The New York herald., 1922-12-03

Il
THE HOLY ALLIANCE. BY W. p Cresson.
Oxford University Press.
EUROPE AND BEYOND. By ]. A. r. Mar
riott. z. p. Dutton & Co.
WESTERN RACES AND THE WORLD
Arranged and edited by F. s. Marvin. OK
ford University Press
THE TREND OF HISTORY. BY William
Kay Wallace. The Macmillan Company.
AFTER THE PEACE. BY H. N. Brailsford.
Thomas Seltzer.
"HE student of contemporary affairs
is perhaps too little inclined to
draw comparisons from history
Despite our tendency to regard the pres
ent era as unique ii manifests many close
points Of resemblance to previous ages;
despite the thoroughness OF our study
of present day economic and political
questions our background must be shallow
and our vision short and blunted unless
we be willing to take instruction from
history. This fact is made evident by
the various books under review, which
make an examination of history. ancient
as well as modern. with view to a fuller
understanding and a more far sighted
solution of contemporary problems
The volume that takes US furthest back
in time is Professor Hadley's Rome and
the World To-day" This book offers
conception that is in many respects unique;
it presents Augustan Rome in a some
what novel light, offers a new interpreta-
ton OF known facts. and draws valuable
comparisons for the guidance OF the pres
ent day statesman Even thu most casual
student of history knows of the famous
Pax Romano. the great peace that EMBODIED
the Roman Empire for two centuries be-
ginning with the reign of Augustus; but
perhaps few OF US have been struck by
the fact that Augustus built that peace
upon the rickety foundations of a world
disorganized by warfare much as the world
to-day is disorganized. The previous
century and a half had been a period of
almost tncessant fighting: first there had
been the cataciysmic Punic wars then
battles with the barbarians. sanguine slave
revolts. civil strife and the prescription
Of leading citizens. wars of conquest to
extend the frontiers of Rome, and re-
newed civil strife involving Cesar, An
tony. and Pompey; and the result was
that the Roman Republic had become
defunct, that Rome herself was almost
prostrated. and that the immediate dis
integration of the Empire was threatened
How this disintegration was averted for
centuries to come, and how peace was
built up out OF the ashes of war. is in
terestingly related by Professor Hadley:
but the important part of the book is not
its recitation of established facts. but the
conclusions the author derives from those
facts. the contention that the world to-
-asay can be saved from dissolution Just
as the ancient world was saved. II only
We study the methods OF Augustus and
apply them to present conditions.
Valuable Information for the student Of
contemporary events is likewise to be
found in w. p Cresson's volume on THE
Holy Alliance" which makes careful
study of the life and policies of the Rus
sian Car Alexander T., his relations with
his fellow sovereigns. and the European
background of the Monroe Doctrine. II
has frequently been contended that the
present League of Nations" is in effect
a new holy Alliance. and the reasons
for this opinion are made evident in DR.
Cresson's volume. which shows how the
Holy Alliance originating in the IDEAL
ism Of Alexander and sponsored as a
guaranty for world peace. degenerated
in a short time into little more than a
combination Of the strong against the
weak. the foe of all liberal movements and
the champion of the divine rights OF
kings. Because it could not discriminate
between the dispensable and the indispen-
sable rights of a sovereign state it proved