Japan: Our New Ally. By Alfred Stead. (T. Fisher tin
win. 6s. net.)—Whatever we may think of the Anglo Japanese Treaty, it is certain that the more complete our knowledge of " our new ally" the better. Mr. Stead throws plenty of dry light upon the matter. He is not fascinated, though he admires ; he gives us facts as well as impressions, but all is not couleur de rose in his picture. For one thing, he keeps the Jap woman rigorously out of the business, and it is well; she seems to confuse the specula- tions of the wise. English people must not suppose that Japan is a constitutional country. It is, on the contrary, the moat absolute despotism in the world. The instance given by Mr. Stead would touch an Englishman on his tenderest point. Four- fifths of the Chamber voted against a new Budget. The Emperor expressed himself in favour of it, and it was passed unanimously. The newspapeis are not of our pattern, but they are not unlike what these were here a century ago. As to the Army, the Fleet, trade, industry, &c., the facts are succinctly and lucidly set forth in this interesting volume.
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