Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-20

torian," said Doctor McFabre.
history writing is only one of his
many activities" explained. HE was
mead physician IN a military hospital in
south Africa in the Boer War and when
he returned to England he wrote a his.
tory OF that conflict, which was widely
read at the time of its publication. His
nrst novel was semihistorical study OF
the Mormons In America. THE White
company" is also a historical novel. He
mas written poetry and plays besides
creating Sherlock Holmes, the most popu-
lar detective in fiction for a century. II
you want to read some rafting stories Of
the Napoleonic wars you should get his
Adventures Of Glrard.' They will show you
what war was like when It was fought
oy men with a sense of chlvalry. As
nave looked over the second volume of his
history Of the part the British are taking
IN the present war I have regretted that
he did not use his dramatic Imagination
IN telling his story. He describes what
happened in 1915 in q narrative that Is
devoid of color and difficult to read he.
cause OF the multitude Of details. He
looks at the British actions with a micro.
scope and tells us what regiments were
engaged in the various actions, who com.
manded them and what they did. It is i'm.
portant, however that there should be a
record Of these things The record will be
intensely interesting to the British and
will be studied by military students of the
technique Of fighting. And the American
who wishes TO get a friendly and sym
pathetic view OF the part the British
troops have played on the continent will
find 1t worth while"
When our troops begin TO fight on
the other side, some American writer will
do the same service for them" Owen re.
marked
Il suppose So" I admitted. "and we
shall all want to read It. In the mean.
time those of US who are fortunate
enough TO have Frank II. Slmonds's his.
tory will find exactly what we have been
looking for"
who is Simonds?" Doctor McFabre
asked.
You don't mean to say that you have
not heard Of him." asked. He is the
one American newspaper writer whose
articles on the war raised him into promi-
nence from the beginning. He was the
editor of the New York Evening Sun in.
1914 and his editorial articles showed
such comprehensive knowledge of mill.
tary history and such grasp of the
great issues involved in the war that
they were quoted in all parts Of the coun.
try. Early in the spring of 1915 he
went over to the New York Tribune and
was put in charge OF the editorial page to
continue his commentaries on the war
The first volume of his history carries
us to May, 1915. But before he begins
to discuss the fighting he gives us a
brief resume Of the political events in
Europe since 1870. His discussion of the
history of the twelve fateful days that
preceded the actual declaration of war
is in a different temper from most that
has been written. Former Ambassador
Morgenthau, for example, wrote last Sun
day that Germany had decided on the war
weeks before the Austrian Archduke was
assassinated, and he put the entire blame
for the cataclysm on the Germans. Mr..
Simonds, however, after remarking that
volumes have been published to prove
that this nation or that was most anxious
to preserve the peace, remarks that 1t
seems probable that in the future all
these details will be forgotten by the
historian who will perceive that the
twelve days were not significant, as all
hope for peace had expired long before;
and he says that the statesmen who
frantically labored for peace were as i'm.
potent as the medicine man who invokes
charms to check the approach Of a
cyclone. know there are persons who
hold a different view, but I am inclined
to think that this Is the correct one"
Then you think that Germany did not
start the war;" asked owen.
I'm a broad sense. no. In a narrow
sense yes" 1 said. THE war grew out
Of the conflicting selfshnesses of the ma
tions of Europe. Events were shaping
themselves for years before the first of
August, 1914, which made war inevitable
pen had long been aware
of the condition, but they had hoped the
Inevitable could be escaped. II the ma
tions had been prepared for war as Ger.
many was prepared the conflict would not
have lasted three years. Mr. Simonds
writing In America, and so able in way
to find that verdict Of a foreigner, which