The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-08
Liberal Viewpoint
BY DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

TINE elimination Of the century following the
Il Battle of Waterloo was the disastrous World
war of 1914 to 1918. One generation may show
even greater speed. 1t is possible that within
twenty years after the defeat of Germany we
may find ourselves in the midst of another
World war more horrible than the one that
broke out twenty years ago. We certainly shall,
unless we come to grips with the realities which
now, face US Perhaps we can learn something
from the lessons of the past, though no other
generation seems to have been able to dc so.
We have no end of good histories of Europe
since 1915, but few, If any, have so well COM
bined brevity lucidlty, adequacy and mteln-
gence as the excellent work by Professors Palm
and Graham Europe Since Napoleon. By Frank
lin Charles Palm, assisted by Frederick E. Ora
ham. CHM, So. While designed for academic
work, it is also admirable for the general read
err It explains fully how the old European sys-
tenn headed straight for fatal world war, and
makes it equally plain how the settlement of
that conflict started us with plenty of monaen-
tum toward the one which may lie ahead
Mr.. Spender's volume furnishes us with
striking evidence of the great difficulty which
many persons have OF learning from the past
(Fifty Years of Europe A Study of Pre-War
Documents. BY j. A Spender Stokes, So AS
the subtly bellicoSe editor of the Westminster
Gazette Mr.. Spender was, perhaps, the most
dangerous Journalistic figure in England before
1914.
Readers discounted Northc1iffe's philippics,
but they took Spender's suspicion mongering
seriously because he a Liberal and thought
to be on the side of truth and peace. After the
war Spender helped Lord Grey to prepare his
evasive and contemplate memoirs.
NOV he has written a volume himself on
IN Europe since 1871, designed primarily to
whitewash Great Britain and to prove that her
course in 1914 was noble and inevitable.
England never will become an effective force
for peace until it is understood that neutrality
was her only sensible course in 1914 ana that if
she had remained neutral there is little proba-
bility that there would have been any World
war in 1914.
Mr.. Knapp-Fisher has written an admirable
popular survey Of the world today, including a
review of conditions in Australasia and the far
east (The Modern World A Pageant of Today.
BY H. c. Knapp-Fisher. Dutton, $3.50. He
treats Of political economic and international
affairs The book eliminates in the chapter
on war and peace in which he points out that
nobody in any country can go through single
day without being helped by the work of peo-
pie in every other land
At the same time, our sirnian intelligence per-
mts us to face this situation by spending nearly
four billion dollars annually to get ready to cut
each others Threats. Friends Of peace would
do well to reprint this chapter and spread it
broadcast.
Messrs Lppman and Scroggs continue with
their excellent annual volume on world affairs
during the preceding twelve months CThe
United States in World Affairs of 1888. BY
William o. Scroggs. Edited by Walter Lippman.
Harpers, So. They have been assisted this
year by Mr.. Charles Merz. While the infor-
nation contained is of a rather conventional
character, there is no better volume in which
one can acquire speedily and satisfactorily a
knowledge of the external events of the year
1888
MISS MAYO attacks bitterly the bonus and
4V1 indiscriminate veteran relief in the United
States but she has sense enough to call atten-
ton to our inadequate care of the actually dead
and disabled among the veterans Soldiers
What Next! BY Katherine Mayor Houghton
MlffHn, so. She contrasts our experiences
with the more discriminating procedure in Eu-
rope.
The clear lesson to be drawn is that if we
wish to avoid these problems the way out is to
keep out Of war in the first place.
Mr.. Nickerson presents a realistic survey of
the operation Of organized farce in the past and
discounts many of the obstacles TO war which
are trusted to different groups of pacifstS such
as democracy, socialism increasing frightfulness
and the like (Can We Limit War? By NON
man Nickerson. Stokes, S2.75) In the end he
suggests that probably the only effective safe
guard against war is reunited Christian church
which would preserve and transcend all that is
desirable in local loyalties. Evidently he did not
read Kirby Pages analysis of the war record of
the Christian church before 1900
DR.. Charles A Beard is known best as a |
stuoent OF American history and politics, but
those who have been acquainted with him rec
ognize that of late he has developed a deep in
terest in international affairs.
In one OF his most thoughtful and inform !
ing BOOKS he now marshals his wide information
ana eminent common sense in a devastating ex-
posture OF the American tradition of national
interest in distinction from wise participation
IN world affairs CThe Idea of National Interest.
by Charles A. Beard. Macmillen s375) Above !
all ne pulver1zes the notion that noble formu-
las VIII suffice to control international relation
shlpS-whether these be phrases Of the fathers
or those OF our contemporary rhetorical inter-
nationalist.
Those who wish to bite their teeth into fun |
1amental issues involved in the reconstruction |
If our foreign policy Will do well to ACQUIRE DE-
n3aaFdS latest Ynllirna