The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-11

and defended the liberties of Europe.
 The author has a wide grasp, a phlo- sophie mind, his book is not an ephe- neral product of merely passing interest. It Is almost unique among the war books. With Bernhardi. strange eedfellow, he expresses the underlying aspects It is masterpiece of logical thought and yet It is shot through with the mystic spirit of the Belgians' deed in hurling, regardless of consequences, their entire body at the throat of the incoming host. Her liberty could not be tfod upon without her last drop being shed. Today this last drop has almost bled. but her spirit has been Nlndicated. With nothing to gain, with everything to lose. she fought fGi an ideal and may we frankly say that through the ages the word Belgian" will mean more than a man from certain district of the globe, it will mean the in- carnation of all that is brave, loyal and inspired
 The volume is comprehensive. It treats the significance of the Belgium campaign the character of their hero-King, his peo- pie and their way of life, his country's international position, and it's relation to the German nation, the defense of Liege, the fall of Namur, Brussels the reign of fire at Antwerp, and then the description of the preesnt condition of the country that was once the happiest, busiest corner in all Europe. He unhesitatingly con demns the tragic mistake upon the part of the French in rushing their troops to Alsaace and Lorraine, leaving the Bel gian fighters unbacked and unsustained The appendix contains an excerpt from the Illustrated London News upon The Martyrdom of Belgium.' by G. K Ches- terton.
 Too much cannot be said for this book: 1t carries message of idealism and hope to all those who read and absorb the spirit of the Belgians the leadership of their gallant King.
 "DR. SYN"
 GA smuggler tale of the English coast)
 By Russell Thorndyke Frontispiece.
 Doubleday Page X Co.,, publishers, Gar
 den City, N. Y.
 Heres to the feet that have walked the
 plank
 Yo for the dead mans throttle, And here's to the corpses floating round
 in the tank
 And the dead mans teeth in the bottle {"
 So sang Dr. Syn, the vicar of Dym- church. as he danced wildly about the room waving a bottle high above his head Then suddenly as the last words were reached with a roar he put the bottle to his lips and bit it off at the neck The captain and Jerry, peering through the window al the horrible sight, saw and were amazed. Such a feat the pirate Clesg had been known to do. but every one knew that Clegg was dead-hanged full 10 years before. A moment later when they knocked at the door they were well comed by the same genial pr. Syn that they had always known.
 For years Dymchurch on the Romney ha rod al The marsh had kept it's secrets well-if secrets there were to keep; Dr. Syn had instructed it's folk in theology, had Joined with them in an evening mug of ale and a round of song at the inn of winters evening" and Mipps, the sexton, had at- tended to their burial when this sad duty was necessary. To be sure. there had been rumors of weird folk sometimes seen on the marsh by late returning jewellers flaming Demon Riders and Jack o'Lan- terms, but none of the self respecting vil- lagers believed these tales. If people would be out-of- doors after 10 o'clock they must expect uncanny sights.
 But the arrival of the Kings men in Dymchurch with that curious creature the mulatto disturbed it's easy going ways. First came the discovery of the Alsaace-L Lorraine IT., then in some mys- terious way Sennacherib Pepper was mur- dered and the schoolmaster injured For days the town was in an hysterical state of excitement and the climax was reached when it's beloved vicar announced from the pulpit over pointed pistol that he was going on a long journey and would see his flock no more.
 THE WORLD OF H. C. WELLS" By Van Wyck Brooks Mitchell Kenner.
 ley Publishers. New York
 Certainly no writer has of late been more in the public eye than H. G. Wells It is high time therefore that a complete and trenchant study of his work and per- sonality in all their various phases should be published. And that is just what MT Brooks has written. To his task he has brought rare gifts of analysis and synthe- sis together with no little charm The result is book which will be welcomed as one of the most informative and in- teresting in critical literature. A clear understanding of H. G. Wells is impera- tive for all thoughtful men and women and no more appropriate time than the present could be found for issuing a book that fully satisfies that need.
 Van Wyck Brooks Is one of the most brilliant of the younger critics of today Born in 1886 he received his A. B from Harvard 21 years later He then spent A year practcing journalism in England. Tn 190S-1909 he was on the staff of the Worlds Work and from 1911 to 1913 he was an instructor in English at Stanford university. Last year he taught a class of working men in England