New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-07
hooks. AUTHORS: PJBIISFIERS~NEWS REVIEWS: COMMEN

with historic allusion. it cannot be ac-
cepted as a serious contribution 70 the
splritual and cultural chronicles Oh
Teuton and Celt.
Mr.. Leslie is conscious OF the ao-
surditv OF pigeonholing national chaf
acteristics and provides against I'M
due censure by confessing the MADE
nuacv of most ready-made iaoe!s.
Nevertheless he plunges boldly
into speculations of a very DUBIOUS
sort. and in spite of his disclaimers
he IS a little overanxlous IN estao-
fishing diferentiations. lie plays
freely with such popular terms as
Arvan. which. after all, has little or
no significance as an ethnologicai
label. and he forces great many
facts to make them fit in with ms
more or less nebulous theories. ne
is clear-headed enough to see that me
alliance of Teuton and Celt is not IN
stinctive, but. on the other hand, ms
efforts to establish fundamental DIS,
tinctions are too often farfetched and
wholly fantastic. 90, q,
An carly example of his wild and
unjustifable generalization Is tound
in the first chapters. The Celt' ne
says. "has never prosecuted the jew
The true Teuton, from Shakespeare to
Goethe, is anti-Semite." This Is
superficial observation, because com
parison is so obviously Impossible.
The Irish, whom he is particularly
concerned in praising, had little OPP
portunity until quite recently OF show.
ing either hostility or friendship toward
the Jew. Jews were quite as rare as
snakes in Ireland in Shakespeare
time. In Goethes time there were not
half a dozen in the capital. But. If Mr.
Leslie's memory goes back thirty, or
even twenty. years. he can hardly fail
70 recall the anti-Semite bills and
placards distributed freely about
the hoardings of Dublin, TO say moth
ing Of the stonings reported from
Limerick and other towns when the
Jews were still strangers in Ireland.
This is a trifle. but it seems to show
weakness in Nr. Leslie's way Of rea-
soning from facts insufficiently con-
sjdered.
When he deals with religion he
goes equally wrong, and his attempts
TO reconcile the variety of Celtic
phenomena in this field are not fortu-
nate. He does not appear sufficiently
10 recognize the marked distinction
between the establishment of the
Anglican Church and the efecting OF
similar reformations on the Continent
of Europe, which really had much
more influence on some Of the Celtic
countries than on "Teuton" England.
The offhand grouping of Lutheranism
and the Church of England is con-
venient for his argument, but 1t is
uncritical and superficial.
Mr.. Leslie praises the Teuton, but
only for qualities he does not vail
"Great is the Teuton indeed, Luther
in religion, Bessemer in steel,
Nieztsche in philosophy. Rockefeller
in oil-Cromwell and Bismarck in
war" This is fair sample of his
manner Of dishing out generalities. IL
Is not Just or reasonable. because il
is plainly an appeal TO prejudice.
However. we must take the book for
what II is a rhapsody and az such
Il is entertaining and pleasing enough.
Mr.. Jones's book was evidently in
tended for the American market, and
it is useful in so far as IL is rounded
cut with documents Of permanent his
toric interest. Moreover. the account
given Of the origin and progress Of
the Sim Fem movement is upon the
whole clearer and more correct than
many hitherto published.
In calling his narrative n history he
il, however, too pretentious. He Is
poorly equipped for the title of his
torian, not merely because he is a
Jealous partisan for MacDonagh was
that and nevertheless wrote a book of
real value on the literary aspect Of the
movement). but because he IS too shall
low a thinker to distinguish between
essentials and accidents. Nor has he
candor enough 10 admit n doubt in
Using questionable material if only
the material happens to be of apparent
value as establishing his side of the
case.
Thus. b. way of exposing the guilt
Of Dublin Castle in the days preceding
the Easter rising of last year, he
quotes what he calls "the actual orders
which the planners Of the pogrom had
secretly issued to the military This
Is the document produced before the
Dublin Corporation, the authenticity
Of which has no better foundation than
the hearsay of an alderman, who him.
self could not vouch for its genuine
ness. At the inquiry that followed II
was dismissed as IAN absolute fabrlca-
ton from beginning 20 end" and q
pure invention" yet Mr.. Jones has the
forehead TO offer it as genuine. Similarly
in dealing with the Ulster covenanters
he speaks confidently OF the absurd
report that Carson had his ambassa-
dor in Berlin" intimating plainly
that preparations had been made to
betrav the country 10 the Kaiser