The New York herald., 1922-03-05

After the War" Col. Reping-
ton goes somewhat further
afield for his material than In
his unquestionably interesting and
blazingly indiscreet "The First World
War" The passing war storm
brought TO the surface new people.
radically different ideas and almost
unthought OF International policies
The diplomacy and political machi-
nations of Metternich. Bismarck and
Salisbury became traditions when the
tables of the Paris peace conferences
were cleared and more serious prob
lens than had confronted those mas
ter minds of European chancelleries
called for solution by men of new
ideals. To look on from afar, to
apply formule OF the past appeared
TO Col. Repington useless. He went
TO see for himself. In this look
around he walked with Premiers over
the green baize of their desks, with
Kings and Presidents at their capt.
tails and country homes. he dug out
persons who he thought were doing
things and he reveled mildly and
ssanely in statistics of debts, dam
ages and reparations. He sought
always information as a cosmopol-
itan and democrat should Every
thing was grist that came to his
hoppers. A Magyar told him that
Baroness Banff had recently been
ing eeographically-an he said on
that part of the body reserved for
the tastinado.' / said that l should
make inquiries" He did and found
20 the credit of Rumanian chivalry
that the report was an exaggeration
When he arrived at Budapest an en-
try in his diary says: "Dined at
the hotel and made the maitre d'hotei
give me the local gossip and tell
me who was here"
Perhaps the least satisfying chap
ter of the book is the one devoted to
the Washington conference. The
reason is obvious. Col. Repington
GlounGered around at tirst, as did
most of the world. TOO early
to summarize my impressions" he
writes, "for / have been anfassing
them in stacks and they are not yet
sc rted out In my mind. Sorry to
leave before the final act is over,
but may not learn much more by
staying en-" His report of the OPEN
ing Is sueeinct and graphic. ",rhe
President made quite a good address
OF welcome. Simple. dignified and in
good TASTE" Secretary Hughes then
rose to make his tistoric statement,
"a simple. Straightforward. business
like address with nothing to indicate
Its dramatic conclusion"
II the English had sprung such a
plan unheralded upon the Americans
he thought it would have been re-
jtcted. "Mr. Secretary Hughes sunk
in thirty-five minutes more ships
than all the admirals in the world
had destroyed in q cycle of centuries.
More. he appeared to me to condemn
by anticipation all the armaments of
the globe. The armies of the world
sesm to me beckoned toward the cell
of the condemned. Teaching by ex-
ample. America makes a great re-
nunciation and the most magnificent
pol teal gesture osall history"
OF Mr. Root he writes: "As wise
a head as America contains.' Sec
retary Hughes. he says, has the
fierce twinkle in his eye of a bull
before he charges. They say he has
no weaknesses. What a tragedy, IL
true. However, he is assuredly a
male man and that is much. and
there Is no duplicity about. the man
at ALL" Later he modifies this state
ment by saying that the Secretary
Seems to be blossoming out under