New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-08
LITERARY CRITICISM
AND BOOK NEWS
The War in France and Russia, with Back
ward Look at Egypt-A Thorough Little
Handbook on Preparedness.

on through moro than a decade Of d.
plomacy and peaceful penetration. Of
striking at England overland. Calais
would have been a short cut. n blow at
the heart But that ambitious plan has
failed. And. so Germany has returned
90 IFS DrGRG mach OSfcr. TO complete
with arms, If " can. what 10 began
years ago with intrigue at Constant
noplc and with railroads in Asia Minor.
The book is abundantly illustrated
with portraits. numerous reproductions
q contemporary illustrations from the
English wCeklies. which already are be
ginning 10 acquire the Quaintness OF
old prints, and with map.
Mr.. Powoll's descriptions of warfare
as he has seen it are vivid. In this
respect his new volume Is even more
readable than was his first. There
is no doubt as TO his sympathics; he
makes no effort 70 hide them and, vow
ing that he doubts them. he never fails
70 rctell "for what they are worth
he stories he has heard TO the dis
credit of the Germans stories of bar
bar'Sm and cowardice, of gunners
chained TO their pieces, and the IKE.
His book is Of most interest for the
incidents IL tells, little sketches Of life
In the trenches, Of artillery duels be
tween invisible foes, Of hand-to-hand
Sighting and OF the desolation OF fields
of battle after il is all over the ground
strcwn with shells. little mounds sur
mounted by crosses beginning TO do,
10 here and there. And he is graphic.
4 few words suffice h m 70 make
things clear to the reader: 81 wonder
If you who read this realize that the
German trenches can be reached by
motorcar in ninety minutes from the
Rue de IA Paix." Take twenty
wears from the age Of Andrew Car
necie. trim his beard 10 q point. throw
his shoulders back and his chest out.
and you viii have as good an idea as
| can give YOU OF the wartime Presi-
dent of France" Think Of
bombarding city az a range Of TWEEN
ty-three miles and every shot hit
Imagine the Grand Central Station IN
New ork. the Presbyterian Hospital.
the Metropolitan Life Building and the
City Hall being blown TO smithereens
by shells fred from Railway, y. J. And
= was not a 42-centimetre siege gun
either. bat a 15-inch naval gun brought
from Kiel. No wonder that the Ger
mans are so desperately anxious to
reach Calais" 1t is touches like these
that give the book much Of its interest.
Then there is the description Of the
panic into which the first German gas
attack threw the French colonial
troops. The Algerians shouted that
evil spirits had been turned loose
against them and that they could not
fght GfritV. run, brothers, run.'
The supcrstitious Senegalese. "men
from the " est Coast where voodoo SIN
still holds sway. men of the desert
steeped in the traditions and mysteries
Of Islam. broke and ran. The French
white troops were swept along IN the
mad debacIe. An eyewitness OF the
rout that followed told me that he
never expects 20 see its like this side OF
the gates Of hell"
Mr.. Powell also has something 10
say concerning the relations between
the French and the English in the field.
The French officers. he reports, regard
the deficiency Of technlc among tho
British officers as ineNcuSable; they
consider the officers who needlessly eN-
pose them elves as not heroic. but in
sane Moreover, their naughty be
havior. unconscious, no doubt, consld-
eraoly nettled the Frenchmen, as Oh ii
also, in the early days OF the war at
least, the propensity OF the brltlsh
n
lance of the British contingent and It's
achievements. But the new En2llsh
army in France is, we are assured
admirably organized Its serious spirit
is far different from the swagger and
the recklessness Of the Tommies Of the
first eXpeditionary force, the protes-
sioral soldiers Of Great Britain. "Out
along the battle front you do not hear
tho men discussing the terms Of peace
We viii grant Germany or what shall
we do with the Kaiscr% They are not
talking much, they are not boastlng
ruch. they are not singing much, but
they have settled down 20 the hercu-
lean task that lies before them with
grim determination, bulldog tenacIty
Of purpose"
Mr.. Washburn informs us IN the
preface TO this second volume OF his
observations with the Russian armies
that he was urged not 10 publish ~.
on the ground that the fortunes OF
Russia and its forces were on the
wane. lie decided otherwise, he con
tinues. in order 10 give evidence OF
his undiminished faith in the ultimate
victory of the Cars armies. TINS
book covers the period from the sur
render Of Przemysl, and the change o.
its name INTO Peremysl, TO the entry
Of the Central Powers into warsaw
and the collapse Of the Russian stra-
tcgical offensive. That this offensive
has not been paralyzed by the leu
tonic drive has already been proved.
Mir Washburn confidently predicts
new Russian advance. but, he adds IN
conclusion. the Gar may never have TO
reconquer Galicia and Poland It Is
perfectly cossibe that when the end
comes Germany will be still on the
territory of France. Belgium and Rus
sia. Peace will bring back instantly
all Of these provinces without any
fighting at all"
Ii is well that the author did not
listen TO the appeals of his friends 20
suppress this record o; period Of tho
war begun with such high hopes, ended
BY failure. The book forms part OF
the history Of the greater struggle
which the student Of its Developments
would have sorelv missed. Mr.. Wash
burn still clings 10 the theory That II
Is only tn. German war machine, not
the German nation. which is IN action.
This idea. long since exploded. enables
him 10 draw a striking contrast with
"the morals. ethics, equity and JUS
tice." the high purpose, the courage
and capacity TO-. self sacrifice which.
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