The Bookman's Corner

Ladies' Mirror, Volume V, Issue 2, 2 August 1926, Page 31

The Bookman's Corner

<tA "Botanist's Notebook Books on botanical subjects striking the mean between the ultrascientific and the elementary are rare, therefore all the heartier welcome will be accorded a new volume from

time pen of Miss Marguerite Crookes, M.A. In “Plant Life in Maoriland” Miss Crookes in a very charming manner takes us to the seashore, the plains, the swamps and the mountains of our own land, and opens our eyes to the wonders and beauties of the flora of Maoriland. Her descriptions arc good, and her writings are full of poetic fancy and allusion. She has a quick and appreciative eye for the beautiful. With her we see the plant’s life beginning, we arc told of its fight for existence, and learn that plants, like more animate life, have their enemies; the struggle for existence is just as strenuous and unrelenting in the botanical world as with the beasts of the jungle. The propagation of plant species and their physical changes in adaptation to environment is clearly and delightfully explained. To those unacquainted with the life-story and habits of our native flora the thoughtful perusal of this volume opens up a vista of fascinating and pleasurable observation to enliven excursions afield. The book is exceptionally well illustrated and printed, maintaining the high standard of the publishers, Whitcombe and Tombs, Limited.

<vf Diplomat's Tapers ' I he publication of "The Page Let- *■ tors" threw much light on the secret diplomacy of the Great War, and in particular America's part in diplomatic relations, and now the issue of the intimate papers of Colonel House throws additional light into dark places, and elucidates and corroborates much that Page has already written. Unlike Page, Colonel House held no official position, but was the confidant and friend of President Wilson. He undertook several

journeys to Europe prior to 1914 in an effort to sound the diplomatic situation then leading up to war, and busied himself endeavouring to bring about a general understanding to avoid such a catastrophe. He was not satisfied with a purely passive programme, and he writes: "It is a time, for some great constructive forward idea, an idea for action. If the great world forces could, by fortunate events and fortunate combinations be united and led to clean up the tropics, the great armies might gradually become sanitary police, as in Panama, and finally gradually forget the fighting idea.” Perhaps an ideal, but one, surely, that mankind in remembering the late disastrous conflict should do its best to realise. However, nothing came of his efforts, and war became an actuality. There was further journeys to Europe, latterly on behalf of the President, who realised the possibility of America acting as a mediator in negotiating peace. He found the Allies sympathetic, but averse to a negotiated peace. Victory or nothing was the French and English viewpoint. A suggestion to a cessation of France could not settle the future hostilities with prc-1914 borders, and the return of Alsace-Lorraine to peace and security for La Patric. American statesmen did not realise the French viewpoint that a negotiated peace still left France with the problem of future safety unsolved. Something might have been done had America, instead of acting as a purely non-intercstcd mediator, joined as a signatory to a treaty in which she would enter the war should Germany not come to terms. American public opinion, however, was averse to war, and her statesmen were not finally convinced that the U.S.A. could stand aside from the world conflagration until the sinking of the Lusitania. House saw that war was inevitable, and urged the President “not to conduct a milk-and-water warfare, but to use all the energy of the nation so that Europe might remember for a century what it meant to provoke a peaceful nation into war.” The book is undoubtedly a most important historical document, and it abounds with a number of extremely interesting and candidly critical pen pictures of the various notabilities with whom Colonel House came into contact. —Two volumes. Ernest Bonn; through Whitcombe and Tombs Limited.

The publishers, Messrs. Whitcombe and Tombs Limited, forward a copy of a new and revised edition of their excellent publication, “Colonial Everyday Cookery.” Between the covers of this volume are some 350 pages closely printed with

wisdom for the housewife. There are many hundreds of tested recipes and special chapters dealing with menus, laundry work, electric and gas cooking, etc. Many excellent illustrations and diagrams materially add to the attractive make-up. That some 250,000 copies have already been sold speaks volumes for the popularity and usefulness of this book. The Best Short Stories of 1925 -*■ —American" is a companion volume to the volume of English short stories noted in these columns recently. This collection of twenty stories is culled from all sources of American publications, under the able editorship of Edward J. O'Brien who, in his introduction, states that his selection does not imply the critical belief that these arc really great stories, but that they are truly representative of present-day craftsmanLimited. ship in the U.S.A. Several useful appendixes include addresses of magazines, biographical roll of honour and year book of the short story, index of articles on the short story, and several others. This book is a veritable gold mine for the student and lover of fiction. Jonathan Cape, through Whitcombe and Tombs Miss Phyllis Bottome is a de-J-VJ- lightfully consistent writer of really good fiction. In her new book, "Old Wine," Miss Bottome takes us to the tragic post-war Austria, just after the abdication of the Emperor and the consequent break-up of the old aristocracy. The story concerns the fortunes of the family of Wolkenhcimb, and shows how each of its members, after the crash, endeavours to face life afresh under, to them, appalling and distasteful conditions. One becomes a swindler, one lives up to an ideal, one. commits suicide, and so on. Apart from the interest of the plot the book is a most convincing picture of the heroic struggle of a courageous and brave nation fighting against almost overwhelming odds to rehabilitate itself and again take its place as a great people. In many ways we think this Miss Bottomc's finest book. Collins, through Whitcombe and Tombs, Limited. Tn "Yellow Fingers'' Gene Wright -*■ conjures up a story with ail the mysterious evilness and colourful movement of the East as an alluring background. Kwong Li, the villain of the piece, reaches out his yellow fingers to grasp and hold the loveliness of beautiful western Nona Dcering. How "Brute" Shane, a coastal skipper and Saina. his eastern lover, come into the story to complicate

matters for the heroine, makes a most exciting story. Pure melodrama this, but nevertheless very readable. —Lippincott, through Whitcombe and Tombs Limited.