The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-05-26
REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS
ssWAR'S BRIGHTER sIDF1.v A NEW
VOLUME OF UNIQUE
INTEREST
BRILLIANT GROUP OF WRITERS
"The Successors of gIury the First
Readable BoOlc-Some Lit
erary and Magazine
Notes

sFWar's Brighter Side" by Julian Ralph
with contributions from Rudyard Kip
ling, A. Conan Doyle and others Illus
trated 12mo. d. Appleton q Co., New
/ York
This book is invested with a unique in
terest, both by the singularly attractive
quality Of the contents, which inclu l4
the stories, poems and sketches Of some
of the most popular modern authors,
and also by the peculiar conditions under
which these stories were witten
1 When the British army was at Bloem-
fontein, preparing for the march to Pre-
Horia, Lord Roberts took advantage of
the presence of the most brilliant group
or writers ever brought together by Jour
nalistic requirements, and requested
them to make newspaper for the army.
The result was something which deserves
TO be called unique. The four editors
AiplinS, Ralph. Gwynne and Landon.-
selected Mr.. Ralph to act as editor of
this book, which contains the best Of the
stories and poems contributed to TIE
Friend" and also presents a picture Of
the novel conditions under which the
paper was prepared. The humorous and
the eXasperating features of newspaper
edltlng and publication in the field are
Nividly slIetched by Mr.. Ralph. who has
improved to the full the delightful op-
portunities afforded by the strange ex-
perience Of this rare board Of editors.
The illustrations include portraits of the
editors in the field and at work In their
umproVised sarctum, one Of Kipling's
proofs as it was returned to the Dutch
compositor with vigorous noncompliance
tary notes by the author, and many 9TH
er 1uIl-paee pictures. A book so rich on
-fI I
extraordinary in the circumstances of it's
origin, comes with a relish of its own
which VIII be keenly appreciated.
Earl Roberts wrote the following LEFT
ter to Lord Stanley regarding 'The
Friend"
"Bloemfontein, April 10, 1900.
Dear Lord Stanley: [ understand that
On M302hdaX next. the 10th inst, The
agement. ana it will, l hope, continue 10
thrive now that it has been established
on sound basis.
The army owes a debt of gratitude to
Sue gentlemen who 50 kindly came for
ward ana who have given their services
BrallitoUsly III the management of the
paper. ''-0
Svldent from the eagerness with which
soldiers alike anu
On "on behalf therefore, of the troops, I
y
70 an VINO have contributed toward maxi
ing the paper such a success. especiaTI,y
70 inc following gentlemen, Messrs. Ian
U0n; ralph Gwynne and Buxton.
Believe me to be yours very truly.
MIR Ralph, so we'll known in the Init
ed states as a newspaper writer and
contributor to the magazines, has this
10 say in the preface to Wars Bright
er Side"
Lord Roberts is the first general Of
Wnom l have heard who ever recoeniZed
and acknowledged the value and power
OF the press by establishing a newspa-
per as a source Of entertainment and in
formation for an army in the field, and
as medium for conveying such argu-
ments and appeals as he wished to make
10 the enemy. This he did. as one
might say, the instant he conquered the
first Of the Boer capitals, almost stimuli
taneously with his appointment Of a mil
itary governor and a provost marshal
and the establishment Of a police force.
The story of Lord Roberts expert
ment and the experiences of the men
he selected for his editors. must be es-
pecially attractive to all Journalists and
they viii find here set forth whatever
IS of purely professional interest to
them. To those details I have added
the most notable contributions with
which each of the tWenty-seven numbers
of The Friend was made up, and here
this narrow limitation Of the interest in
the book Is broken wide asunder These
newspaper articles are mainly the works
of fighting men, at rest between battles,
and of others who were at the moment
going to or coming from enga gements.
They hold the mirror up to the life of an
army in camp, on the march, in battle
and in a conquered capital
'In these letters, sketches and verses
the reader lives with the soldiers in
camp He sees what they work and play
at He hears Of their deeds of daring,
mlshaps, and adventures. He catches
their strange lingo. He observes what
they eat-and what they do not get to
drink He notes how they speak Of
their faring in battle. In all the wealth
of English literature I know of no such
a INTERPRETATION and a monograph
echoing of soldier life as is here.
Generals, colonels-in fact, men Of
every rank and grade-contributed their
shares Of every rank down to Tommy
Atkins who, in general, sings his songs
in the background, in verse, like the
chorus in an ancient drama.
''To these features I have added many
personal recollecdons, as well as anec-
dotes and stories told by or about tho
men around me in camp, and In tho
conquered capital of the Free State,
with notes and comments upon a wide
variety Of subjects suggested during the
editing Of the other matter here collated.
GAS the former editors of The Friend
have now formed themselves into an
order to which none is eligible except
he or she who tells the truth without
fear of consequences, the reader may as
well prepare himself to meet with that
rare quality in some of the pages that
follow"