Evening star., 1901-05-11

BLUE SHIRT AND KHAKI: a Comparison. Ry
James +. J. Archibald. Illustra ted from photo
graphs taken by the author New York: Sill
yer, Burdett & Company Washington: VIM.
Ballautyne and Sons.
1t was happy chance which threw Mr.
Archibald, with his habits of observation.
into such intimate relations with both the
American and British armies during their
two latest exploits as to permit this close
unpreJudiced and detailed comparison For
there is much to learn by thus sizing
up the American forces alongside of such
tremendous fighting machine as the Brit
ish war corps. Mr.. Archibald discovers
many points upon which to congratulate
the United States in this regard. some
upon which to base warnings. He sounds
the praises of the American private soldier
ana of11cer, and thinks that both are sl,-
perlor In point Of quality and professional
capacity to their English prototypes The
chance for promotion which is held out to
the American soldier in the ranks is :,
heavy factor in raising the character of
the army, in attracting to the service mon
OF Intelligence and ability, whereas in the
English service the practical prohibition of
future commission for the Tommy
tends to keep the ranks filled with a low
er order of men. The high degree of train
ing given to the American officers, the fire.
queht examinations by which they are
tested and the character of the service
required OF them in time of peace, give
them an advantage in emergencies over
the English wearers of the straps In the
matter OF tactics the Americans have de-
veloped a superiority as result Of from
tier hght1ng, which has evolved a class of
men accustomed to adjusting themselves
TO the conditions of the country in which
they nght, instead of adhering to rules re-
gardless Of the immediate condtttons ava
chanceS, as was too often done in Africa
In the early stages Of the war Even when
Eora ROBERTS began his series of success
YD1 ,a,,f,
burghers steadily backward he continuad
them when change In the program or
mod1flcation of the fianking process might
nave erected wholesale captures similar
70 tnat or Cronje, and thus materielIv
shortened the war. Mr.. Archibald nraiSes
the British commissary and TRANSPORTATION
service and finds room for a strong areT,-
ment In favor Of an American merchant
marine. He regards the transports now in
service of the United States as the hest in
the world. but insufficient In capacitv To
serve any but the present rnoderate do
mands. The book Is filled with valuable
contrasts Of this character, and wo,ld ha
much more to the point If the author did
not yield to the temptation to add descrIn
tlons OF the scenes in and around Pretoria
Just before and after the British occuna-
ton, and to indulge in arguments in favor
of the burghers' cause which are NOT 70
the point Of the immediate subject. how
ever interesting.
NEWYoRKITIs. BY John H. Girdner. MD IN.
thor Of The Plague of City Noises New
York: The Grafton Press
DR.. Girdners book is not likely to be-
come popular in New York. 1t is too
severe a diagnosis of a disease which the
author claims to have discovered peculiar
to certain inhabitants Of the metropolis
Among the symptoms are delusions as TO
society, geography and dress, lack of
appreciation for the great authors of the
past, a taste for ephemeral plays and liter
ature, unwholesome haste in eating IN
walking, In living, and a tendency toward
partial and illogical social reform at spas
medic intervals. For New Yorker
writing of his own kind DR.. Gir5ner Is
most assuredly severe. 1t cannot be gain
said that he is justly so at times that he
has accurately hit off the foibles of the
people in terms at once earnest and anus
ing. Nevertheless the book is unfair in
other phases. The author ascribes to New
Workers as characteristics of their dis
ease" traits which pertain to the fnhabi-
tants of many other cities and which are
in some minds, not unwholesome, For in
stance, 1t Is not distinguishing symp-
tom of Newyorkitis for a man to adyo-
cate the gold standard of money or to
support the American administration for
its course in the treatment of the Fill
pinos Yet DR.. Girdner would have it that
these are signs OF the specific moral de-
generacy of the inhabitants OF Manhattan
Island, and so strenuouSly does he urpe
his point that the reader is prone, after the
first joy of the satire has passed, to regard
the book as a splenetic outburst of partt-
sanship which has too intimate a relation
ship to the Chicago platform to partake of
literary or scientific value.
THE LEAGUE OF YOUTH; Comedy in Five
Acts. By Henrik Ibsen Edited with an in
PRODUCTION, by William Archer. London: Wal
ter Scott. New York. Imported by Charles
scrfmer's Sons Washington: Brentano's.
This is a revision Of the translation Of
1890, in the interests of smoother En-
glish style, Of Ibsen's play Of 1869. 1t is
the first number of a series of similar re-
visions, from the same hand. the order of
which is not announced in this connectia,.