Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-31
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. c. H..

ClOudl 6eTVlCe PUBLISHING 20
History has told its long story chiefly
In terms Of war. An outline Of military
history, therefore. moves self-propelled
into larger use than the purely TECH
meal. It does, that Is, II, like this one,
it be comprehensive, authentic, well or
gained. In such case the study be-
comes measurably general In point and
effect as q record Of the advance Of
civilization itself.
A survey Of such nature presents the
picture of diverse races and peoples
moving by way Of war, with its sub
sequent arnalgamation OF blood and
habit, from savagery and barbarisnl,
from tyranny and autocracy, practically
from kingship itself out into the mod
ern state of constitutional government.
Col. Mitchell's study serves such two
fold effects-special instruction and
general information. The exact intent
Of the book Is single. A text book OF
military tuition. The quality of the de.
velopment secures for 1t, however, an
expanded field Of general historical
interest.
Economy must have stood close and
constant beside the author. Economy
in both the physical and the intellec-
tual sense. Space-saving at every turn
Yet this Is q big book-toward 300
pages And most conspicuous here Is
the mental thriftiness that assemblies
and CLASHES and relates an enormous
bulk of fact into clear pictorial display.
The march Of time, the advance Of civil
lization, by way Of armies and Of con-
quest.
Not often does che author Of a text
vi IN Ha
account outside the schoolroom. The
very nature Of the case, as a rule, makes
for meagerness Of approach, for aridtty
of effect. Here, the student Is served
first, as he was intended to be. And
here, too, the general reader finds in
abundance that which the purveyor
within his own field Of reading often
fails to deliver.
From ancient wars to the World War
does this movement extend. From the
siege of Troy to the battles of scissors
and st. Mihiel does this epic OF the
armies run.
Great names appear, giving way to
oth:r great names. Alexander
Marathon. Hannibal Carthage
and the Punic Wars. Caesar
the Roman Empire. Wars Of religion
Saracen on the one hand and
Crusader on the other. Nearer py,
Cromwell, Frederick the Great, Ma
poleon. Close at hand, modern wars,
our own Revolution and its succession
of American conflicts. Then, 1914. Not
for the sake of pageantry OF conquest
do these names appear and give way
to other names.
INSTEAD, each becomes a problem to
be wrestled with in respect, first to the
age In which 1t occurred, with the
causes melting to war, with the weapons
employed for pushing it. A problem to
be pursued in relation to the underlying
principles of warfare, to the content
and design Of strategy, tactics, the
moving Of armies, the Notifications set
by these or against them. Each thing
to examine critically and according to
the technic Of the profession, to ex-
anime on the basis Of war psychology,
on the mathematics Of meeting such
mental states with speed and precision
and ingenuity. Sometimes with inspi-
ration even.
To the body Of text Is added much
Useful, much indispensable matter-an
elaboration Of the principles of war,
body Of the maxims of Napoleon, a
course of military reading. This for
the student Wide study, deep expert
ence, profound knowledge, conspicuous
achievement, stand for this volume of
technical content, embodied in the
great value OF a comparative method.
Something yet not taken into direct ac-
a whole, reflection Of the writer's sense
Of narrative, Of picture, of imaginative
vision. It Is this, this last, which must
call both civilian and soldier to an en-
crossed reading, and study, of Col.
Mitchells Outlines of the Worlds
Military History"
y \
STEINHAUER. The Kaiser's Master
Spy. Edited by S. T. Felstead. Illus
trated. New York: D. Appleton g.
Co.
The spy, steinhauer, tells the story
himself his own story. For more than
quarter of a century this man was at
the elbow of Kaiser Wilhelm, delivering
news, facts, vital information from
every part of the world wherein Ger
man interests and German ambition
were alive and king. A bodyguard
to the Emperor on the one hand. A
secret service agent on the other.
This exciting self-disclosure on the
part OF Herr Steinhauer falls into the
two parts set by the special lines of
his double role in the service of
Wilhelm. Here, the intimate associa-
ton aboard the royal yacht. the close
attendance upon expeditions of war or
state or pleasure, the private confer
enceS such as even Kings are now and
then driven to seek or to accept. Here,
on the other hand, the work Of this !
man as part of the efficient spy sys-
tenn OF Germany, bent upon frequent |
and exact appraisal Of countries toward |
which the ambitions Of the German |
ruler were ever alert and desiring.
From either point Of departure this |
Is a book OF sheer excitement. AS spy |
and head Of the espionage system Of |
the country in time Of war, the story |
reveals the adventures, the hazards, |
the escapes and the findings of mem |
bers Of this branch Of war service in !
a hundred incidents OF complete sur
prise and revelation. Even with the
necessities of international conflict to |
give justification to it, the work of the
spy carries obloquy with It and, yet,
one reads Of its operations here in |
the borrowed glamour of romantic in
vention. Incident and danger, hair
breadth escapes and successful issues
are Of a strict reality in this recital, |
serving to measure in actual deeds, in |
measurable results of vital import the |
weight of the spy system to warfare
Inventions of adventure hardly come
into the neighborhood of excitement
produced by these records of fact and
personal undertaking.
On the other side, that Of attendance
upon the Emperor, the book is vivid
"Reminiscences Of the social life of the
German people under the patronage of
this splendidly important ruler. Poll
tics, art, pageantry of every impressive
brand serve to eXalt and afnplify the
leader of his people. Amusing Incl
dents, diverting episodes, o1ninous
shadows now and then, take place as
interludes to the generally weighty
business Of statecraft and royal politics.
The man telling this tale of per-
sonal experience, more than once bare
ly escaped with his own head while
he was, before the war, roaming the
v0rfd aYaviYaO ont this Land or that 0na |