The New York herald., 1922-03-19


appeal to his large public.
He is asking his readers to think, as
well as offering them excellent en-
tertainment. The book is almost as
much of n tract as it is a novel. but
his skill as a maker of fiction en-
ables him to manage his serious
theme without letting it clog the
wheels of his story. His marionettes
move as we'll as usual, without
creahing joints, and though the
strings that pull the puppets are in.
evidence it remains real story.
| highly efficient, sure in its excellent
stage effects, and interesting from
start to finish. And in his central
figure, the great Prince Shan, Chi
nese potentate and. in effect, ruler of
a new world, he has managed to
build up a strikingly solid personal
| ity, despite the grandiose extrava-
gance of the idea. He is even some
what like an Oriental Prince F1orizel
of Bohemia, conceived tragically in
stead of hdmorously, but with a real
kinship, although he is never the
grea. gentleman that Florizel is.
| The book holds many really fine
speeches. much telling. dramatic ges-
ture-sometimes even enough to
raise il a little above the standard of
the puppet show. His people have
great deal TO say that is very we'll
worth saying, and they often deliver
their messages naturally and elo-
quently. Looking at it as 4 COM
mentary upon the trend of the times
and an earnestly sincere warning, 1t
may be well to recall that. more than
once in the near past such warnings
have been uttered in the form of fic-
ton, to be thereafter proved only too
accurate. There were writer's of fic-
| ton besides Wells who foresaw the
cataclysm of 1911. The accuracy of
their forebodings may perhaps give
greater weight to similar forecasts
made to-day.
Mr.. Oppenheim's story is dated in
1884. with London as its stage but
the whole >yorld as its theater. He
conceives 4 world superficially at
peace, and especially a fully dis
armed England, relying screnely
upon the proper functioning of the
| League of Nations. He sees Amer
lea as completely isolated. and he has
also removed Japan and the Far
East from this happy family. Rus
sia is, in form, a rehabilitated re-
public but actually under despotic
control. France has kept up her
preparedness and is the only OPEN
| ly militarist nation. Germany is
highly prosperous but still hampered
by the "cruel" terms of the Versailles
treaty and deeply, Indignantly de-
sirous of revenge upon England.
China, in full accord with Japan, has
become entirely efficient, and with
the great Prince Shan as its leader
\ is actually. the most powerful people
in the world. Italy and the minor
nations he rather negiectS as of no
great Importance, nor does he at
tempt to bring in South America or
Africa.
When the story opens the Germans
are trying to effect a combination
with Russia and China by means OF
which England is To be thoroughly
punished. stripped of her empire and.
perhaps. given over to general de-
struction. In secret city In
Southern China there has been as
sembled an entirely unconquerable
air fleet OF new construction, max
ing use Of new inventions. chemical,
&C., that would enable Chinese to con
quer the world, if she pleased, with
no very serious opposition except
from the alert French. And who is
rash enough to say to-day that any
ntiill tli Dc SCI ~ ZIG pos7ibAt ~
complishments OF modern science
wien applied TO destructiveness?
The widest fancies are entirely per-
missible.
The picture Us a whole is curl
ously plausible. Things might turn
out much as Mr.. Oppenheim mag
ines, though in any more sober
/ foracae. ,,,,a ,.Iriot,clV naa3s n ynnch