10 AUGUST 1929, Page 23

The Magazines

IN the Nineteenth Century and After a phenomenon is observable to which a parallel may be seen in almost any of the Opposition periodicals to-day. Lieut.-Colonel Stewart L. Murray sets out, in " Socialism : Part I," to clear the ground for an examination of the doctrines of Socialism, while in "A National Policy," Dr. Haden Guest expounds doctrines to which it is probable that few of the moderate Socialists would have any objection. In addition there are good articles by J. de G. Delmege, R. S. T. Cochrane and Lord Brentford. The second, in particular, is worth read- ing for its candid presentation of the real layman's point of view on church matters, as opposed to that of the ecclesiastical sort Of layman who attends Church -functions, but may not be more attached to the true cause of religion than his inactive brother- Almost the whole of The Contemporary Review is occupied by foreign affairs. The only two articles on purely English

subjects are " Defoe's England" by Mr. Gilbert Thomas, and "Parliamentary Prospects" by Mr. F. Kingsley Griffith, M.C., M.P. Of the others, Mr. Godfrey Locker-Lampson,' M.P., writing on the Children's Crusade, is refreshing, and Mr. George Glasgow is particularly good in the section of his "Foreign Affairs" dealing with relations with Russia, in which, he appeals for a little more sense of humour at Westminster..

In The Fortnightly Mr. Hilaire Belloc writes very enter- tainingly about Richelieu and Bismarck, and is, we think,

more enlightening about them than about the issues with

which they had to deal. Mr. G. D. H. Cole's socialism is analysed by Mr. Roger Chance, who shows great fairness and

moderation. "Gone Native," by Mr. Alec Waugh, is a suggestive study of sexual emotion between white men and native women, but it is too slight to be valuable and too serious to* be entertaining.

The Realist has a number of articles of the better "arm-

chair science" type. Mr. Wickham Steed also contributes an article on England and America, which is the best, for English readers, of any published in the magazines this month, since it brings home the difficulty of American statesmen in Anglo- American affairs, namely, that British statesmen will not realize the effect of their actions on American public opinion. " Claudus," writing on the Public Schools, criticizes them the more effectively because he can appreciate them.

Black-wood's Magazine is a very good number this month, from which we must specially mention "The Verneuk Pan

Adventure," by Mr. Desmond Young, and " Kuh-I-Sim, the Treasure of Turkestan," by P. S. Nazaroff, which, in spite of its fantastic title, is a record of actual experience during a life spent in prospecting and antiquarian research beyond the frontiers of India.