love of the half-Indian French boy, Jan Thoreau, for the little orphan girl Mélisse. His standard of honor in that far country, upon which the story turns, is as pure as the "big snows" themselves, and brings a refreshment no less welcome than the unique setting of the story. The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

Readers of The Living Age do not need to be told how bright and clever is Arnold Bennett's four-act play "What the Public Wants," but they will be interested to know that it is published in an attractive volume by the George H. Doran Company, New York. In quite a different field, but at once entertaining and useful, is the same author's "Literary Taste and How to Form It." Whimsical certainly but sensible as well are the suggestions herein made regarding books and authors, ways of reading, style, and reasons and processes of selection, followed by brief chapters in which are definite hints as to the books one should include in one's library of the best worth while authors in the three periods running from the beginning to John Dryden, from William Congreve to Jane Austen and from Sir Walter Scott to the close of the nineteenth century. Mr. Bennett's reasons both for including certain authors and for rejecting certain others are often amusing, but his suggestions are usually well-considered and the reader who chooses to follow them will have a library of which he will not soon grow weary.

This season's fiction seems marked by an unusual number of studies of adolescence, undeniably subtle and brilliant, but unpleasant and objectionable notwithstanding. One of the most noticeable is "The Early History of Jacob Stahl," by J. D. Beresford. The subject of its searching analysis

is a youth of mixed Jewish, German and Irish blood, who forms habits of indolence and introspection through a childhood of invalidism; is relieved by the inheritance of a small property from his father, a London commercial traveller, of the necessity of anything but a perfunctory application to the work of the architect's office where he is indentured; is favored and flouted with equal shamelessness by the daughter of the local squire; comes up to London in a bitter, reactionary mood and falls under the influence of two contrasted types of men, the idler and the successful worker; makes an illadvised marriage with a woman who fortunately forsakes him; and in the epilogue is seen, "facing with eagerness the outset of a new life, with a face that still glowed from his passing vision of the. eternal values." Little, Brown & Co.

Mr. F. A. Myers, author of "The Future Citizen," evidently has the good of the rising generation very much at heart. In their interest he subjects the conditions of American life to vigorous criticism. The home, the school, the life of our cities, labor unions, socialism, and the church, all come in for a share of lively castigation. Those who believe in corporal punishment will sympathize with the writer's method. The strictures on education, however, seem pretty severe. All home life is not as bad as it is painted here. While many trenchant criticisms are made, the analysis of social conditions is not, on the whole, very close, and the effectiveness of the book is marred by the kaleidoscopic style of composition. Bits of fact, bits of quotation, bits of opinion, are tossed loosely together, for the reader to sort out as he pleases. A little more point in the paragraphs, a little more progress in the thought, would add strength. Still much should

be forgiven to the man who genuinely believes in the boy, and who has faith that the home and the church are divinely appointed institutions for his guidance. Sherman, French and Company.

Going out as a delegate to the First Pan-American Scientific Congress at Santiago, Chile, in December, 1908, and January, 1909, Mr. Hiram Bingham supplemented his earlier explorations in Colombia and Venezuela by exploring the Spanish trade route, Buenos Aires to Lima, and visiting the ancient Inca ruins at Choqquequirau, Peru. His route took him across the Argentine republic from Buenos Aires to the Bolivian frontier, on mule-back through southern Bolivia, by rail from Oruro to Antofagasta, and thence by steamer to

Valparaiso. After the Congress was over he travelled across Bolivia and Peru. His experiences upon these journeys, and his observations of present-day conditions in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru he recounts in a very attractive and fully illustrated volume "Across South America," which the discriminating reader will recognize as at once an entertaining record of travel and a shrewd and sane estimate of existing Latin-American conditions, social, commercial and political. Mr. Bingham writes picturesquely, with a keen eye to the really salient things, whether in a landscape or in social conditions; and he writes also, especially in his closing chapter summing up South American traits, with perfect candor. Altogether, his book is a genuine and valuable contribution to the general knowl

edge of conditions in South America and a vivid presentation of the natural features, the agricultural and commercial possibilities, the growing national spirit and the political tendencies of the Latin-American republics through which the author's journeys took him. There are eighty illustrations and seven maps. Houghton Mifflin Co.

