Evening star., 1927-05-28
THE LIBRARY TABLE
ky the Booklopse.

social institutions throughout the
world today are discussed briefly and
with good proportion In Parts VIII
and TX of Modern World History
by Alexander Clarence Flick. Phi. D.
State historian Of New York. The
general heading Of Part VIII Is Inter
national Relations and the World
War" The diplomacy Of Bismarck,
with the resultant Triple Alliance, and
the diplomacy of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
following the dismissal Of Bismarck
with the estrangement of England and
Germany and the rawing together OF
England and France, waich eliminated
In the Triple Entente, are estimated
n their relation to the causes of the
World War. In discussing the causes
of the war, DIR. Flick says, IA knowl.
edge Of world history for the past
century and a half Is necessary t.
explain the World War;" He takes
account Of autocracy. economic dis
content, capitalism, nationalism, mill.
tarism. imperialism and secret diplo
macy as all helping to set the stage
for the great tragedy, and says that
the actors were more or less con
fclous of the parts they were to play
THE mines were laid for the explo.
sion, and only match was necessary
to shake the EARTH" The match was
of course the assassination of the
Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sara
jevo, but the study Of immediate
causes must go back for at least two
years and review the major phases of
the diplomatic situation with respect
to the Balkans and the growing close
ness Of diplomatic relations between
France and Russia" In this study Of
immediate causes, historians are un-
usually fortunate in having Eat their
disposal the contents Of the archives
Of the governments which partici.
pated." The leading diplomatic and
military events Of the war are mar
rated, then all the steps Of the peace.
making, and finally the results Of the
war are estimated. Chief Of these
results are the several European revo.
lutions since 1914 and the creation OF
many new states.
Part TX Of Modern World History"
Is entitled "A Survey Of Contemporary
Civilization and Institutions" Political,
social, economic, educational and
religious institutions, internationalism
and the new science are the headings
under which contemporary civilization
Is discussed. It seems to the reader
Of this section, with its rapid sum-
mary Of events and movements, that
In no period Of the worlds history
have changes come so rapidly, In no
period has the new crowded out the
old with such indecorous haste. The
maps Of 1900 have all had to be dis
carded, diplomats from many new
countries have appeared at the old
capitals, federation Of the world Is
at least talked of seriously, Great
Britain has had Labor government,
formerly imperialistic Germany has
Socialist government, formerly Car
ridden Russia Is given over to Com
munism and the polls and legislative
and judicial chambers are no longer
exclusive meeting places for male citi.
Zens. Parts Of the earth are over
crowded with automobiles and the
other parts are trying to follow suit,
while the air is being developed" for
aircraft and radio. The movie has
become the world entertainment. Gas,
oil and electricity run the world Of
industry. After enumerating long
list of the results Of applied science,
DR.. Flick concludes. "What we have
yet to learn is to be able to live to.
gether in peaceful, cooperative and
efficient manner in the exploitation Of
the new technique of science and en-.
gineering. To teach us this indispens-
able lesson is the task Of social
science"
John Bartlett's familiar Quota.
tions" has been the first and last re.
sort for hundreds Of high school and
college students grinding out essays
for English classes, editing school and
college papers or laboriously preparing
speeches for literary societies or ora.
not scorned its help when writing club
papers, making notes for speeches,
thinking UP clever responses to toasts
or when slated for the position Of
toastmaster. John Bartlett was nat.
ural scholar, but had only a common
school education. When barely over
Is he was employed in the Harvard
University Book Store at Cambridge
and there became intensely interested
in the contents Of the books which he
daily handled. In 1849, before he was
30, he became manager of the book
store and conducted it for ten years
until he retired from the business.
The store was the headquarters for
Harvard professors and students who
loved to browse among books. Bart
lett grew to be something of refer.
-ence librarian and delighted to find for
his customers books and passages on
required subjects. ASK John Bart.
lett" was frequent recommendation
from one student to another when
book or quotation could not be found.
Bartlett was very proud of his modest
fame and was always reluctant to say
that he did not know the answer to
a question. To help him preserve his
infallibility, he kept a notebook in
which he jotted down quotations on
many subjects. From this grew the
Familiar Quotations." which went
through nine editions between 1854
and 1891. A tenth edition, revised and
enlarged by Nathan Haskell Dole after
Bartlett's death in 1905, kept Bartlett's
materlal practically unchanged. but
added quotations from writer's who
had risen to prominence after 1891.
\ X X X
Extensive reading of history during
the spare hours of his early years as
instructor in civil engineering at
princeton University brought John
Bach McMaster to the conclusion that
there was a need for a history of
AHlerlca written from d11erent view.
point than that of previous histories.
the books he had been reading dealt
largely with political DEVELOPMENTS,
laws, battles and treaties. Why not,
he thought, tell the story of the every.
day people as it was reflected in the
newspapers. letters, magazines, and
theater bills and programs? Veritable
carloads of old papers and documents
he examined, and from them gathered
material for his monumental eight.
volume "History Of the People of the
United States from the Revolution to
the Civil War" DR.. McMaster's new
volume, "a History of the People Of
the United States During Lincoln's
administration" recently published,
,upplementing the longer history. is
offered as a separate work. When the
author was working on his history he
was living in New England village
whare the nraSfdant of the INT iona rian