THE CONVERSION OF MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER. I [TO THR EDITOR OF THS "SPuCTATORL.J SIR,-Honour to whom honour is due. I hasten to apologise to Sir Howard Vincent. Mr. Arnold-Forster...

THE END OF NEXT SESSION-AND THEN? LTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In your last number you tell us that in the matter of Home-rule "beyond the next Parliament you do...

SIR HOWARD VINCENT ON PROTECTION AND EMPLOYMENT. [TO TEE EDrOR 0 TIM ' SeCTATOL'1 SIR,-I have read with interest the letter from my friend Sir C. E. Howard Vincent in your...

God's Image in Man. By James Orr, D.D. (Hodder and I Stoughton. 6s.)-The most important part of Dr. Orr's lectures, delivered some three years ago on the L. P. Stour...

I Interludes. By Horace Smith. (Macmillan and Co. Us.)-Mir Horace Smith, besides being able to write good verse, has the far rarer gift of knowing how to write a good essay....

Report of the Committee of the Society of Arts on Leather for Bookbinding. Edited by Viscount Cobliam and Sir H. T. Wood, I M.A. (G. Bell and Sons. 109. Gd. not.)-We have in...

The Book of the Rothamsted Ezperiments. By A. D. Hall, M.A. I (John Murray. lOs. 6d. net.)-We can do little more than call attention to this volume. In 1834 Mr. Lawes, who was...

The Story of Cambridge. By Charle6 W. Stubbs, D.D. (J. M.I Dent and Co. 4s. 6d. net.)-This volume, one of the " Mediaeval Towns Series," is in every way attractive. Dean...

I A Proclamation in Tuesday's Gazette defines for the first time the precedence of the Prime Minister, who will now take rank immediately after the Archbishop of York,-that is,...

It is with great regret that we record the death last Saturday of Sir Clinton Dawkins at the early age of fortysix. Few men of our time have crowded more varied distinction...

I The Unionist candidate has been returned in the New Forest division, but by a considerably reduced majority, the result of the poll, which was declared early on Thursday...

An alarming and extraordinary disaster occurred at Charing Cross Station shortly before 4 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. Owing to, some as yet unexplained cause, the tie-rod of...

It has been a week of death-bed testaments. Outgoing I Ministers think it their duty to summarise the results of departmental reforms, and not the least valuable of such...

On Tuesday President Roosevelt issued his annual Message I to Congress. He does not shirk difficulties, and deals with the controversial questions of the hour with his habitual...

The visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales to Pesbawar was fittingly concluded on Monday by a drive through the Khyber Pass. Escorted by a detachment of the Khyber Rifles,...

The Berlin correspondent of the Times summarises in Tuesday's issue a remarkable article on the Kaiser's speech in the Reichstag on Tuesday week (epitomised by us last week)...

I In consequence of the surrender of the Witbois on the I death of their leader, Hendrik Witboi, Herr von Lindequist, the new Governor of German South-West Africa, has ordered...

Prince Bilow's speech was answered by a most able and trenchant speech from Herr Bebel, the leader of the Social Democrats. Prince Billow's complaints regarding the state of...

On Wednesday Prince Biilow delivered two lengthy speeches in the Reicbsta-,-one on the new reforms in the Imperial finances, and the other on the outlook in foreign affairs. We...

I Tbe separation of Church and State in France was formally decreed on Wednesday by the Senate, when the Briand Bill was passed without modification by 181 votes to 102. The...

The prospects of a settlement between Turkey and the I Powers cannot be said to have materially improved during the past week. As the result of the occupation of Mytilene and...

We have the best possible reasons for believing that the I NEWS OF THE WEEK. statements which we made in our issue of last Saturday as to the attitude of the new...

We wish, now that Mr. Balfour has fallen, to deal as leniently as we can with his past conduct. As Unionists, however, it is impossible for us to refrain from drawing attention...

O N 3onday Mr. Balfour resigned, and on Tuesday morning Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman received the King' s commands to form a Government, and kissed hands on his appointment to...

The Times of Friday states that the Zemstvo Congress, which is the mouthpiece of the Moderates, has informed the Government that their recent demands represent the minimum of...

There may be temporary hitches and difficulties in I the work of Cabinet-making, but we do not doubt that a Powerful and homogeneous Government wvil ultimately be found,-one...

I The news from Russia is still as bad as ever, for the thick veil which hides a nation the moment the telegraph-wires cease to work has descended upon the whole of what it now...

How to Speak Effectively. By Charles Seymour. (G. Routledge I ,,d Sons. 2s. 6d.)-Mr. Seymour is doubtless a master of the art of which he treats, and he does his best to...

Mr. Alfred H. Miles has not failed us this year with his annual I collections that are to enliven the weeks of the coming year, if, indeed, readers will have the self-restraint...

NEw EDITIONS.-In the "Universal Library" (G. Routledge I and Sons, Is. net per vol.), The Spoctator, Edited by G. A. Aitken, with Notes, &-c., 6 vols.; Rasselas, by Samuel...

Among the many helps to the knowledge of English literature I ,which the present generation is fortunate in having, we may mention Bacon's Essays, Edited by E. H. Blakeney,...

The annual volume of the Quiver (Cassell and Co., 7s. 6d.) has I come into our hands somewhat late, and we must be content with saying that such general examination of it as we...

The Guide to South Africa, Edibed by A. Samler Brown and I G. Gordon Brown (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co., 2M. Gd.), I appears for the thirteenth time, "for the use of...

THE CONSOLATIONS OF THE POOR. O one nowadays would wish to be poor. With the possible exception of a few eccentrics, we all agree with Dr. Johnason that, " caeteris paribus,...

