Joints in our Social Armour. By James Runciman. (Hodder and
Stoughton.)—Mr. Runciman expresses himself with a vigour which leaves nothing to be desired. He leaves no doubt as to what he thinks,—and he thinks, anyhow, on the right side, if we cannot always feel intellectually agreed with him. He writes on " War," for instance, and gives a very forcible, photograph-like picture of a battle. We thoroughly sympathise with him in his wish to put things in plain language, strip war of its "pomp and consequence," and make men see what it really means. But are there not signs that the "universal struggle for existence" may become fiercer as time goes on P The struggle for parts of the world that are the least desirable to inhabit looks like it. To deal with these essays in detail is impossible. They touch on. nearly every social and economical topic. On " The Drink Ques- tion " Mr. Runciman is especially vigorous. He thinks little, we observe, of mechanical restrictions. There are some notable observations on "Disasters at Sea." "The Turf" is made the object of some denunciations which read like Juvenal in prose. Altogether this is a very vigorous deliverance. It should stir up those that read to that " dead-lift individual effort " which, to use Mr. Runciman's own words, is the only effective way of doing away with evil.
Previous page
