The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-28


 in it's interest and very insistent in its aim.
 Davidee has a self made and self-wjlled father and spoiled mother, who are con spicuous In the story, and her jealous as- sociate teacher. her lover and numbers of her odd little pupils fill every page of | the story with human interest which Rene Bazin has drawn with master hand.
 There is no literary soil more produc- l tive of beautiful work than the French provinces--the simple country life of the people who live near to natures heart, and Rene Bazin's chosen field in writing of these people, rather ,lan the morbid, gay Parisienne life which Zola, de Mau- passant and the rest have given to the world. makes him a distinctive and mo- table feature in the literature of his ma tive country. and the appreciation that is shown of his talent in others besides France testihes to his worth.
 The plot of "Davidee Birot'' is this: | Maieul Jacquet known among his com rades as ''Sobersides." because he laughs so seldom. is a skilled workman in the slate quarries, who lives with woman named Phrosine La Floch, working woman who has been deserted by her husband. This state of affairs shocks Davidee Birot, the young school teacher and she gives the quarryman what would | be termed in New England "a piece of her mind" and also expresses herself strong | " to Phrosine. The latter has a little daughter named Anna. a pupil of Davidee | and this child, naturally anaemic. real ] izes that her mother has lover, and breeding over the family shame, pines | away and dies. The quarryman not only leaves Phrosine, but falls in love with the young school teacher. who is by far | the finest feminine thing he has ever known. Quite naturally the woman whom he has discarded in her favor re- sents this neglect and conceives a hatred for her rival. The latter nevertheless, proves herself her true friend. provides rar with money and joins her in her long search for her missing husband and son.
 THE DAY OF THE SAXON"
 By Homer Lea Harper Brothers, New | York.
 l Gen. Homer Lea. whose "The valor of Ignorance pointed out so effectively the unpreparedness of the United States for war end caused something of stir both | in this country and in England. has | written a new book ''The Day of the Saxon.' which has just been published and widely read. Tn this later work he treats once more of his special theme, the | ,.r-c-v nh hsses of military science as they affect national existence.'
 ss in hls previous book. General Lea | brings to hear tremendous weight of argument. and if he does not wholly con | vince his readers. he can hardly fail to | shake their assurance in the stability of | the present order of things. His argument is philosophical economic and strategic. | Drawing lessons from history. he shows l the causes of military decline which are even now weakening the efficiency of the white race. He makes it clear how other nations in their inevitable expansion must encroach upon the white mans bounda- ,'es Reviewing the whole field with the eye of a strategist, he indicates the weak
 '~serr attack plav be expected. mo view of the world-situation given in tr's book is impressive. The white man Is seen to be confronted with the
 hlems His supremacy Is threatened, and. secure in his past domi- nance, he does not realize the seriousness of his case The authors forcible pre- sentation of facts his shrewd criticism l of mii,tarv policy and his constant appea es.se command respect. an1 the reader. no matter how little inclined to believe in the imminent danger of a e--e,. var. will be stimulated to serious thought.
 q. -oints ont the great tenden- cies which underlie the policies of riva
 nations. Necessity he observes "is 2 racial rod. Races in their greater move.
 " hasic impulses
 which are remote from individual pas
 For instance. there is the case of Ger many. The German empire 'is less ir
 area than the state of Texas, while the
 Saxon race claims political dominion ove'
 one-haif of the landed surface of the earth and over all it's ocean wastes. Ye'
 the German empire possesses a greater
 re--e-,,,e tha- the America republic is th< 2 richest nation in productivity and pos n lation S0 per cent greater than the United Kingdom. It's actua military power is many fold greater thar . thot of the entire Saxon race.
 | Those who are inclined to think thn' Iwa-s are mere avoidable accidents ani } that there are no discoverable laws gov srning the growth and decadencs of mil