Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-25
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C. M.

Il
THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.
BY Edouard Herriot. Translated by
Reginald j. Dingle. New York:
The Viking Press.
M. BRAND, but a few weeks ago,
stirred the entire world OF considerable
political substance by open and formal
advocacy of q United States OF Europe.
This high announcement offered . def
mite and concrete political objective IN
solution of the European situation. a
situation Of immediate dilemma, NOV
ing swiftly toward nothing less than
menace Of continental catastrophe. A
world menace as well, since nations and
continents neither rise nor fall TO
themselves alone.
1.-THE United States Of Europe by M.
Herriot- premier, statesman, schol-
ar. progressive In political theory and
in prompt support OF
the BRAND proposal. Simultaneously
published all over the world, 1t offers
to political students Of international
outlook and concern meeting point OF
concurrent investigation invo political
program of astounding scope and OF Q
which at bottom comes
nothing short Of revolution itself.
AN ENORMOUS CIldIlBC 1ldo Al AAOACAH
times come gradually over the world It
self. AS q whole or in its parts it Is no
longer of purely political design and
essence. Rather is 1t q gigantic eco
nomic institution bent upon supplying
human needs. This change has come
about through the slow lift OF the COM
mon people in intelligence, In freedom
of speech, in voting upon many ques-
tions-not necessarily political queS-
tions. but distinctly self -liberattng new
ertheleSs-by daily use OF tnnumeraple
labor-saying devices, by the increase OF
leisure and pleasure as legitimate part
of every mans life. Political Dogma
and party rivalries in claim OF polltlcaI
Righteousness no longer serve even tne
commoner as any sort OF SOUND ioglc III
human existence. Such, sketcnny; -
the foundation Of M. Herriot's inspired
overIookinR of the European scene.
such the groundwork Of his advocacy
of an economic basis for q Uniteo
States of Europe. A,o
Far-seeing and fair-dealing In True
statesmanly way, practical In approach
and treatment, as the Frencnnan y
wont to be, M. Herriot first takes lnVo
account the true substance OF European
Greatness. First, pays homage 10 TINS
IN a summary of the worlds dept W
Europe for its art, its letters, 1tS con-
tributions to scientific research an9 3
findings, its methods Of productlon any
the SURPRISING quality OF It's wares DT. Ha
SnteIlectuai and material - priceless
things, these, TO be measured AalEAS @A0
treasured at all cost.
Beyond this the author spreads tne
continent itself as q natural telo OF co
operation and union. No mpaSSapIe
mountains or deserts or other mon
strolls legacies Of nature TO intervene
AGAINST accommodations and federationS
Of the peoples themselves. NO opSCacles
interposed by the Lord OF CreaClon 70
exact separations here any more tnan
in the vast expanse from which the
United States Of America was formed,
with federation the foundation OF the
government, the inner spirit OF the
country itself. Therefore, 1t turns OUT
that separations and exclusions IN the
European domain have all been man
made. DynastieS, Tnonarchies, rival as
nirants for rule and dominion, with the
inevitable war sequences OF such coun-
terin0 claims and demands, nave
wrought age-old damage TO the unity OF
Europe. Trade barriers set up among
countries which possess no other POS,
to the animositieS Of the situation.
customs demands, with jealousy and
greed as their destructive ultimate, have
added enormously to the acute Sensi-
tiveness of rival nations. One recalls
right here that, but for the statesman
ship of George Washington, the same
prolific seed of strife and diSintesrat1on
would have operated against the soil
darity of our own United States.
Well, monarchles and dynaSties as
devices of dominion and rule have
1lyy or h0UA
dered innocuous by intermediary
agencies operating for the people. so
it is left here for M. Herriot to bring
out for d.ccu5-.on such other obstacles
to European federation as actually and
potently stand in the way Of this po-
litical fulfillment That the great
question has from time to time been
posted and then laid aside under the
diflculties surrounding its conversion
into program Of governmental activ-
ity. the writer makes summarily definite
passing from these theoretical views to
a Qualification Of the real necessities
underlying an economic solidarity Of
Europe. Here his field is an open and
active one, for the subject since the
World War has been one of almost con-
slant agitation from leaders in Euro
pean politics.
World economies Is a wide-open sub
ject, the uppermost concern Of states
man and student. Therefore, material
abundant. concrete, Selective-is ready
to the hand of M Herriot, or another
who may be impelled to make use Of
1t for this or that of its powerful and
pertinent application. In conjunction,
therefore, with his own researches
within the field, this writer quotes
freely and aptly from many speakers
and writer's upon the subject BY this
means readers are enabled to come into
a community Of seasoned and expert
opinion, gathered by M. Herriot to
illuminate and strengthen his own con-
illusions.
Trade and money-these the founda-
tions. Production and distribution, on
the one hand. Finance in its flexible
accommodations of credit, loans and
general exchanges, on the other. It
looks like q most material basis upon
which to build national prosperity, ma
tional salvation. 1t Is or it would be
that If with the common material we'll
being Of people there did not come
also intellectual awakening and the
spiritual growth that lies in q love Of
art and letters and in the sense Of an
individual sharing Of life that Is in
herent in every man and woman. Bod
lily wellbeing- enough to eat, q place
to sleep, clothes to wear, little put
by for that later day-these the best
OF all foundations for national growth,
for national dignity through individual
human effort.
However, this study is far, very far,
indeed, from the business of painting
pictures and spreading utopian dreams.
1t Is, on the contrary, plain study
of the European field as whole in its
capabilities Of substantial contribution
to the economic demands, not of Eu-
rope alone, but of the world as well.
The field covers the earth itself. A
field Of amazing productivity in in
ventionS, in science converted to the
daily uses Of man, field of phenomenal
intellectual activity, and one, too, Of
ruthless rivalries and competitions.