SIR,-I think I can furnish a more positive instance of the I ITO THY EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] successful use of "living Latin" than your correspondent Mr. Black (Spectator,...

THE RESCUE OF TENNYSON'S " BROOK." rTO THE EDTTOR OF THU I'SPSCrATOR."] SIR,-I read with great interest the letter of my friend Mr. Willingham Rawnsley in your issue of...

THE "VENUS " OF VELASQUEZ. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE 1 SPECTATOR."] SiR,-May I call the attention of art-loving readers of the Spectator to the great picture by Velasquez now on...

PROFESSOR BURY'S LIFE OF ST. PATRICK.* BO OK S. PROFESSOR BURY'S Life of St. Patrick is a contribution to historical literature of permanent value, and it comes at the right...

THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENT IN MILITIA TRAINING. [THw experiment proposed by Colonel Pollock for which we are asking subscriptions may be briefly described as follows. Colonel...

BOER HEROISM AT ELANDSLAAGTE. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In the Spectator of November 25th Mr. F. B. Garrett challenges me to rather a hair-splitting contest in...

THE DIVERSIONS OF A PEDAGOGUE. [TO TEE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."'] SIR,-In your issue of December 2nd a correspondent gave an interesting (if somewhat mystical) example of the...

THE SNARK AND THE PRIME MINISTER. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "1 SPRcTAT0R.J] SiR,-Do be accurate in dealing with two such important subjects as the Snark and the Prime Minister (see...

FIELDFARES. rTO THE E1DITOR O THU ' SPECTATOR."1 SIR,-The merits of vocalists have ever been the subject of difference of opinion, but the fieldfare undoubtedly has a song, the...

EARLY DAYS. POE TRY. THE Bay I mean's the old Bay, fifty year ago: Cramm'd with red an' black pine, thick as they could grow: Half-a-dozen settlers, with as many children...

HOME-RULE AND FREE-TRADE. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [TO TUN EDITOR o0 THE "SPECTATOL."J SIR,-You have repeatedly asserted during the past two years that Mr. Balfour was entirely...

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING WITH GERMANY. UIRING the past fortnight a movement has been on foot for bringing about a better understanding between Germany and Britain. Committees...

TWO FAIRY-TALES.* THOSE who have not followed the advice of Mr. Worldly Wiseman and put away childish things are apt to resent new fairy-tales as they resent the alteration of...

TEE NEW GOVERNMENT. TOPICS OF THE DAY. E cannot pretend not to regret that Sir Henry Campb6U-Bannerman has allo'wed himself to be manceuvred into office by Mr. Balfour before...

NOVELS. A LAME DOG'S DIARY.* REcoLLECTIONS of Miss Macnaughtan's previous novels predispose the weary reviewer to approach a new work from his pen in a spirit of cheerful...

REFORMS IN IMPERIAL ADMINISTRATION. R. LYTTELTON has marked the close of his tenure of the Colonial Office by raising two important questions of administrative reform. One...

THE LIFE OF COUNTESS VON REDEN.* THE dry orthodoxy of State Lutheranism in Germany caused the rise of the Evangelical movement known as Pietism. Begun by Philip Spener, of...

THE GARDEN SUBURB TRUST. [To HEz EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATO "j SIR,-May we claim the hospitality of your columns to reply briefly to the large number of correspondents who ask us...

"LIVING LATIN." [TO TER EDrTo& THE Of " SPXCTATOR"] SiR,-I have been interested in the article and letters on "Living Latin " that recently appeared in the Spectator, but it...

HOW FAR IS A FALLIBLE CONFESSION INFALLIBLE? [To ME EDITOR 0P THa e SPZCTATOR."J Sin,-Whatever the Church of Scotland may do or not do in the exercise of the power this year...

"THE NAKED GOSPEL." [TO THE Ewxroa OF TITE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In your in iresting article (November 25th) on Arthur Bury's pamphlet you say:- He quotes as 'a known aphorism'...

THE NAVAL POCKET-BOOK. C URRENT LITE RAT URE. The Naval Pocket-Book. By Sir W. Laird Clowes. (W. Thacker. 7s. 6d.)-There is little alteration in this year's Naval PocketBook....

CANADIAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. The Canadian Annual Review of Public Affairs. By J. Castell Hopkins. (P. S. King and Son. 12s. 6d.)-We naturally open this compendious volume at those...

I A Beggar's Wallet. Edited by Archibald S. Walker. SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK. [Unader this heading ice ot ;cd such Books of the WOOk as have not boe reserved for reviewo in...

EMMA, LADY HAMILTON.* THIS is a marvel of industry, of enthusiasm, and of special pleading. But it would not be at all surprising if, by attempting too much, and, it must be...

XR. CROOKS'S LABOUR PROGRAMME. HERE is a good deal both of interest and attraction in Mr. Crooks's article in the current National Review, on "The Prospects and Programme of...

LOCH DROLLSAY. o01 DROLLSAY is rarely visited by anglers, and there are many reasons why it should seldom be fished. It lies, in the first place, in one of the Inner Hebrides,...

THE JESTER TO THE NATION. HE production at the Court Theatre of a new play by Mr. George Bernard Shaw has resulted in the usual shower of correspondence in the newspapers'....

THE MAGAZINES. PRINCE KROPOTKIN'5 article in the Nineteenth Century on " The Revolution in Russia" has many points of interest. He insists on the fact that-apart from a few...

WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CRISIS? OW that the crisis, the Tery existence of which some I of us were at first disposed to doubt, has come and I gone, scepticism has given plaCe...