New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-23
LIERTARY NOTES.


mite talk In 1t about the desirability OF Cuoa as
.,r.,ar,c no,nt for American operations In the
dim future: but Captain Mahan bluntiy 'e'l'haS
-. .ho, .,n case Of war in the direction OF the
Caribbean. Key West is the extreme poih' "o"
IN our nossession upon which. granting adequate
fortincations our fleets could rely, ana ne 'heh
proceeds 70 show the unique character OF Cuoa
from the naval strategist's point OF view
"cuba. though narrow throughout, Is over SIX
hundred miles long. from Cape san Antonio "
Cape Maysi. 1t is in short, not so much d"
island as a continent, susceptible uhoer proper
DEVELOPMENT Of great resOurces-ol sei-s"ii'0
,roness In area II is half as large again as Ire
land but owing to its peculiar FORM Is much
more than twice long Marine oistanoe'
therefore are drawn out to an extreme uesree
Its many natural harbors concentrate 'he"i
selves 10 a military examination, INTO th'ee
principal groups, whose representatives "ie ="
the west Havana; ir the east Santiago w!'iie
near midway OF the southern shore lies Ciei
fuegos The shortest water distance sePai"'i''e
any two OF these is $50 miles. from santiago 10
Cienfuegos. To get from Cienfuegos to Havana
$50 miles of water must be traverseo ana the
western point of the island doubled; yet the two
ports are distant by land only little more IMAM
n hundred miles Of fairly easy country. Regard
ed. therefore. as a base Of naval operations as
q source Of supplies to a feet Cuba presents
condition wholly unique among the isiands Oh
the Caribbean and Of the Gulf Of Mexico. 10 po'h
OF which IT, and II alone Of all the archipelago
belongs It is unique In it's size. which SHOULD rem
der IL largely self-supporting. either by us OWN
products or by the accumulation OF ioreish
necessarles which naturally obtains III la &c
and prosperous maritime community anu IL 10
unique In that such supplies can be conveyed
from one point to the other. according 10 the
needs of a fleet by interior lines. not exposed 10
risks Of maritime capture. The extent Oh INC
coastline. the nur ,erous harbors. and the many
directions from which approach can De maui
minimize the dangers of total blockade 10 VINO"
all islands are subject. Such conditlohs are IA
themselves advantageous. but they are esPeciai-
" so to a navy inferior to Its adversary io'
,hsv convey the power-subject. Of course, to
conditions of skill-of shifting operations from
side to side. and fnding refuge anu 'upp'' "
either direction"
The massage is suggestive. 1t is but frag-
noent in a paper which whole throws inter-
sst,ne light on one phase Of the question OF
American concern with Cuban matters.
The gold fever is producing some literature
between thick covers. as we'll as mountains OIL
Journalism. "Klondke: A Manual for Gold
seekers" by Mr.. Charles A. Bramble. Is stout
octave published by r. F. Fenno & CO. MT
rramble is sanguine, and starts off with cheery
talk about the necessity Of having "a good pard-
ner" A partner will not do. 1t has "A smart
businesslike sound" but "pardner' glories IN
sentiment and he expects Ito give his mate all
that the law requires and call that only De-
ginning" He will have a great deal TO give
according to MI Bramble. for the tenor Of this
useful information Of practical sort, about out
At and so on. The Little Klondyke Nugget Is
a tiny compilation by Max Maury. published by
Laird & Lee. 1t covers the same ground as Mr.
Bramble's book, with the advantage OF being
concise and small enough TO be carried in the
''pardner's" vest pocket
NJ Boutet de Monvel Is a draughtsman OF con-
sumrnate delicacy. and possesses refined fancy.
For some years his work has been more or less
celebrated in Paris and elsewhere. OF late we
have been privileged to see much Of 1t repro
duced In American magazines. The Century
Company has just made an Independent book
out of some of his designs which were obviously
drawn for children, but in which graybeards
will delight-provided they have an eye for what
is picturesque and beautiful. These designs are
descriptive of the salient events in the life of
Joan Of Arc. and they are reproduced, in colOrs
In an oblong quarto with just enough text to
help young readers out. OF the text need say
little. save that it Is clever piece of condensa
ton. The pictures enchanting. If he has
rot OWNED the face of the Maid. at least NJ. de
Monvel has OWNED her figure. and the slender,
graceful girl who passes through his pageant is
exactly the heroine of the old legends, II not Of
the old histories. And even the face, disappolnt-
ing It Is. is full of tender expression. Among
the priests and warriors and courtiers Of the
time our artist is Incompatible All their hard
ness and stupidity, all their medieval strength
and weakness disclosed in these portraits
and out Of the bravery Of their dress and arms
other mpedimenta the artist has made ara
besques Of the rarest piquancy and poetic charm.
The coors used in the printing Of the plates
have evidently been selected with great care
Not page has false note in it. The pictures.
for all their brilliance. have such suavity and
are so tremendously balanced, that in spite OF
their archaic vein. they are lifclike and con-
vincing. In all the Juvenile literature that ever
was printed there is not book in which Joan
OF Arc is so sympathetically presented as in
this. there is not one In which she is made so
interesting TO youthful eyes The volume Is
daintily bound. in covers BETTING the high arts-
tic character OF the contents.
The Century Company issues another valuable
work Of history for Juvenile readers in the shape
Of THE Century Book Of the American Revolu
tion," by Elbridge S. Brooks. This has been IL.
Illustrated largely with Photographic cuts, bu,
these have been so judiciously gathered and Mr.
Brooks has made his text so pleasantly instruc-
tive that boys and girls will find the volume
almost welcome NJ. de Monvel's sumptuous
hzA1x -
under the auspices Of the Empire State Society
Of the Sons Of the American Revolution and
brief introduction. setting forth this fact and
bidding the series in which it appears Godspeed
Is contributed by Mr. Depew