History and Hypothesis
Night Over Europe ; the Diplomacy of Nemgsis, 1939-1940. By Frederick L. Schuman. (Hale. t8s.) THE gravity of the present war-crisis may seem to make the writing of the history of its origin scarcely more profitable than an account of its possible outcome. But the casting of our thoughts both back- wards and forwards will not, for most of us, distract from the grim immediate purpose' speculation and reflection may even give practical stimulation and purpose to our efforts. Of each of the three works under review this may be presumed to be the author's intention. Each is worth reading, though none achieves complete success. Professor Schuman chronicles, with a typical Ge American Griindlichkeit, the diplomatic events of 1939 and It is a ponderous work, but its patient, and valuable, documentati should not disguise its bias. In the preface the writer can admits mistakes in his previous volumes, and already, having finis the present book by New Year of 1941, he can see at least one of hypotheses disproved. But this is more excusable than the recur sometimes offensively expressed, assumption that all efforts for pea (" the Wohltat - Hudson scandal" and the unworthy motives ascribes to all the authors of the Hoare-Laval proposals are t examples) were evidence of either cowardice, stupidity or- clas prejudice—or even worse—on the part of English, French Polish (also American) politicians and diplomats. It is saluta to sec, set out 3:vith such distressing detail, the many mist of democratic statesmanship and diplomacy, but such an ascrip of motives, admittedly without documentary evidence in seve instances, is a real defect in a serious historical work. It al conflicts with the profounder (if portentous) analysis of the fir chapter : • If one is to know why the peoples of the West fell victims to far lessness and self-betrayal, one must observe the impact of Scien Patriotism and Democracy on a culture which first blossomed an ideational context of theological mysticism, catholic universal and aristocratic ethics. That impact was one of dissolution.
• Mr. Paul, formerly editor of the important Austrian Social paper, the Arbeiterzeitung, deals not with the partially known pa but with the quite unknown but ardently wished-for future. such a blank canvas anyone can draw his own picture, and N Paul's is that of a European Revolution, after neither British Lab nor Soviet •pattem, establishing, to fill the vacuum which wholes Nazi expropriation will have left, a nationalist and yet internatio Social Democracy. It is highly simplified, and it leaves Amen out, but there is no doubt some value in our being induced visualise the morrow of the armistice.
Professor Zoltowski's lucid pamphlet starts by being an effect dismissal of European federation, and ends by an attempt to persua its readers that Russia will be faced with such immense tasks home, chiefly in the vast undeveloped regions of the East, that $ canribt be counted upon to play a predominant part in Gen Europe. Rather will she find security and help to give it to Continent, by supporting a confederation of Poland, Czechoslova and Hungary, who, especially the first, will suffer only slight alte tions of frontier. This presupposes, among other things, the willin ness and ability of Great Britain and America to replace Germ in the economy of eastern and south-eastrrn Europe—which begs
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