BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16370, 1 March 1924, Page 8

BOOKS AND BOOKMEN.

POPULARITY OF THE THRONE

AMERICAN'S BREEZY VIEWS.

THE PRINCE’S SUITS.

Blircwd and amusing things about monarchy are said by Mr. Frederick L. Collins, an American journalist, who knows his Europe, in “This King Business. ’ ’

He tells us that —“ for ( Europe ’ ’ — ho is “inclined to be patient with mnnarchv.' ’

No ono can frequent the courts of Europe in llio belief, or hope, that monarchy is dead, or even presently dying. I came to these courts a continued believer in Republicanism. I left, an even firmer believer in that form of government —for America. As regards ourselves: This is the chief difference between British royalty and other royalty. British royalty performs a necessary function; it is a going concern. Of our own Royal Family the author has many agreeable things to say. In referring to the King, lie recalls a remark made to him by the late Viscount Xorthcliffe: “King George can talk on any subject- for three minutes better than any man in the world”; and he relates various incidents to illustrate His Majesty’s extraordinarily intimate knowledge of his vast Empire. Full justice is done to the universal affection in which the Prince of Wales is hold by the peoples of the Empire, and there is quoted a charming analysis of His Koval Highness made a year or two ago by Sir Gilbert Parker: There are countless records of his tact in Canada, Australia, India, and elsewhere, and his finesse is not artificial —it is sincere and human, and has behind it a real love of the work he has to do and of the Empire which he serves. There never was a move gallant, modest, and all-round effective Prince of Wales, A knotty problem in mechanics or sociology, it is remarked, is what appeals specially to tho Duko of \ork, whose studies have made him an authority on industrial conditions in England; while as .for, Prince Henry and Prince George, “there is not a monarchy in Europe, Mr. Collins observes, “which.would not he tho stronger for the presence pf fither of these, boys as Crown Ijiiucc .or sole heir. This is how. fortunate England is in the quality and,.-quantity of its Royal house.” “The‘British Itoyal Family,” the author says on another page, “is stronger because it has made the British Empire stronger.” And again: Nowhere in daily practice have I seen such deyotion to the mental and spiritual needs of a people as is shown by the entire family of,George the Fifth. ' British Royalty have perfunctory service into a religion. Every day they give Their lives for their people. A GOING CONCERN.

Thus we are shown, in a terminology in keeping with the title of this book, that- British Royalty is “a going concern. ’ ’

Queen Victoria, he remarks, “made tho British Throne a very. secure one.” The present Prince of Wales promises to make it the most popular Throne in the long history, of

monarchy. All {ho Heir-Apparent needs to do to the British Throne is to sit on it! THE PRINCE’S WARDROBE. He remarks that, counting uniforms, the Prince of Wales “has a suit for every day in the year.” But the Prince cherishes his mutliple rvardrobc as a mechanic cherishes his tools, or a physician his pillboxes. He needs them in his business. For the Prince of Wales is a business man. And these are his 'business suits. ... In fact, the only suits, which the Prince can choose according to his private taste are his pyjamas! “I want, to show you a letter from jny sister,” he quotes the Prince as saying,-/one evening last year” while lie was on his travels. “Listen to this,” he laughed, pointing to the following sentences ■which he proceeded to deliver with great unction: “ ‘1 have a new hat. Mother trimmed it. You can imagine what it is like!’ ” Of the Queen, he says: “She commands an immense respect from the English people not alone for what she does, but for whai she is.” Mr. Collins pays an equally sincere tribute to the King:

Even if it worn true, as many visitors think, that the King of

'England does nothing except appoint Scotsmen to make jam for him and Piccadilly hatters to keep him in lids, it is doubtful if the Britisher •would throw him out. . . . British Royalty have transformed perfunctory service into a religion. Every day they give their lives for their people,. MARRYING AN EMPIRE. Queen Marie of Roumania he do* scribes as “the woman Charlemagne,'' ■who has achieved “what many statesmen have tried for but none has ever approached —a basis of Balkan unity.’’ The Italian King’s “chief job,’’ as Mr. Collins puts it, is “to introduce the outgoing Premier to his successor. ” , He is the Tex Rickard of Italy. He matches Mr. Lenin’s Communists against Mr. Mussolini’s Fnscisti, and the winner fights Mr. Marx's Socialists for the Premier’s Cup. The King of Spain', Mr. Collins writes of as “The Royal play-boy.” Of the Queen, he says: “Until she altered her position (her refusal to attend a bull-tight), as she was ultimately forced to do, she was never really accepted by the Spanish people as their Queen.” While it is obvious, in Mr. Collins’ opinion, that some more dynasties are tottering, it. is impossible, he admits, for convinced Republicans to suggest that there is anything in the experience up to date of Russia, Germany, or Austria to lead any right-minded nation to follow their example. In some instances it will be considered that the operating factors in a national loyalty to the throne arc put on too low a level bv the author; he certainly strikes one as possessing an inadequate apprehension of Belgian loyalty and of the deeply-rooted love of the Dutch for the House of Orange. Chapters of tho book which will be read with pained interest are those describing the heartrending plight to which a countless host of high-born Russians have been reduced. In every capital of Europe these exiles of gentle birth are engaged in a struggle which is often tragic, to earn sufficient to provide them with the bare necessities of life. In Paris noble ladies who were formerly very near the Imperial 'Throne are either running or employed in dressmaking and millinery establishments, and three daughters of a ward of the late Tsar joined tho chorus of the Folies Bergere. Men who once occupied distinguished military and naval posts are employed in the motoring and other industries; while, as is

