Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-05
BOOK REVIEWS.
THE british EMPIRE AND THE
UNITED STATES. By William

DutleF view OTk. SndTieS
Scribner's Sons. Washington:
Woodward & Lothrop.
& ::ssy y + :::' s:' az, !:
existed between the British
empire and the United States
for the hundred years that have
passed since the signing of the treaty
of Client in 1914. In substance. it is
a study of the ways of continued peace
under circumstances that at one time
and another might have produced war,
had not the two countries involved de-
sired peace more than they desired
war This determined recoil from war,
sourced as it was in the body OF the
people on both sides of the water, ex-
pressed itself effectually in a choice of
leaders that were remarkable for re-
straint and common sense, as well as
for ability in devising equitable settle
nents and framing friendly compre-
misses Among the chief of the acute
points at issue during this century,
long period were the seal fisheries in
the Pacific and the cod fisheries in the
Atlantic, the boundary line from ocean
to ocean between Canada and the Unit
ed States, the Trent affair, the Alabama
claims. and the sympathy of the Brit
ish government for the Confederacy in
the civil war. The author spreads each
of these issues out in its full nature
end bearing and extent. And to each,
IN complete detail, he applies the spe-
cial- method of adjustment employed
I,t the combined craftsmanship of both
cnrntries. In making this study of
r'etoric peace there is no effort on the
Part of the writer to conceal the bitter
feelings. the agitation. the narrow es-
ctpeS from war. or in any other way 70
essen the task that was required to
I.aintain peace. What Prof. Dunning
seeks to make clear is that, despite
every difficulty. peace was maintained
-'his is the point that marks the sig
1ificant timelness of this scholarly and
fair-nlinde6 and patriotic study. It's
,loral. in the words of James Bryce, is
9Th; peace can always be kept, what
.v- he the grounds of controversy, be-
tc1 peoples that wish to keep II.
-. Root. the greatest of webster's
:.--5sors in the office of Secretary or
6 has we'll said that there Is no
is IN diplomacy which cannot be
settled if the negotiators sincerely try
TO settle it How wholesome in erect
IL y, Guild be if the general public would
.7toD commanding on war literature
and read this sane record OF a hunoreo
Years of mutual forbearance and IN
,reasing friendliness.
RECOLLECTIONS OF FULL YEARS.
by Mrs. William Howard Taft. IL
Illustrated New York: Dodd, Mead
& Co.
Tho title of Mrs. Tafts book leads
the reader straight to one of its chief
distinctions. For it is difficult to
imagine az equal number of years set
within the same limits of general pub
lie events that can more reasonably
be counted as full years. than the
ones that are spread out in this vol
tune of recollections. Moreover. the
experiences that crowd these years are
of a nature to constitute every Amer
lean reader q shareholder in them.
Conventional travel in Europe, a
unique life in the Philippines. social
end official supremacy in the United
States, and the dignifed retirement to
q markedly active and useful private
life. are the conspicuous points in the
ascending scale of the recollections.
These round to an enormous complex
Of significant affairs, within which
move innumerable DISTINGUISHED ana
striking personalities. Flashing from
these vivid pages are thousand facts
rejecting the private and public life
of our essential America
splendid capacity for enjoyment is
, marked feature in the personal equa-
ton of this record There is. too, the
habit of common-sense approach ana
appraisal, and unpretentfousness. ana
an undininished sense of humor IN
situations and under conventions that,
ns a rule pretty effectually destroy this,
and beside these there is an easy COM
,Tunics biIity of speech These powers
added TO the essential dignity and serl-
BUSINESS of the record itself, sum this
h 1ok TO high value as graphic picture
a certain phases of our common life.
,nnng writings of this kind, mrs:
Taft's RecolIections of Full Years"
possesses a surpa ssing quality of SUBJ
stance and form and spirit
PIERRE yrxToN; The Adventures of
:. Sp,erfuOus Husband. By Edward
j. Veuable New York: Charles
St.-ibners Sons. Washington: Bren-
tano's-
Divorce ." Reconciliation. These
= are the two outposts between which
this peculiarly engaging story lies. 1t
is the discarded husband himself,
subdued and chastened person, who
takes the reader into his confidence
and gives out a first-hand account of
the matter. The divorce proceedings,
he tells us. were said, by those versed
in the proprieties of divorce, to be OF
an exceptionally refined order. In
compatibility" was the plea for release
brought by Marcella. and somewhere
within the amplitude of this charge
both judge and jury discovered full
warrant for Marcella's freedom. What
that she was bored Naturally, Pierre
guessed himself to be the bore. This
conviction accounts for the humble
bearing of our story teller. for bore
is the most damning entity that ever
emerged from the roomy spaces of "in-
compatibility" A wife-beater may be
cured A drunken husband may be re-
formed. A faithless spouse may be re-
claimed. But to the ingrained, uncon-
scious bore, cure, reformation, recla-
nation are out of the question. 1t
never in all his life occurred to Pierre
TO discount seriously any of Marcellas
millions of opinions. Therefore this is
the deadly handicap under which he
sets out upon this new lap of his ca
reer. To be sure, when another man
pays court to Marcella, as he now has
perfect legal right to do, Pierre
flames into the man he thought he was
before Marcella informed him to the
contrary. And to be sure, again. when
certain odds and ends of femininity-
silken skirt and satin shoe, velvet
cheek and bosom of snow, diamond
bright eyes and ruby lips-foat to-
gether and compose into lovely woman.
Pierre, man-like. exclAims, We'll. why
not" But the memory of Marcelia
brusquely pushes the vision aside. And
to make the remuneration complete.
there nudging at his elbow stands, in
adequate. the bore. that he really be-
lieves himself to be. And so the story
goes on in an irresistible vein of genial
satire. and wit, and pure Hfelikeness.
% round out this comedy of modern
marriage This is q story of fine grain
and realistic design Set unobtrusively