Evening star., 1918-07-14

items Of . World Peace. By H q.
Wells, author Of -New Worlds for
= Old" etc. New York: The Mac
' milan Company.
q 7R. WELLS believes In q
MM league OF nations to keep
WVI the peace Of the world. He
VIZ believes, moreover, that now
is the time to move toward the forma-
tlon Of that league. There will not
be again, there cannot be. q moment
Of such perfect union among the allies
az exists at the present time. There
can never be again moment Of such
exalted and unselfish outlook, Of such
clear and noble vision. as at the pres
ant crisis animates and unites the
allies This moment Of pure uplift is.
therefore, the psychological time for
the formation Of q league Of such
character as to FULFILL the prupose of
its creation. Having made 1T clear
that this is the opportune hour for
action, Mr.. Wells makes tentative
analysis Of the nature and function OF
this league. He outlines the man
ner Of its establishment. noting the
difficulties that may arise In this
process, but arguing that these diff
culties will not prove insurmount-
able, or even troublesome. If only the
undertaking is entered upon in the
present high mood of the allied
countries. In celebrating this plan
Mr.. Wells discusses. as Its foundation
stone, the substance and spirit OF
democracy. He points out that the
word, democracy, covers an infinitely
bigger content than its original use
among the Greek cities implied. He
makes it clear that democracy has
taken on, not only meaning, but
something of make-believe, and
good deal of useless mechanism un-
der the business of modern politics.
This make-believe. this vicious ma
chinery of party politics, the writer
denounces in straight terms as he
makes argument and plea Tor q
league Of nations created In the
spirit of-true democracy, and 10 the
liable assets Of the present moment
for its direction and immediate
achievement. An impressive and
convincing study Of political signid-
cance that deals as fearlessly with
the present shortcomings of party
future that the present enlarged vis-
ion ought speedily to secure.
RUSSIA IN UPHEAvAL. By Edward
Alsworth Ross, Pm. D. LII. D.. au-
thor Of The Old World in the
graphs New York: TIC Century
Company. +
Russia in revolution ID. upon Its
face. a subject hopeless Of compfe-
hension. The nuctuating and uncer-
tain reports Of the press open NO
roads Of approach through which one
may pass into q slightly space for
overlooking any considerable part Of
the Russian situation. So. to the
average reader. Russia 10 mad,
whirling Dervish OF q nation, bent
upon ultimate self-destruction. and,
meanwhile, standing as many-sided
menace to the world at large. I'm
der this welter OF confusion. how
ever, there must be byways that lead
back to an orderly substance Of Rus
sian life. And there are such by
ways. Indeed, these turn out to be
highways Leading, under Mr.. Ross
brilliant exposition, to perfectly CO.
ordinated view of the essential ele-
ments of Russia. and presenting a
lies buried at present under the con-
tradiction5 and confusions Of revolu-
tion. This moving picture begins to
unron at Vladivostok. From there,
by way of the tranS-siberian railway
to Petrograd and down the Volga and
into the Caucasus and across into the
protectorates of Turkestan, the pic
ture unfolds an iridescent stream of
Eussian oriental life Along the way
of this vivid exhibition the writer
stops for study. And this study
brings to bear Mr.. Ross equipment
of training for sociological situa-
lions and problems. Accompanying
this panorama, therefore, there is an
account of the Industrial conditions
of the workfngman in his relations
to production and to his employer
There is a penetrating dip into the
life OF the peasantry, into the ambi-
tfons and shiftings of the middle
class, into the aims of the intellectu-
ais who, IN the main, are the political
asitators, into the subject Of educa-
tion and the status of the Russian
woman, into the ever-present land
natural resources. All Of these topics
are gathered up. broadly, and placed
in their proportionate values under
the present upheaval as its source
and support. The whole fs a yirile.
large-limbed body Of exposition, 1t Ia
the essential person and personality
of Russia lifted from the mass Of its
entangtements and set out to view In
a brilliant and dramatic conference of
the rational implications that lie
within this body Of authentic fact.
Much of 1t taken at first hand. this
apA--szs aaa absorbing account
Is highly considerable contribution
to the present demand for real sun
light on the subject Of Russia.
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