New-York tribune., 1918-04-20

Seeeuons from His Non Political Writings
Speeches and Addresses lS79-l9 1917. Including
Special Sections on America and Germany Sc
Ias leeted and arranged by Wi!frid NJ Short. With
Company.
A larger volume, "Arthur James Bal
four as Philosopher and Thinker" is
sued five years ago, is the virtual basis
Of what is now offered the American
public as a souvenir of last years Brit
ish Mission to the United States. The
generosity of publishers has enabled
Mr.. Short, who for over twenty years
has been Mr.. Balfour's private secre-
tary, to make extensive transcripts
from the books written by the Union
ist leader. The Clifford Lectures on
Theism and Humanism are not drawn
upon, but in compensation there are
paragraphs of summary from Mr.. Bal
osophic Doubt. 1t is pleasant to hear
Of the Clifford Lectures that they have
been translated into French and Italian.
Mr.. Balfour was thirty-one when he
wrote the essay in which, with an en-
tlrely constructive intention, he re-
minded inquirers that definite and
rational certainty is not likely to be
obtained unless we first pass through
stage of definite and rational doubt.
This fresh setting forth of the Socratc
commonplace gave the writer a quite
undeserved reputation for agnosticism.
Several moons had to wax and wane
ere the misapprehension attached to
Mr.. Balfour's academic and pince-nez
period was disposed of. When, in 1894.
he wrote his famous "The Foundations
ALI IL el-1 1
was not in abeyance, but his religious
atilrmatlons were more articulate. The
third of his important deliverances in
philosophy, the "Theism and Human
lsm,' is still more explicit in it's
avowals. Mr. Balfour long ago per-
ceived that the decisive battles of re-
liglous creed are fought beyond the
frontiers Of theology, and there are
few laymen of our time who can be
said to have sought more earnestly an
Intellectually satisfying way of holding
to the essentials of faith. There is a
naturalism that denaturalizes religion,
and against that tendency of positiv-
ism the British statesman has spoken
earnest words: Love, pity, and en-
durance it may indeed Neave with US:
and this is we'll. But it so dwarfs and
lmpoverishes the ideal end of human
effort that though it may encourage
us to die with dignity, it hardly per-
Imits us to live with hope The life
long prediction Of our author goes
we'll with all that has been told US of
his rearing in the Presbyterian Church
of Scotland and with the charming
pictures which have been given us of
the Whittingame home where Lady
Blanche Balfour's gifts of mind were
applied particularly in the task of re-
ligious education. AS for churchman-
ship, Mr.. Balfour shares with his King
the advantage of being a Presbyterian
in Scotland and an Epscopalian in
England, and of having-as Mark
Twain might have said-friends in both
places.
Thanks to Mr.. Shorts industrious
compilation. it is possible to arrive
quickly at a knowledge Of the EXPIRE
mier's opinions on many things. II the
reader is not keen to follow discus
sions of aesthetic theory he can at this
season of the year turn to what Mr..
Balfour has to say about Golf. The
chief value Of the volume is in the
especially the speeches on the rela-
tons of England with Germany AS
for British and American relations, Mr..
Balfour's advocacy of Anglo-Saxon
unity is no sentiment that has cropped
up overnight, but project to which
he has long devoted the weight of his
official influence. In a tribute to Mr.
Choate, an equally ardent witness for
Anglo-Saxon patriotism, Mr.. Bafour
recalls his friends declaration respect
ing the two nations, that our interests
are so inextricably interviewer that we
would not if we could, and we could
not if we would, escape the necessity
of an abiding and q perpetual friend
ship" D. BIG