The Arsenal of Democracy
Here is America. By Phyllis Bentley. (Gollancz is.) 17s. 6d.)
America in World Affairs. By Allan Nevins. (Oxford. 25. 6d.) INTEREST in the United States is naturally even livelier now than it was a year ago when American support, to be got on unknown terms and in unknown quantities, was our chief external support, our chief means of attacking the Axis propaganda line that we stood alone. All of these books and pamphlets will help to improve our mental picture of the United States as a permanent factor in the world situation and as a society and way of life, as well as an immediate source of strength and comfort. Miss Bentley, in her brief but useful tract, tells us a great deal about the American way of life, about habits of thought and action, especially seen from the point of view of an expert student of the American middle-class woman. Her historical chapters are less valuable ; her language is often ambiguous, her details a little wrong, her perspective • amateurish. But this 'is an excellent shillingsworth, with some very useful diagrams. Another basic work, but much more solid and professional, is Professor Nevinee America in World Affairs. This is or should be required- reading for all British subjects thinking or talking of the war and the peace. In Mr. Barber's book and in Mr. Brown's pamphlet the journalistic and the academic approach to much the same problem are amusingly illustrated. Both accounts of American economic strength are well worth reading. Mr. Barber relies on admirably clear diagrams, on vivid accounts of specific processes and on lively pen portraits of leading figures which show that he has gone to school to Time. Mr. Brown deals more in statistical generalities ; he is less ebullient and less optimistic on a short- term view. And the second instalment of Mr. Wilson's auto- biography is of especial value at the moment when the role, the attitude and the weight of the American diplomatic service is one of the chief secondary political problems of the anti-Axis Powers. Will the American people trust its experts? Should it? Mr. Wilson's judgements suggest that the American people should trust its professionals more—but not in anything like blind faith. All of these contributions to an overwhelmingly important theme suffer from having been written before America was plunged into war. The basic. studies of Messrs. Nevins and Brown naturally suffer least. But none of the authors has been
credited by the event, although at least one should ponder a little the old American saying that bids you " never prophesy unless you know."
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