Evening star., 1924-05-10
The Library Table
BY THE BOOkLOvEH

were responsible for bringing on the
world war, historians are still study
ing the vast mass of official docu-
ments that have been published, as
well as the numerous personal mar
ratives, to find new light on the
question, and are gradually publish
ing the results of such critical stud
les. The May number of Current
History, published by the New YORK
Times, contains a most interesting
study of the question by Prof. Harry
Elmer Barnes of Smith College, In
which he summarizes the conclusions
arrived at by the most competent
American and English historians
This long article, entitled Assessing
the Blame for the World War; A Re-
vised Judgment Based on All Avail
able Documents" is already causing
considerable controversy. The author
of the article, who comes from long
line of American ancestry of original
English and Dutch stock and who is
regarded by the. editor of Current
History as one fthe most thorough
American scholars in historical re-
search, closes his analysis OF the evi-
dence of war guilt with the conclu-
sion that the scapegoat theory Oh
complete, sole and unique guilt on
the part of Germany or any, other
single state can no longer be support
ed. Probably the majority OF com
petent students would assign the rel
ative responsibility for the OUTBREAK
Of hostilities in about this order:
Austria Russia France, Germany
and England. Deeper than
any national guilt is the responsible
ity Of the wrong-headed and savage
European system of nationalism, i'm
perialism secret diplomacy and MIL
itarism which sprang into fulI bloom
from 1870 TO 1914. And there can be
no hope of permanent peace In Eu-
rope until it is freely and clearly
recognized that it is the system Wnich
must be resolutely attacked through
various forms of international coop
Grafton and organiza tion.
Though the editor of Current His
tory had confidence in. the scholar
ship and good faith of Prof. Barnes
he realized that the conclusion
reached whereby France was rated
before Germany in guilt would be
startling judgment. He has, there
fore, also published in the same num-
Der a briefer article by Prof. Albert
Bushnell Hart strongly dissenting.
He writes: If Barnes is right, Roose-
Welt was wrong, Wilson was wrong,
Elihu Root was wrong Ambassador
Page was wrong-everybody was
wrong" According to Barnes, Hart
continues, tho evidence acquits Ger
many and puts France in the pillory.
or4; ;,1 xrrflI
matter. The editor of Current His
tory announces that in a later issue
he will publish judgments on this
provocative article by several other
distinguished American historians.
They will be awaited with great in
terest. In the meantime an editorial
writer in the New York Times points
out that Ito the layman there is one
fatal defect in the argument" of
Prof. Barnes, "and that consists in
his exclusive concern with documents
to the neglect of common fact and
normal psychology"
Riccyman Steps is the name given
to the gentle, broad accIivity lead
ing from Kings Cross Road to Ricey-
man Square, in the great metropoli-
tan Industrial district of Clerken-
and dirt" continually disturbed by
the roar of traffic in the Kings Cross
Road and the ''mu fled uproar of the
subterranean electric trains of the
underground railway which ran be-
meath the section. passed the lives of
Henry Eariforward, his wife Violet
| and their overworked and underfed
servant Elsie. In describing their
dull, drab lives Arnold Bennett has
produced in his most recent novel
"Riceyman Steps" piece of sordid
decency equal to that of his "OId
! Wives Tale" Henry's existence was
a partly veiled but ceaseless, dogged
Unconditional struggle to keep down
| expenses and to add to his hoard
| From the point of view of his dom
inant passion. Violet, his really loved
wife, was his enemy. To keep as
nearly intact as possible the small
sums he took in daily in his second
hand book shop, to eat as little as
| possible himself and to permit as
little as possible to be eaten by the
| other two members of his family. IN
see that the gas ring in the kitchen
burned only the unavoidable few
moments a day and that fires were
| lighted in the other rooms not al
| all-these constituted the daily ac-
tiv1ties of Henry Earlforward.
| Violet Earlforwards mind was not
as single tracked as Henry's. She
Vacillated between periods of com
plete self-ahnegatfon and submission
to Henry and Especially when she
was hungry of rebellion against him.
Elsie's life was an unending double
hght-to keep the dirt of the neigh
berhood from burying the little
house and its inhabitants ard to
cravings of her healthy young
stomach. Not all the left-overs Of
| cold potatoes, tag ends of meat
dried cheese rinds and bread crusts
| In that parslmonious household were
| sufficient to appease Elsie's' rayenous
| appetite, but when, yielding to strong
physical urge, she devoured raw the
| small quantity of bacon which should
have provided the next days family
dinner, she suffered agonies of re-
morse. But, in spite of all the sordid-
| ness, each one of the odd trio had
a secret romance. Violets was her
small safe of securities left her by
her first husband. which she kept in
the bathroom because only there
could she open it alone. Henry's was
his safe of bank notes and gold coin
in his inner Office. Elsie's was Joe
a poor enough wreck of humanity in
| the eyes of every one else, but her
own and therefore to be cherished
x X
At this season of the year and in
this section of the country the little
book on THE Baltimore Oriole," by
Raphael Semmes Payne, will be found
of especial interest. The author
claims that the Baltimore oriole is
1.-The most fascinating lawn bird in
America" He draws on his own OBJ
| servations and on the writings of
John ]. Audubon, biographical
| sketch of whom is appended to this
| book He tells us that the bird s
name is derived from its plumage of
orange and black, the colors of Lord
Baltimore the founder of the Mary