A sprightly volume in spite of its depressing title, and one that will pique the reader's curiosity on whatever page he chances to open it, is "The Passing of the American," by Monroe Royce. Returning to New York City after twelve years spent in Europe, Mr. Royce is amazed at the extent to which the ideals, habits, and even speech of the foreigner have displaced those of the native American, and this first impression of the decay of our principles and stock is confirmed by travel and investigation. Among the causes of the change he notes our lack of thoroughness in education, and our failure to teach thrift and frugality to our youth, which he contrasts strikingly with the practice of German homes and schools. He writes caustically of the esteem in which money is held, and pleads for a return to simple standards, and especially to country life. Deploring the inefficiency of Congress, he instances its tardy recognition of Commander Peary in contrast with the honors so promptly paid by Parliament to Lieutenant Shackleton. Though a touch of optimism would have left his readers in a pleasanter mood, Mr. Royce's book is suggestive and stimulating, and it should do good. Thomas Whittaker.

Some months ago, in consequence of undeniable successes gained in the East by German diplomacy, the enfeeblement and almost the bankruptcy of the Triple Entente were freely proclaimed in various quarters on the Continent. It is interesting to enquire to what extent these criticisms are excessive or correspond with facts. First of all, what is the Triple Entente? It is difficult to give an exact definition of this agreement, since no formal diplomatic compact exists between the Governments of London, Paris, and St. Petersburg. It may, however, be replied that, if the Triple Alliance exemplifies the orthodox system of treaties made between sovereigns, the Triple Entente presents this original feature, that it was desired by the peoples before being adopted by the Governments. The very fact of the absence of a definite treaty embodying the Triple Entente clearly proves that it exists by virtue of being in accord with dominant public opinion in England, France, and Russia. The Triple Entente also presents this particular aspect, that it departed from the earlier lines of European diplomacy in a perfectly decisive manner and with extreme suddenness. France and Russia have indeed been for a long time bound by a definite compact. But it is only a few years since France and England were still in a state of acute rivalry; war was even within an ace of breaking out between them at the time of Fashoda; while mutual suspicions of the most inveterate nature had long existed between the Russians and the English. What, then, is the event which has been powerful enough to break down the strong and ancient

1. "Problems of the Middle East." By Angus Hamilton. London; Nash, 1909.

2. "Die Bagdadbahn." Von Dr. Paul Rohr

bach. Mit einer Karte. Berlin: Wiegandt

und Grieben, 1911.

barriers formed by national preconceptions and prejudices between France and England on the one hand, and between England and Russia on the other? What circumstance has been so far-reaching as to change profoundly the tendency of interests and bring about a sincere reconciliation between hearts which only recently were alienated, if not actually hostile?

No doubt can exist in this respect. The Triple Entente is the immediate, direct, and certain consequence of the Russo-Japanese War. The great conflict which for many months bathed the Far East in blood weakened Russia in Europe to such an extent that, to all appearance, she was ceasing to play that part of benevolent counterpoise to the strength of Germany which had long been hers. The Great Powers were thus obliged to face an entirely novel political situation. England, after the exceptionally brilliant reign of Queen Victoria, was still suffering from the effects of the war which darkened the last years of that great sovereign. France experienced a sudden disillusionment on perceiving that her ally Russia, in consequence of premature adventures in the Far East, no longer possessed the same strength in Europe. As for Russia, she was obliged to realize not only that she had lost her traditional position on the shores of the Pacific, but also that, a victim to the suggestions of Germany, she had compromised her traditional policy in the Near East; nor could she fail to notice that Germany had taken advantage of her simplicity to increase her own influence at Constantinople at the expense of the Empire of the Tsar, under cover of the Bagdad Railway scheme. This affair of Bagdad, more than any other, enabled France, England, and Russia to grasp the danger of remain