well known In iliose familiar with the .restaurants of certain quarters of Paris, the waiting staffs of some of these establishment's include otfieoi - of Ike ex-imperial Army. “MARCH IIARES.” Coming with much of the freshness of a new book, “March Hares,” by Harold Frederic, is a very welcome reprint. It is a story with more appeal than the simple structure would suggest. David Aiosserop, a Scottish student, at rather a loose end in London, strikes up a haphazard acquaintance with an unusual girl whose fortunes are at a very low ebb. They spend a delightful day together, and ar night she is nceoininodalod in iho apartment of a friend of Mos.-crop a Scottish lord on holiday. Abu, though, the noble earl returns tliai night, whereupon explanations become necessary. The plot ihiekons when (lie girl disappears early next morning, but it works out quite pleasantly with the entry of n pair of entertaining Americans, who nre destined to have quite .a notable share in the affairs of his lordship. The dialogue throughout is clever, sometimes approaching brilliancy, and altogether the story is pleasantly gripping.

NEWSPAPER AS FLAG OF TRUCE

Tt docs noi often fall to the* lot of a newspaper to be used under active service conditions as a Hag of truce, but this was once the experience of the. Statesman, of Galcutta. In his book “In Abor Jungles”—an account of the Abor Expedition in I!) 11 -1U — Angus Hamilton relates that while the force, which was operating in some of the most ililiieuil country in the world for the purposes of war. was endeavoring to sift the responsibility of certain villages for the massacre of Mr. Noel Williamson, Dr. Gregotson and parly, a novel incident occurred. When the time arrived to exchange the aids of war for the crafts of peace, the Gams of Koinsing and It in, as the result of the exertions of friendly basis already serving with the force, summoned up courage to come and present I hemselves to Major-General Bower. Their arrival had a touch of tragic humor about it. They were accompanied by a slave, behind whom they ’screened themselves while he waved a ting made out of a copy of the Galoot la Statesman as evidence of good-will!

The December “Bookseller” gives some interesting figures of books published it; England during Iho year. Theology actually comes second on the. list. Out of 7000 now books, only 17 are described as “facetious.” Fiction, of course, conics first with over 1200 new volumes; theology, is7;>. Children’s books—another sign of tho times —beat biography and history bv bfl-f to oMO. Then, at intervals, education, medicine, essays polities, ami technical handbooks. Poetry and the drama have only I,S."> volumes between them.

“I have tried various ways of living, nnd 1 .judge that the best of all is, while giving myself up to study, to look on in peace at the changes in mankind, and to prolong by the contemplation of centuries and empires, the briefness of our days.’’—From “At the Sign of the Rcine Pedaqui,” by Anatole France.

A well-known American proprietor of a lecture agency has been commenting on some of the literary celebrities whom he lias “booked” during the past. Lord Dunsaiiv and Rabindranath Tagore, he says, are capable of a little emotional outburst at times; but for sheer passion tho palm must be awarded to Senor Blaseo Ibanez, who raves like a madman when there is unv hitch in the arrangements made for him.

Tennyson’s bad manners are |no - vcvbial. Wlioii Sir Hubert llerkomer went in his house to paint his portrait, the poet greeted him with, “I hate your coming.” Later in the day he graciously added: “l think you are honest —good-night. ’ ’

Has any book written about the Great War had a larger circulation than Mr. John Masefield’s short history of the Dardanelles campaign, “Gallipoli”? It has sold (in,(100 copies, ami it goes on selling,, for always its beauty of writing mid its fineness of description make new friends for it. As a tribute to its success, Ueirieniann is publishing a new library edition of the book.

“THE YOUNG VISITERS” AGAIN

Tn America they still. believe that Sir J. M. Barrie wrote “The Young Visiters”; but. an English author now lecturing over there, who played a leading part in the game, lias told them the truth (states Sewell Stokes in T.P.'s and Cassell’s Weekly). Hr “discovered” Hi; manuscript, and induced Barrie to “introduce” it to the public. The result was .'IOOO words from the pen of Sir James, an income to Miss Ashford from the sale of 300,000 copies of the hook, and the refusal of a laughing world of readers to believe that a pen other than Barrio’s wrote it. At the time of publication, il is said, Miss Ashford was engaged fo be married to Jameti, Devlin, but they possessed no funds to buy the farm they coveted. The royalties from the book enabled the coupled to be married and to purchase the farm and stock it. A new arrival in the Devlin family is heralded as a “Young Visitor.” SHAKE,SPEARE \S RELTGTON. Sir Frank Benson lectured at Durham upon “Shakespeare and the Resurrection of the Dead,” and dealt, with spiritual phenomena as suggested in tho plays of Shakespeare. Introducing Sir Frank Benson, Bishop Welldon said Shakespeare's religion was one of the most interesting of literary questions. He was a dramatist, and it was no part of a dramatist's duty to be a preacher of doctrine. It was impossible, therefore, to .judge what was Shakespeare’s religions belief. Nobody who read “1-lainlet” could doubt Shakespeare’s mind was keenly alive to the spiritual side of human nature. Several limes in “King Henry TV.” and “Measure for Measure” lie expressed the sublime reality of the Christian faith. Whether he was a spiritualist or not depended upon the meaning attached to spiritualism. Every religions person was in one sense a spiritualist. It: was one thing to believe in a spiritual world with beings inhabiting it, and another I<> believe in the so-called spiritualistic phenomena by which communications front the spiritual world were made. Bishop Well don avowed the belief that, though Shakespeare never preached a religious sermon, his whole romper in relation to the present anil future ol humanity denoted his belief in human nature ns essentially and pre-ominoiil ly spiritual.