Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29
Reviews of New Books

leaves the man, amazing as he has al
ready proved himself to be, with his
career just begun. Beyond the borders
of this sketch one waits to see how,
further, these prodigious times will call
out more and more of this straight see-
ing. hard hitting. inconsistent. impul-
sive, tradition smashing Welshman,
called to steer England through the
supreme hour of its existence. The
office of this little book is to bring
within reach a compact first study of
the remarkable character of Lloyd
George, making a definite point of in
telligent observation from which one
may follow him in his subsequent atti-
tudes and activities.
RUSSIA IN 1915. By Stephen Graham,
author of Russia and the World"
etc. New York: The Macmillan
Company.
When the war broke out in 1914
Stephen Graham was in Russia. The
following year he was in Egypt. in the
Balkans. in Russia and in England.
Last year he again visited Russia. So,
within the whole war period he has
been in close touch with Russia and
Russian affairs The book in hand is a
record of the Impressions which he
brought out of that country from his
latest visit to it. The view is a many
sided one. to which all parts of Euro
pean Russia contribute. The writer
gives a graphic picture of the waking
up of Archangel and of the great rail-
way building in the north over land
most unfriendly to the innovations of
warmer and more accessible regions.
From Archangel to Moscow Mr.. Graham
gathers many interesting sketches of
places and persons, of the ways of daily
living, of its cost, of the substitutions
and combinations to which this excess
sfve cost gives rise, of the thoughts OF
the common people concerning the war
of the part they are taking in it. He
describes prohibition Russia submit
ting correspondence calculated to
clear up some of the misunderstanding
that exists on that subject There is
chapter on the literature of Russia III
1916 and one also on the pictures that
are being painted under the impulse of
the war spirit. A personal chapter on
the meeting of old friends in the land
he knows SO well leads the writer to
discuss the prospect of peace from the
Russian standpoint. Things have hap
pened in Russia since the publication
of this interesting volume. recent of
issue as 1t is. These happenings might
change the color of Mr. Graham's con-
illusions made few months ago. There
are two very appealing points about
this little book. 1t is a domestic view,
so to speak. 1t has little to say about
war and international matters. Those
are aPdi run ilS purpose, ana tEeSt,
too, are not the things about which one
wishes to hear. Rather does he want TO
know just those things that appear here.
Again. it is fair-dealing book. II
goes through gossip to the truth, and
the writer's intimacy with Russian
matters makes him keen TO distinguish
truth from mere excited report. Pass
ing view though it be. this is valu-
able survey of conditions in the Russia
of half year ago. Mr.. Graham knows
the country and hSs written about it
with fair Judgment and broad COM
prehension.
THE LIGHT IN THE CLEARING. BY
Irving Bachelor. author of "Eben
Holden" etc. Illustrations by Ar
thur !. Keller. Indianapolis: The
Bobbs-Merrirll Company.
An old-fashioned story by an old
fashioned writer. For just the time
and place to suit his present purpose.
Irving Bachelor goes back more than