New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-17
"Thy Kingdom Come"

ITALY. FRANCE AND BRITAIN AT WAR b
II. e. Wells. limo. ID. 80. The Macmillan
Company.
The religious-or perhaps we should
say the spritual-note which was so
strikingly dominant in "Mr. Britling
Sees 1t Through" is heard again in the
present work. Il is indeed its lei
motif. For that reason we must half
regret the title of the book, which fails
to denote its real purport. 1t is indeed
study of the war on the Western
front, made by the author in person a
few months ago; where he is convinced
the decisive actions of the whole war
ore to occur. That involves observa-
tions and comments upon the conduct
Of the three powers named. But 1t is
not primarily descriptive, though it
contains some of the graphic descrip-
tor that we have seen; nor is il in
tended to be narrative. 1t is contem-
plative and speculative and moralizing;
with a good deal more practically
than we have found in some of Mr.
Weiss earlier writings.
Passing by, therefore, his impress
sions and observations, intensely vivid
and vital as they are. and passing by,
also, some of his reflections which are
only a little less pertinent than these
y hich We shall briefly dwell upon, we
come to a most interesting chapter on
the attitude and the feelings of the
French and British toward eacn other.
In this he expresses a confident con-
viction strongly at variance with that
Of many others, in which we must
earnestly hope that he is right. That
is. that there has arisen between
their armies, sincere mutual ap-
probation. admiration and affection,
" hich assures their cordial fraternity
Tor many years to come. The British
10 not think. they feel Mr.. Wells
must have his little fling at his coun-
trVmen's stolidity so tremendous an
admiration for the superb renascence
Of militant France that they forget and
lahore all their own great achieve
ments and credit France with doing II
ALL As for the French, their un-
bounded admiration for the British
soldiers is naively epigrammatized IN
tie tribute. in tones Of wonder and con-
yiction, "They are as good as ours!
That. as Mr.. Wells observes. is the
acme OF all possible praise. Nor IS IT
in the least the egotistical thing that
J. might be in others, but rather
generous tribute from a traditional
ration of soldiers TO a prOyerbial ma
ton Of shopkeepers.
But if they thus regard each other,
how do they both, and now do others,
regard America? Not so highly. IT
would seem. as does Mr Wells himself.
Europe looks upon as rs trivial, SELF
seeking and uncertain; for which,
truth to tell. we cannot altogether
blame her. There is. we are told. n
very strong disposition in all European
Countries TO believe America funCa-
mentally Indifferent TO the rights and
wrongs of the European struggle.
Wei. did not our President declare
;Lat such was and should be and must
b.. the case? And can we blame tu-
rome for accepting our elected Presl-
oent as the spokesman Of the nation
But Nh Wells thinks better Of US
than does. or did. Mr.. Wilson. There
is 4" he saws, "a Base America, there
Is Dull America. there IS an Ideal
ard Heroic America. And | nm con-
WINGED that at present Europe under
rates and misjudges the possibilities
OF the latter" Thank you, Mr.. wells!