The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-11-14
THE FREELANDs. '"

By John Galsworthy. Charles Seribner' s Sons, publishers. New York
 "a the romance of young love-the heme of "The Freelands''-John Gals worthy is equaled by none of his con emporaries with the possible exception ] f George Meredith. This excellence was ndubitably proved by Spring in "The Dark Flower" In "The Freelands," how fver, the author has found the greatest cope for display of his wide range of alent, for incidental to the love story here is a brilliant commentary on the most intensely absorbing social and polit- eAl questions of the day.
 The Keynote of this story is sounded when MT. Galsworthy has his heorine to Tsv:
 Yes; but those are all for curing the
 and 1 suppose we are really dying a. heart disease, aren't we?'
 In uQther words the theme of 'The Freesands'' has to do with the rights and wrongs of the English farm laborer.
 MkA Galsworthy believes that the own rship of vast estates by few privileged families Is a source of injustice to the arm laborers and of weakness to the English nation. "The Freelands' is the tory of a young love that becomes en- angled in the knotty web of this old uestion. The author evidently has put is own convictions into the heart of is hero. Derek Freelands, born reformer with hot Celtic revolt in his veins, in- lerited from his mother.
 Derek and his sister Sheila undertake D check the petty tyranny with which heir neighbor Lady Malloring, is treat- hg her tenants The Mallorings nat rally resent such meddling, and the af- hir develops into a battle royal, in- |olving all four of the Freeland fami- es. Derek and his cousin Nedda have Ist fallen in love, and the girls heart so torn by the events of the struggle hat she fully earns the honors of heroine. Along with the poignant love story of nese two young things runs a moving Inn of English society, low and high, Is MT. Galsworthy sees it through critical r sympathetic eyes. Under the shadow r the great estates move ghostlike fig res of their victims, such as old man saunt, refined of face, helpless, and opeless; or his son Tom, brutal and re- engeful or Toms daughter, ready to Q to the bad for want of sympathy or uidance. The whole family of five, by heir utmost exertions, can earn only
 shillings week.
 But underpay Is not the chief indict- hent. MT. Galsworthy is more concerned ith the unwholesome power which the md owners exercise over the private Ives of their laborers. The story cen DTS upon the case of a man named Tryst, hose wife has died, leaving him with a rge family of small children. His de- aased wife's sister is willing to care 1r the children, and Tryst wishes to harry her, for such a marriage is now gal in England. But Lady Malloring' 8 igh church scruples will not permit it.. berek Freeland incites Tryst to assert is rights. Eviction follows, and after hat comes reprisal, which in turn leads imprisonment, riot, and an exciting cries of events, with more or less tragic esults.
 In the thick of the row. scandalous to elate, is Derek, a Freeland, fighting if he were an under dog himself. The ffect upon the different members of the 'reeland clan is interesting to watch perek's crusade is a stick thrust into h anthill. Throughout the book there
 scurrying of Freelands to and fro,
 desperate ado to smooth things down gain into conventional forms
 There is only one point on which the bur Freeland brothers can agree-the buntry is going to the dogs. As for the huse, each shifts the burden to the oth- rs. Felix, a writer, says England's pa hlysis is due to the horrible hold of dustrialism and offcialdom, which ave drained the peasantry from the land nd sapped the independence of the peo- e. John, a government official, lays
 to industrialism aud to books that reed unrest. Stanley, manufacturer, links it must be due to the peoples