11 AUGUST 1906, Page 23

American History and Government. By James Albert Wood- burn, Ph.D.,

and Thomas Francis Moran, Ph.D. (Longmans and Co. 6s. net.)—We cannot say that the tone and temper of this "Textbook on the History and Civil Government of the United States of America" are such as to make it agreeable reading to a Briton. Dr. Woodburn professes "American History and Politics" in Indiana, Dr. Moran "History and Politics" in Purdue University. Perhaps it is as well to see how things are outside the friendly atmosphere of the Eastern States. Generally, the volume seems sufficiently well adapted for its purpose,—school teaching. The authors, we see, are a little doubtful about the Senate : "it may be too much under the control of large moneyed interests." The statement that "most Upper Houses in European legislatures are hereditary," apparently borrowed from Mr. Bryce, requires modification. The French Senate is entirely elective ; that of Italy entirely nominated (Royal Princes excepted). The Upper Chambers in Holland, Roumania, Servia, Sweden, Switzer- land, are not hereditary, and those of Austria-Hungary only partially so. The British House of Lords has the most pre- ponderating hereditary element.