27 JUNE 1896, Page 9

This Age of Ours. By Charles Hermann Leibbrand, Ph.D. (Sampson

Low, Marston, and Co.) —The author of this curious book has evidently got through a great deal of reading, and not a

little thinking. But it is also evident that he has not altogether digested the one and has not yet learned quite to control the other. The second title which he has given to his volume, " The Book of Problems," explains its character very fairly as well as its purpose. It deals with "Anarchism," "The Jewish Question," "The People's Banks," "Eight Hours a Day," "The House of Lords," the various difficulties conjured up by the words Russia, France, Italy, Egypt, and the United States. A special section is devoted to Socialism. The author's tone in regard to this last important subject which he terms the "new creed," may be gathered from one or two sentences such as " The religion of Socialism is Atheistic Humanism. It replaces moral progress by material progress. It denounced that very faith which inspires the conduct of those Sisters of Charity as having been and being the religion of serfage, for, according to Belfort Bar, 'Catholic Christianity has been the religion of serfage.' The advocates of the New Creed' and the so- called Christian Socialists are pressing a race of giants

—the Caucasian race—down to the level of the Maoris, so that the white men may disappear before the Mongol races in the final struggle for racial existence." It would be impossible to go over all the subjects of which Mr. Leibbrand treats, much less to in- dicate his opinions upon them at length. It must suffice to say that while he does not conceal his views or mince his words, he is by no means irresponsive to the appeal Audi alteram partem, and puts different views with an evident desire to be impartial. This is, in fact, a very useful manual of the great questions of the day, and none the less pleasing or satisfactory because it is more impassioned than the colourless volumes which are identified with the name of Mr. Sydney Burton.