Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-06-06
NEWS AND REVIEWS
OF LATEST BOOKS

THE RELATION OF THE JUDIcI-
AIRY TO THE CONSTITUTION. BY
William NJ. Mcigs. The Neale Pub
fishing Co. New York.
Seldom does work of more vital
import TO the safety OF the country
find its way to tho eyes of the public
than this scholarly consideration or
: the function of the courts as deter
mined by our carly history and by
tho Constitution. The volume is par
ticularly welcome at this time.
fraught as it's pages arc with les
sons OF incalculablc value not only
to students OF the. instrument on
which our system OF government IL
= based. and TO Americans gcncraliy,
but to all interested in the new over
!. seas governments. which are ABOUT
that Will require some such curbing
: power US was vested in our Judiciary.
: in order TO hold in leash unhridled,
!. irresponsible majorities. These lat
: ter have ever been well-niEh In
. soluble problem TO the constructive
f. publiciSt.
- Crises create governmental crceds.
The Constitutional Convention or
1857 was convoked in order to bring
: light out OF chaos, To give security
. to those United States. 10 strengthen
! the bond between them so that they
!. might be 1T 10 front, as a unit. other
. nations of the earth. so that. too.
justice might be established among
the States by adherence TO an invioi-
able agreement That convention.
however, did not make all points
/, clear, as later days and numerous
. forensic battles have shown. Nor
lawmakers and lawintcrprcters
/. than that of authority over the laws
: OF the States. and OF Congress TO
7 which Mr.. MciSs has given historical
. treatment in this latest book OF his.
: wherein he follows the growth OF
the American Doctrine of Judicial
poverty some even called judicial
Supremacy-which holds that the
of Interpreting the laws made by the
two-brAnched Legislature, but OF
determining their constitutionaiity.
With commcndablo comprehensive
: ness the author has brought together
for the purpose of demonstrating his
Z theme all the mere important cases
in justification of the right accredit-
ed 10 the Judiciary to examine into
with critical saSacity: he analyses:
argues. and upholds the doctrine OF
judicial power. beginning with the
termination in Colonial days of the
Mr.. Mcigs shows how tho root. hav-
ing already taken firm hold in our
system. in the Constitutional Con-
vention and later. developed into an
indcstructiblc growth that, despite
counterimpulsrS. branched an 4
spread throughout the country until
all our courts voidcd statutes that
were in conflict with fundamental
. law.
1t is mastcrful historical com
mcntary--a work worthy to stand In
, n niche no less lofty than that held
by this scholarly writer's hitherto
John c. Calhoun" And while this
work on the judiciary is primarily
u quickennG interest to the student
OF governmental issues and to those
t.tst T,,. Vet
there is Al the same time nothing
reconcile in 1t to spoil the helpful
ness OF the volume TO the lay reader
seeking illumination on the methods
conflicting legislation. The work is
q notcworthy-mo an cpochal-ad-
dition TO the political thought OF the.
day.
ism are doing their utmost TO break
down our government, and some
students even deny the power of our
courts 10 hold laws unconsttutionnI,
this hook, which traces that power
back 10 early Colonial days. and de-
monstrates beyond cavil its riGhtful
existence.
GERMANY AFTER THE ARMI-
STICE. BY Maurice Berger. licMten.
ant in the army Of Belgium. q. T.
Pu,nam's Sons. New York.
Belgian engineer. who before the
war held a professorship in The
Ecole Ccntrale Technique of Brus-
sells. The facts presented by him
are based on the personal testimony
of representative Germans concern
ing the conditions existing in 1919,
with the conclusions arrived at rest
ing in part on his own observations
NJ Berger had the honor OF being
the first allied military man sent TO
Berlin. after the signing OF the armi-
sticc, and he carried with him intro
auctions which opened all doors
Thus. he gained personal interviews
with many of the former war lords
as well as the leaders OF the new
regime-of leading German citizens,
representing all groups and opinions.
and he here sets down his intensely
interesting and astounding findings.
1t was a happy IDEA 10. 70 among
these people in the early period or
the revolutionary reorganization and
to let them say for themselves what
was their attitude toward the new
order, and what were their mental
reactions 10 their war crimes and to
the peace of justice (to them of vio-