliament when the Reform Bill of 1832 was passed,-and when he ceased to be Sir Frederick Pollock to become Chief Baron the appointment received general approbation. The stirring times of the Chartists are covered by this biography, and some of the events which at that time excited consternation, appear to-day as of little moment,' One’of tlie : demands in the, charter . was for vote by ballot. Of this demand Sir' John Campbell, then Attorney-general and later Lord Chancellor, expressed this opinion:— “As yet I am a decided enemy to ballot. It would have: a feeble effect in checking bribery, but. it could not at all check undue influence, except in as far as it promoted falsehood and hypocrisy When the . Ballot Act was passed in 1870, • order to meet the opposition to it. ami render it a tentative measure, its operation was limited to'oncryear; and thenceforward, until a few years ago, it was continued each year iu ■ the schedule to The Expiring Laws Continuance Act. After the lapse of 90 years only obeof the six points of the famous Charter remain unfulfilled —annual parliaments, At the time, however, the prosecution of these demands led to serious disaffection. There was an outburst in Monmouthshire led by John Frost, and Sir Frederick- Pollock was selected to defend him against a charge of high_ treason. Frost and two of his companions were found guilty and ordered to be “hanged, drawn,, and quartered,” in accordance with the law. Sir Frederick Pollock appealed on certain points of law, and was ultimately successful in having the sentences commuted to transportation for life. In connection with this trial Sir Frederick Pollock was for a time placed in a peculiar position. The Chartists were so pleased with his efforts that they proposed, to give him a testimonial. H(i had been Attorney-general and might again assume that office, in which case he would have to prosecute offending Chartists. At the same time he did not want to appear churlish by refusing the recog- , nition. “ Happily," we are told, “ the project did not go far, as it was brought to a sudden termination, the treasurer absconding with ouch sum as he had collected! ” Some chapters are devoted to trials in which Sir Frederick Pollock acted as advocate,.and also to some of his judgments as Chief Baron. The book closes with the record of his retirement and death, appendices containing some details of the lives of his brothers. Sir David and Sir George Pollock, and a reproduction of the .family tree. J. T. P.