Evening star., 1932-06-11
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C. BOHERMAN.

eminent British economist, perhaps
made this q consideration when he
| chose the title Of his book, Recovery;
the Second Effort Sir Arthur. VINO
! was formerly director OF the economic
| section Of the League Of Nations,
modestly says Of himself that he has
not the academic qualifications OF an
economist. Whatever those may be.
he obviously has wide knowledge OF
international economic conditions and,
what is equally important. q large
amount Of common sense. He also
has the ability to write clearly and
simply so that his book Is not limited
! in appeal to those having special eco
nomic knowledge. In Part he dis
cusses The Present Scene" and tells
Of the course of events since the
World War, the apparently rapid flrst
recovery and then the later collapse.
He says that the first recovery was
i unstable and that now q second ef-
| fort Of reconstruction" Is needed on
sounder lines" In Part II he tells OF
Economic and Financial Reforms"
needed, as regards the world monetary
| system, credits, reparations and war
| debts, commercial policy and tar1ns,
, industrial organizations and collective
leadership and control. Part III. The
| 1ontieai OCeHe, Co'eiS
and alliances, "a decade Of treaty
making" and "the way to security"
|
1t Is in Part Nv Of Sir Arthur
,, Salter's book that the reader looks for
concrete suggestions and, after read
| ing many books and hearing many
! speeches on the world depression, Is
surprised to find them Part Nv Is
| called "A Program Of Action In Sum-
mary" The first chapter Is entitled
First Aid Measures-the Task Of
1882" and the second. "A New World
Order-Our System Reformed and
Transformed" The new world order
suggested is not that Of communism.
not the sweeping away Of capitalism.
1t is rather plan to adapt the capi-
talistic system to this changed post
war world Il have taken the system
We know, suggesting how 1t might be
strengthened where It Is weak. re-
paired where it has crumbled and re-
built where new needs require add
tions to its fabric. It is our own sys-
tenn, in which We have grown up, that
We must reform-and in part trans
form" The first-aid measures sug-
gested by Sir Arthur are: % A
moratorium Of several years ito cover
the depression and q period for Ger
!
sible, q final settlement on basis
which will secure that future pay
ments shall certainly be within Ger
many's capacity; 90 an increase IN
| gold prices with the countries now of
gold working out "a system by which
each can maintain substantial stability
of prices within its own area; 80 a
resumption OF international lending
| with loans better secured so that the
private investor will be safer. a.
agreement ON international CONNER
cial policies, perhaps through tariff
associations Cthe world must decide
whether it really wants international
trade with the enrichment Of its far
gathered wealth, or an impoverishing
self -SUftlCiencey 80 internal indus
! tries, and ,6) progressive disarmament
ard Strengthening the pace struc-
/ ture by making it clear that tie Cow
enant Of the League and the Pact Of
! PaSis will be operative and will be
adequately supported"
! In his "Epilogue" to Recovery: The
Second Effort" Sir Arthur Salter says
Before the vast ma n. .uCe OF the
tasks ahead. mans spirit has for the
! moment faltcred and his vision con-
tracted. The public mood is appre-
hensiye where it should be bold and de-
fensive where broad and generous pol
Icy Is most required. Everywhere men
fly to new tariffs and restrictions. to
nationalist policies, domestic curren-
cies parochial purchasing and persona.
| hcGrding-lika frightened rabbits. eacn
| scurr!ing to his own burrow. Surely Il
is for the moment only. Which country
| OF us has not, but few years since.
! shown the resources we now require Of
courage. Of personal devotion of indus
/ trial ana financial leadership. of public
direction in q need no greater and in a
cause less worthy? We are if We could
but grapple with our fate the most
fortunate OF the generations Of men.
In single lifetime science has given
US more power over Nature and ex-
tended further the range Of vision of
history. We need but the regu-
lative wisdom to control our specialized
activities and the thrusting energy of
sectional and selfish interests"
The ancientS, of whom we are ac-
cuStomed to think In terms Of mummies.
tomb reliefs, or later marble busts. were
as real human beings as any OF us to-
day. Even the little that is known of
some of them is sufficient to prove this.
Some modern historians interested in
ancient subjects have taken the pains
to study these more or less scanty re-
cords and have written intensely in
teresting histories. The Private Life
of Tut-arkh- Amen" by Nine. G. r. Ia
bouts. was crowned by the French
Academy. The same author has written
"Nebuchadnezzar," vivid story of Baby
lon, dor ha
rule Of NebuchadneZZar H. The splen-
did. cruel king Is introduced to us
when he is on the threshold of man
hood, as he commands the Babylonian
army at the burning Of Ninevah. After
he has come to the throne Of his father.
NabOpolassar, he marches from victory
to victory among them the conquest of
Jerusalem, which is related in the Book
of II Kings Of the Old Testament. The
brutality Of the conquering army Is de-
| scribed by Nine. Tabouis. but nothing
can be more significant than the verse
of the Book OF II Kings: And they
slew the sons Of Zedekiah before his
: eyes, and put out the eyes Of Zedekiah,
and bound him with letters of brass,
and carried him to Babylon Less
narrowing are the descriptions which
Nine. Tabouis gives of the national and
domestic life Of the Babylonians. The
| wonderful hanging gardens were only
one manifestation OF the wealth Of
| Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. OF
| course. wealth and grandeur were for
! the nobility alone. that nobility which
supported the power OF the throne. Re-
! ligion and sensuality and debauchery
were inextricably mingled in Babylon.
Religious and social festival occasions
| were attended by practices which were
both barbaric and sinister.
| X +
| A saint may be as interesting a sub
ject for a biography as libertine. but
Is not 50 often chosen in these days.
Self-ipdulgence seems usually to be
considered better literary material than
self-sacrifice. Byron and the Borgias
have been so often made the subjects
of biographies and fiction as to have
become hackneyed. In q recent biog-
/ ophv ssno~iap ~ MO1okoi" A" Irene