Germany produced a truly incredible number of war books and pamphlets during the first fourteen months of hostilities. At the end of May the total amount of publications was 4,518, a number which had increased to 6,395 by the last day in September. This mass of literature, when classified, gives the following results: Military science and the happenings of war, 1,174; maps, 447; political, economic, cultural, and philosophic war problems, 1,590; war laws and legal questions, 295; care of souls, and religious matters, 1,128; belles-lettres, 1,696; various, 65. In the earlier months of the war, works of a religious character held the first place in respect to numbers, but they have been displaced by the ever-increasing quantity of novels, tales, and poems. Members of all parties, representatives of every phase of thought, and people of all ranks have contributed their quota to the new literature. Consequently, much of it is worthless, while a still larger portion had, or has, only momentary interest. War enthusiasm has found perfervid expression in innumerable poems and popular songs, not to mention a very considerable number of pieces for the stage. Army chaplains have published volumes of their sermons, as well as their colleagues in the Fatherland. There is no phase of thought connected with the world-war which has not received exhaustive treatment, but the scope of the present article permits only of a brief review of the main currents.

The White Book published by the German Government in August, 1914, has been supplemented by several other official publications. On January 26th, 1915, the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung contained a lengthy article by Dr. Helfferich, Minister of Finance. It has

since been issued in book form,* and is much quoted by other writers. Helfferich endeavors, in an analysis of the English White Book, the French Yellow Book, and the Orange Book of Russia, to show that the Triple Entente is responsible for the war. His first point is that Russia was the immediate disturber of the peace by mobilizing on July 31st. Ignoring the fact that the attitude of the Central Powers compelled Russia to take military measures to enforce the recognition of her rights, Helfferich's date for Russia's mobilization is incorrect. Belgium's diplomatic representative in Petrograd wrote a secret report to his Government on July 30th, 1914, in which he (Monsieur B. de l'Escaille) expressly stated that the order had been issued for Russia's mobilization at 4 A.M. on that day. This report fell into the hands of the German postal authorities, and has been extensively employed as a weapon to clear Germany of blame. On the same day (July 30th), M. de l'Escaille wrote that England had already promised to assist France in case of an appeal to arms. News of the assurance had been wired to Petrograd, and this factor gave the Russian war party the upper hand.

During the summer the Kaiser's Government re-issued the earlier White Book, and included a number of new documents. Besides M. de l'Escaille's secret report to his Government, the additional matter includes:-Diplomatic reports from German ambassadors sent to Berlin in 1913-14; Lichnowsky's negotiations with Sir Edward Grey; documents found in the archives of the General Staff, Brussels (Conventions Anglo-belges); papers found on the

*Karl Helfferich: Die Entstehung des Wellkriegs im Lichte der Veroffentlichungen der Dreiverbandsmachte. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin.

Aktenstucke zum Kriegsausbruch. Herausgegeben vom Auswartigen Amte.