Evening star., 1925-05-09
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY THE BOOkLOVER

| Theodore Roosevelt, the diplomat
and world statesman, is the theme OF
Tyler Dennett's Roosevelt and the
RuSso-Japanese War" That in the
years to come Roosevelt's s claim TO
craftsmanship will rest primarily upon
his foreign policies is the belief eX-
pressed by the author after making
this study Of a phase in RooseVelt's
career largely overlooked by others.
Mr. Dennetts book is based on the
Roosevelt papers in the Library of
Congress. His analysis shows a firm
grasp of history and diplomacy. His
presentation of the subject is clear,
forceful and logical
4 4 X =
Mr.. bennett pronounces the peace
of Portsmouth the most important
jpeace conference in the hundred years
following the congress of Vienna, be
cause by it a balance was established
between the East and the West, and
Japan was raised TO a position OF a
great power competent TO deal win
the Western powers on basis or
equality. 1t set bounds TO the ambi-
tionS of the West in the East, ana
probably has stopped for all time the
destruction of Asiatic states and Asl-
attic civilization. The decision Whlch
brought this about rested almost eH-
clusively in the hands Of Theodore
Roosevelt, who held the balance of
power in the world and by his sole
decision shunted the world off INTO
new chapter of history. NRooseVell
has been criticized for this, since by
this exhibition of extraordinary mag
nanimity he helped Japan TO occupy
the very position from "hlch sue
might in the years to come threaten
the position of the United States. But
the author holds that this was the
only effective means of giving force
to the policy Of the open door OF
stopping the weakening OF ASIA anu
it's division among the great powers;
The victory of Russia in 1919 "oulu
have had lust that result-the parti-
ton OF China and finally Of the rest
of Asia. Hence the action OF RooSe-
welt viewed in its broad aspects, was
sound and superlatiVely statesman
like. MIR bennett says that Johh
Hays open door notes We're me-
scraps of paper, and thaI lNooSe eiI
was during this period, in reaily ms
lo,yn Secretary OF state. The great
Furopean powers. except EnBlahu
were more or less at one in Wlilh6-
ness that Russia should work hef VIII
with Japan. Even England, tnou8H
tied TO Japan, was trying 20 iea'I4
agreements with both France ana
Russia. so that there was an acLuai
lpossibility of Intervention on the Slnt
of Russia At this point Roosevelt
notified France and Germany that IL
they went to the side of Russia ne
would go to the support OF Japan
thereby practically placing the amer
lican Government in the Ansio-Jap-
Ianese alliance. This stopped the EURO
pean movement toward inter HeIl14oi'
to prevent the war.
x
Mr.. bennett raises the question
whether the World War might not
have come in 1904 instead Of in 1914
but for RooseVelt's influence. IKE
to think" he says, that Roosevelt
action. which was so wholly without
constitutional sanction, postponed the
! World War . years. he also quotes
q letter from Roosevelt showing that
had he been in a position TO DO so
Roosevelt would have prevented the
World War in 1914.
If | had been President, / should
have acted on the 30th or 31st of July
as head of a signatory power OF The
Hague treaties, calling attention 10
the guaranty Of Belgium's neutrality
and saying that | accepted the treaties
as imposing serious obligation which
l expected not only the United States,
but all other neutral nations TO Joln IL
enforcing. OF course. | would not nave
made such a statement unless | was
| WILING 10 bdCh II bi'. 1 'tlASNN '4i''N
if | had been President the American
people would have followed me-
r
| An interesting phase of Roosevelt's
diplomacy was that the negotiations
which brought the Russo-Japanese
War TO a close We're almost entirely
through unofficial channels, that is,
through personal correspondence with
Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, George Meyer,
Baron Speck Won SternberE, AmbaS
sador JusSerand and Secretary Taft.
These letters, which are printed in
! this book, are fundamental in this
diplomatic correspondence on matters
: concerning world peace, and Yet they
are missives of personal affection, be
, ginning Dear Springy," Dear
George Dear Speck," Dear John"
and Dear Will"
x
1t we are willing to accept the
authority of the book wrapper adver-
tisements the year of 1924 produced
hundreds of novels which We're dis
| Cussed all over London and New
York" as we'll as, doubtless. all over
Liverpool and Baltimore, Glasgow and
. Cincinnati. Dublin and Los Angeles
, and Huddersfield and Hackensack.
There were other hundreds which mo
,
to have read" and still others which
possess an unusual poignancy,' are
(each) "the book of the year. "a
great achievement in literature" or
mark the debut of a brilliant talent"
I am sure we should all hurry to the
book stores and libraries to secure
: iany new novel, which was reviewed
something as follows: This book is
in no sense the sensation of the year,
lit has no particular poignancy, its
, characters are not delightfully."- un-
conventional, its plot does not hold
surprise on every page. Its chief
merits are that the author uses the
English language correctly, shows
. some knowledge of human nature in
enough plot to keep the reader
, tawake." In spite of all the review
, ers' comments. some of the novels of
american novelists have done their
share of the good work in fiction.
}Anne Sedgwicl1's Little French Girl
is a real piece of literary art. Edith
Wharton'S four noVeletteS represent
ing New York life of the 40s, sos, COS
and 70s-''FaIse Dawn" THE Old
Maid THE Spark and New Years
, Day''-are in her best style. Three
English novels of the year seem to
have qualities above the average-''A
Passage to India" by +. NJ. Forster;
1.-The Old Ladies' by Hugh Walpole,
! and The White Monkey" by John
Galsworthy. Each year a larger num-
Der of the best foreign novels are
, published in this country in transla-