The Washington herald., 1913-03-02

for the truth and vitality of essential
Christianity to confront (and confoun0
| critics without and pessimists within the
\ church. Further. there Is suggestion
of basis for the unity Of the church
that may lead to public discussion.
The theories advanced and the ground
taken by the author will go far toward
/ making a strong appeal to modern man.
| compelling him to look for the origin
Of the things supposed to be most prec-
! ious in life. both social and political. In
short. the author asks for the aknowl-
edgment that the church is and will re-
main the mother of all human greatness.
| The history Of the church has been an
effort to embody the religious and social
| teachings Of Jesus In human experiences
and there are to be found some series of
events which indicate the pathway Of
| democracy. The influence Of primitive
Christianity eliminating In Constantine.
affected his legislation profoundly. There
can be no question. argues the author,
that primitive Christianity humanized
| the world. and he adds that 1t is not
| quite true to say that upon the ruins
1 of the Roman Empire the Roman Catho-
lie Church arose; for the Popes always
have had Emperors either as their mas
| ters. or as their servants or their an
| tagonists. History has told US all about
| the struggles between the church and
| the empire during centuries. The re-
| suit Of these struggles has been to the
advantage and enlightment Of the peo-
| pie.
Christianity always has been larger
| than the church and modern Christian
| ity has been the mother of the great So
| cial movements of our times.
Dr. Smith concludes with the remark
able statement that despite all the teach
ings Of Jesus and the works OF the
church, present-day democracy does not
fully understand its weakness. nor can
It foresee its defeat. however; its weak
ness is its lack OF intelligence and vir-
tue: that its defeats will be numerous
and final victory will only come when
the new order OF men predicted In the
person OF Jesus take the actual leader
| ship of human affairs"
This seems very indefinite and great
deal too orthodox for an enlightened stu
dent OF sociology in these days of more
applied intelligence than in all the CEN
turies that have gone by.
SOCIALISM SUMMED Up: By Morris Hillluit-
The H. X. Fly Company. New York. Prioc. 81.
Many works have recently appeared
upon Socialism dealing with 1t in all its
phases and from every angle, but this
work sums IL all up in 40 pages. A
mastery work on the great issue not only
before the American people to-day. but
the world at large. Socialism is a fac
tor in American politics and industrial
ism. and as it is such a factor. 1t should
be thoroughly understood
Socialism is here and growing. All that
one does not know about this significant
. world movement is to be found between
the covers OF this work. 1t is told in
clear language by a forcible Socialist
writer 1t presents the Socialstic move
ment in a most interesting and informa-
tive way. To be informed upon Social
ism is to be conversant with Socialism
Summed Up"
GERMANY AND THE GERMAN EMPEROR: BY
Herbert PerriS Henry Halt Co. Nrs York.
Price. q
The author has undertaken a task
which apparently was too large for the
studies he had made preparatory to per-
fecting the work. He intends to explain
the puzzling and contradicting character
istics OF the Germans: their great men
and lack OF great men: their singular
contrast between their advance In the
bellies lettres and fine arts and in indus
try. and their political backwardness. All
this is very nicely put. We will waive
the 'puzzling and contradicting charac-
teristics'' for the sedate, somber deep
thinking, slow but sure, thrifty. and.
above all. very industrious and inteIli-
gent German. and his methods are so
manifest to all the world that it seems
actually absurd to try to find anything
'puzzling or contradicting" in any Teu-
ton.
The author speaks OF Germany's lack
OF great men," and yet let him show US
any nation that has produced in each
generation OF the last century more truly
great men. Is il really necessary to point
70 the men whose greatness and power
helped to defeat the Corsican conqueror.
or to those who made of insignificant
little Prussia world power. or from
Austria holding their obseques over the
"Rumpf Parliament" or those who made
the master strokes that destroyed the
second French Empire and united Ger
many?
And now as to the political backward
ness of the fatherland. Oh, shades of
bismarck. Moltke. Room Gncisenau von
Stein, and dozens of other leaders, Nor
do I believe the present Emperor To be
so lawfully" backward in his policy.
What in the name OF facts and sense
possessed Mr.. Perris to say that a rev.
olution In Germany is inevitable is in
reality the only puzzle in the book, AMI
when he tries to make such a mountain
oJt of the mole hill of the rivalry he
tween Germany and England 1t is really
a pity that he has uttered such words
on the very eve of official declaration
to the contrary. but which every truly
well-posted man fully understood were
the only reliable facts Of the situation,
greatly intensified by the Tublic state
ment of the German Secretary of the
Navy that Germany is perfectly con-
tent with having Ensland's naval pro-
gramme provide for sixteen dread
noughts, and that Germany. despite this