Evening star., 1938-06-19
BY Mary.Carter Roberts.

BY Mary.C1rfer Roberts.
CoNsCRIPT EUROPE. BY Randolph
Leigh. New York: g. p. Putnam's
Sons.
MONG all the great number of
n recent books which have for
II their purpose to explain the
4 \ present situation in Europe
and predict future developments, this
one has certain distinct claims for
attention. It Is, first Of all. genuinely
impartial: it is also clearly written.
and. q thing to win 1t praise above
all but very few Of Its kind, 1t has
behind it an obvious sense Of humor.
Mr.. Leigh is writing seriously. be It
understood; indeed. he sees the
European situation as one Of un-
relievedly grim seriousness. But he
also sees the human conduct back Of
that situation Is absurd, and he en-
cages In some barbed comment on
the folly Of those governments which.
under pretense Of governing" have
brought the dominant half Of the
modern world to such . sorry pass.
On the whole, his structures seem
justi1able.
Mr.. Leigh is well known to WASH
ingtonians. He was organizer and
director Of the International Oratorical
Contest which was sponsored by 76
American newspapers and partici-
pated in by-most Of the enlightened
governments of the West. The object
of this contest was to bring about q
clearer understanding of govern
mental principles on the part OF stu
dents in the leading nations Of Europe
and America" Mr.. Leigh has also
been . special correspondent on
European affairs for the Los Angeles
Times and The Washington Star,
studying conditions in England,
France, italy and Germany.
His book covers the ground familiar
TO most Of the recent studies Of
Europe's future, but 1t proceeds along
. refreshingly new line. It does not
defend avowed democracy against die
tatorship; 1t does not contrast the
various manners Of dictatorship to
discover whether the AS are better
tyrannized over than the B's; it does
not single out any particular nation
or system as embodying the hope Of
civilization. Instead, 1t bluntly at
tacks the whole governmental ma
chinery of the European Continent.
stating without equivocation that all
the countries have been ruled for
selfish ends by crafty and mscrupu-
lous people and paints the immediate
future ironically as the moment IN
which all the seekers are about to
close on their desires to the annihila-
ton Of the desirability Of anything.
There Is . dreadful sensibleness back
Of the argument. The case. Is Mr..
Leigh presents it, indeed, is about
what every intelligent plain thinker
must have arrived ct In his private
meditatipns some time ago. But here
It Is, substantiated by facts and also
by highly picturesque figures.
Taking up the cases Of the differ
ent countries one at time, the book
deals irreverently with the prevalent
conventional concept surrounding each
one. England, 1t says, has for long
succeeded in fostering the notion that
she IL democratic ut home and moral
in foreign relations. She is neither,
says Mr.. Leigh, but u feudal in do
mestic government and the greatest
Of grabbers abroad. France, which
poses as the land of individualism
and sanity. is actually in state close
to anarchy and has no governmental
policy at all except an opportunistic
habit Of dramatic mendicancy. Is
gentesl beggar, in other words, or, to
quote, the "gimmeland" Of modern
Europe. Germany has sacrificed prac-
tically all personal liberty Of her sub
jects to the dream Of building up an
empire-one, apparently, to be in
habited by slaves. And italy has ac-
complished only superficial orderli-
ness by her acceptance Of Fascism,
for Mr.. Leigh holds it open to doubt
that she has succeeded in reviving the
inner Roman spirit along with the
outward Roman swagger.
And around these four magnificent
governmental frauds-or, to quote
again, "the Big Three and Three
Quarters" since Italy, IN the authors
mind, is still dubious in status as one
of the powers, lie the fringe nations"
IS small states. all arming themselves
1T q rate and on . scale never before
seen In the minor nations Of the world.
And to what end? Conquest, says
Mr.. Leigh.
And what Is going to happen, since
there Il just 20 much wealth to be
grabbed and no rational division can
conceivably please the determined
grabbers? The author does not claim
but contents himself
with imagining what seems to him
the most likely course for the turgid
stream Of Affairs to take. Germany.
he thinks, will aim at conquest to-
ward the East. She will succeed in
absorbing several of the small Balkan
states. A. long Is she does not at
tempt to take Constantinople. England
will probably keep hands OF. France
or Russia, or France and Russia to-
gether, may oppose this move, but
Germany win be able to handle either
power or the combination Of the two.
Poland will help the aggressor. II
Russia should be beaten badly enough
Germany would probably add the
Ukraine to her Balkan conquest and
would hand over Lithuania to the
Poles. England would consolidate her
strength along the coast by extending
protection" to the Scandinavian
countries and Holland, while France
would sneak into Belgium. And
Italy for her part could slice on bit
OF the Dalmatian coast unrebuked
while the turmoil was raging. A dig
nified outlook for the so-called human
race, certainly.
Then, says Mr.. Leigh, "out Of that
situation, ironically enough, there
might come a revival of the League of
or . United States Of Europe
on the model Of the old BRAND dream.