Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Times to the Consulate OF Napoleon Bonsparte
BY Thomas E. Watson. In Two Volumes Vol
ii. New York: The Macmillan Company

THE STORY OF FRANCE; From the Earliest
Times I'll res to the Consulate Of Napoleon Bonsparte.
BY Thomas f. Watson. In Two Volumes Vol
H. New York: The Macmillan Company
Keen as was the interest in Mr.. Watson's
hrst volume of French history, an interest
created by his former political prominence
and his well-known views, the second vol
ume overshadows the other in its appeal to
the curiosity and the attention of the read
er, for 1t deals with subject which lends
itself readily to the authors facile pen,
trained in the exercise of the free language
or editorial expression. the topic of the
great revolution. Mr.. Watson's story of
the revolution is always picturesque, al
ways sprightly, even coloquial, always ter
ribly emphatic. Occasionally the histo-
rian throws aside his reserve and becomes
the special pleader for the oppressed serfs
of France. Again. he is the satirical critic
Of the court, now the expounder Of doc
trines, again the keen dissector of human
character. In every phase the phraseology
is pungent. almost too much So For in
stance, Mr.. Watson has not sufficiently ac-
quired the historical style to shake loose
from such phrases as the courtiers drew
merely their breath and their salary" or,
clearly (referring to one of Carlyle's most
powerful figures OF SPECIFY the powder
tower picture must be turned to the WALL"
ana score or more of other expressions
which border somewhat too closely upon
the domain Of sheer slang to be worthy a
place in so digni1ed a work.
Then, too. at times, there is a confusing
lack of detail. The organization of the va
rious ministries which governed France
during these trying days is neglected. The
author has fixed his own vision intentIy
upon the rapidly moving revolutionary
panorama and has no time or patience to
describe the less vivid details Of govern
ment. His portraits Of Mirabeau, Robes
pierre, Talleyrand. Danton. Necker and
a NE ,lz
are life-like and clear-cut He leans strong
ly to Robespierre. but his fondness for Mi
rabeau and for Danton in his later moods
is evident. Indeed, there Is a warm sym-
pathy for virtually every actor in this great
tragedy, for the stupid king, the frivolous,
tactless queen, and even for the vicious
malevolent Marat.
The volume closes with a glimpse at Bo
naparte, showing the successful general
about to grasp the reins Of power and to
dominate the consulate. 1t IL with some
measure Of regret that the reader appre-
ciates the fact that the task is done, us
the two volumes complete the work. new
view Of the Napoleonic period might per-
haps be afforded were this incsiye pen to
De probed into 1t in the same style that it
has lifted the STORY OF France" I'M to
that time into doubtless clearer public
vision than before. .,.
Great Question in Business, Law and Politics.
sist fed y Hstt LET An former As.
sIetiiut secretary OF the treasury, Chicago:
The Leon Publishing Company.
Gen. Nettleton, who is we'll remembered
in Washington from his official service
here, approached the trust question first
as a believer in these trade combinations.
then as fair investigator and finally
emerged from a deep research convinced
of the danger and the :, injustice of the
trust system His purpose in editing the
materials which he'fhasi collected was to
afford a comprehensive View of the whole
subject. but he frankly confesses to his
present prejudice, which he thus states in
agreement with President Hadley of Yale,
that the trust us fundamentally wrong in
theory and incurably evil In operation; that
IT. is a system which makes increased econ
omy in production a pretext for monopoliz-
Ing the market; that its claimed advantages,
SO far as they are legitimate, are equally
attained by corporations and concerns en-
gagged in modern large-scale production with
adequate capital. without any resort to mo-
nopoly: that the trust system forcibly adds
to natural industrial development, which
all approve, the alien element of arbitrary
monopoly which none should tolerate: that
(unless 1t Is to serve as a stepping-stone to
sccialism) the trust system will endure
only until the people give to their highest
courts an opportunity to apply the law. moi