The Washington herald., 1918-07-07

agination and q marked faculty OF
sympathetic appreciation OF other
people. The particular value OF his
book lies in the conception it affords
of the combination Of silent determi-
nation and gayety of spirit with
which the French are carrying on
their long struggle. The reader
notes it in almost every one OF the
people who figure in Mr.. de Florez's
diary, from army officers to humble
peasants.
Mr.. Coudert speaks of II in his in
PRODUCTION and describes the mental
attitude of which 1t is the outward
expression as -'the reaction Of the
simple soldier of the ordinary peas
! ant. of the little child. to the great
conflict which really discloses the
! soul of the nation"
Behind the Scenes I'm the Reichstag.
Able Wetterle. who for sixteen
years was a deputy in the Reichstag
| and in the Alsace-Lorraine chamber,
| tells US in his book. Behind the
Scenes in the Reichstag" George H
poran Company some remarkable
| things.
| ADOC "cllcTle - al AlbAll6H pElcst
and has devoted his life 10 fighting
the political battles OF his oppressed
! people. He is therefore in q position
to tell US. without the censor interfer-
ing, just how foolish. and ridiculous
and servile the German Reichstag il
\ and was.
The character OF German leaders,
the Kaiser. Won Bulow. the crown
prince. Won Tirpitz, Bethmann-Holl-
veg. and a host Of others-are drawn
with the assurance OF long personal
| observation. The whole history of the
relations between Alsace and Germany
is recounted with dramatic intensity.
The author edited lie Journal. which
Germany made every effort to sup
press on account of its French senti-
| ment; he was imprisoned after q SEN
| sational trial in which his wit had
free play. refused any special privi-
leges In prison on account Of his po-
sition. and on his release received an
ovation which demonstrated that he
was by no means suppressed" He
was denounced by his bishop for his
political activities. His papers have
been many times confiscated. But, as
journalist, as deputy, and As priest.
he has held the unfaltering love of his
/ INSIASB anu Aioo "
emerge triumphant from the darkest
trials. He may well claim the epithet
applied by the great philosopher to
himself: The gad-fly OF the state"
The New Voter.
Few books OF recent print bear
more practical knowledge for the
reader than The New Voter" Ey
I Charles Willis Thompson. The con-
tent OF this volume was first publish
ed serially in a metropolitan news
paper, and was at that time called
Tho Woman Voter" While the in
formation given by Mr.. Thompson Is
not new to those whose political ac-
tivities have been more than super
ficial, nevertheless, to the women in
those States who have recently been
accorded the vote, and the young
man Just arriving at his majority, a
careful reading of this book should
be considered as almost necessary.
/ The book takes the form Of a quasi
| dialogue, and 1t is a thorough re-
hearsal of things" that the pros
pective voter should know. There is
| no phase of political life that is not
touched upon from the ward heeler's
tricks to the diplomatic" arrange
ments effected by the big men IN
Washington. 1t is not written in di-
datic style, but is permeated with a
racy flavor at times which finds vent
in the retelling OF sensational scam
dals, such as the Conkling affair"
The authority of the boss" the art
of booming candidates. and the ex-
PLANTATION of that almost classical
phrae, ''the Solid South" together
with valuable important sidelights on
such functions as the national con-
vention," a dark horse" and SINH
lar features, are well elucidated. A
chapter with the title. The third
term delusion," furnishes interesting
reading
The question from the Foreword of
the book cannot be amiss: Peoples
who say they will have nothing to do
with politics are mistaken. No man
can say, without talking nonsense,
that he attends only to his business
and lets politics alone. He could not
attend to his business if politics let
him alone. Russia is another proof OF
this. A man can't refuse to have
anything to do with politics; but he
can. by his attitude. help a good deal
to make politics bad, and, therefore,
to make government bad. The man
| and woman-for now she is charged
with the same responsibility in many
states. and will soon be charged with
! 1t everywhere-who won't register,
won't vote, won't take an interest in
| politics, is not keeping aloof from
! politics; he or she is only helping,
with might and main. to make politics
bad"
G. p. Putnam's Sons.