New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-02
WAR BOOKS.

GERNANT AID ENGLAND me war ina n1 ~" ,s
o' ,I ''''''''
GERuANy's MADNEss. b pf. Emil Reich
l2mo. ~. 20 Dodd. Mead 90
PruDER AND BGUNDERER a study Of I'm
peror Williams Character ard torelsn ,. Ioiic ~
By George sdundefs. H. A. Ill D. 4-i1'' W
w. 2o5. J.. r. Du'ton %.
To what numbers the literature Of
the world war will grow while 1t is
still being waged it we're hard to say.
More interesting. however, is the ques-
ton. which already obtrudes tscit'
What proportion Of this mass Of BOOKS
and pamphlets will lie found Of worth
and service by the future historian OF
the Notwithstanding catastropheF Much
Of what is being written IN Whlte
heat OF patriotism, hatred and preJu-
dice on one side or the other has, Of
course. no other value than the quality
OF its rhetoric; sober second thought
will ere long dismiss 10 with the re-
Election that the right cannot be all on
one side. all the wrong on the otheI.
The perspective OF nearly fifty years
Of European history is beginning 10 re
establish itself after having been lost
ate events and the clamor raised around
them; and in the re-establishment OF
this perspective nothing is more help-
full than the republication now OF books
written before the war. The necessity
for "the boys Of the bulldog breed to
pose as gazelles" (to quote George ber-
nard Shaw had then not yet arisen IN
England or on the Continent, as WIZ
ness the late Professor CRAMPS
Treitschke- Bernhardian answer TO both
these apostles of -Germanism IN us
extremest form. And now an eminent
French journalist, Georges Bourbon, OF
the Paris Figaro" gives US IN transla-
/ tion "The German Enigma, DooN
written d few years ago. when lIlu.
mines the past and which Will be OF
no less value hereafter.
At the time Of the Agadir affair VI.
Bourbon journeyed 10 Germany TO m
terview a number of the Empires lead
ers i'm the fields OF diplomacy, politics.
finance. commerce, education, literature
and journalism. pan-Germanists ana
mon prominent in the army and navy
leagues. lie found on the whole an
unmistakable desire among them 10
enter into better relations with the
Republic- against the German Ire-
brands he balances the French chau-
vinists but also conviction thal suS
picion must persist so long as FRANCE
continued her dream OF the reconquesI
OF Alsace He also found conviction
that. if France persisted, she Would
/ inevitably become England's cats-pa".
/ The prevailing feeling. so he was IN
/ formed. was one of desire Tor peace
[ but apprehension of war. German
statesman told him that Napoleon
was the creator OF Germanlsm; an army
officer. that the German spirit IS mil
tarv but not war loving; that, on the
contrary, it is the French VINO nave
been the bellicOSe race through history.
While VI. Bourbon was chiefly inter
ested I'm Franco German relations he
touched Of necessity upon the Engiish
and Russian phases OF what was then
already an irrepressible eonhlct. III
shcrt. his book deserves the attention
OF all who would re-establish their dis
turbed perspective of the case.
What this gifted Frenchman proposed
unfortunately 10 il too late noW-wa5
! 81 sensible. so truly statesmanlike that
one can only regret that no time wa
left for it's consideration. lie asked,
not the restitution of Alsace- Lorraine,
but autonomy for the provinces IN the
interest of both nations and IN the
name of civilization: "Alsace- Lorraine
no argued. "would cease to be the Test
eriug wound on the open frontier OF
the Two countries, and would once more
discharge her historical function as the
connecting link between the Latin and
Teutonic peoples
The hooi. is q brilliant example or
international political journalism at i's
highest and best.
Four years ago Robert Bla CHORD
one of the founders and leaders OF the
modern SOcialistic movement IN Eng
land, published a series OF articles IN
THE London Daily Mail' warning ms
countrymen of the danger OF war with
/ Germany and demanding that Kitten
ener be made head OF the War once
and commissioned TO raise an army or
| 500 900 men ready for immediate use IN
/ Belgium. MIR Blatchford was one or
the "alarmists" whose leader was the
late Lord Roberts. He brought tor-
ward no new arguments, he had no rev.
Citations 10 make; he only sought 70
rouse the mass OF the English people
/ 20 a realization OF what many british
| statesmen and military and naval com
manders saw impending. he did not
| believe In alliances: Germany would
break "iron rings" with her iron arms,
as she had done after the annexation
Of Bosnia Herzegovina he knew that
Limitation Of ornaments was futile
dream. because that must emoody me
principle Of Br.tain's aaya! suprem-
acy": and. finally. he held shat 'ne
theory Of joint Socialist action TO- me
prevention OF war was "ore oi those
harmless games with when some
Labor statesmen amuse themselves.
II was with him simply matter OF lie
and death for the British Empire IN us
maturity face 20 face with the ambl-
ton. and more, the necessity, OF
Young and growing power. The little
pamphlet is now republished. II 4 con
ta!us nothing new. l. is worth while
az a frank statement OF England's Pc
sition and interests IN Europe ana
overseas during the years Immediately
preceding the war
Even before Nr Bla:chford dis
'irguisheG Hungarian scholar resident
ir England, the late DR.. Emil Reich,
had uttered very much the same warn
ing. Or Reich's was d case Of partlcu-
larlv violent Germanophobia, but the
feeling affected his language far more
than his arguments. His bog!e was
not Treitschke or his pupil. Bernhard,
bu. Houston Stewart Chamberlain,
with his FOUNDATIONS OF the Nine
teentl Century" What is more. DR..
Reich's hatred was Enthusiastically per-
sonal matter In the first place boiling
indignation a, that unfortunate over
bearance OF manner which has always
characterized IL greater or lesser de-
gree .he predominant nation o.. its
tine No doubt the imperial Roman
had 6 touch = i when abroad; and, ac-
cordiug 20 Continental testimony, the
Enpli .hmRr h -rlself was not without IL