The special correspondent of the Times at Cairo described I on Wednesday the intrigues with which German agents tried to undermine British authority in Egypt for some years...

That is only an amusing sidelight on the dark proceedings I which centred in the German Agency. Laterthe negotiations between the German Agency and Nationalist extremists and...

The occupation provided for this group will, of course, be temporary, and it is undesirable that it should conflict with British labour. It has therefore been decided to set...

The Germans have committed yet another blunder in | Belgium by holding under arrest in his palace at Malines Cardinal Mercier, the Primate of Belgium, who is greatly I J...

The first sales by auction of steamers captured from the I enemy took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, when the " boom " in shipping was illustrated by the high prices paid. The...

Last Sunday was solemnly observed throughout the countries of the Allies as a Day of Intercession. Special forms of prayer were read and the collections were devoted to the...

A Commission. under the chairmanship of Sir Ernest Hatch, has been appointed by the Government to advise and help local Refugee Committees in establishing workshops for Belgian...

The Mornig Post of Tuesday published an extremely I interesting narrative of Flight-Commander F. E. T. Hewlett's experiences in the aerial raid on Cuxhaven on Cbristmas Day....

WHEN TO LEAVE OFF. THOSE people who never know when to begin may well envy those who never know when to leave off. The latter is by far the lighter affliction. Indeed, it is...

It is rather hard on that prolific novelist, the late S. R. I Crockett, that Mr. Alexander S. Morton should observe, in the preface to hie new book on Galloway and the...

I Mr. William S. Walsh, who has already done several good services to the student of literature, now publishes a diction.ry of Heroes and Heroines of Fiction (J. B. Lippincott...

IA Theory of Tihc and Spacc, by Alfred A. Robb (Cambridge University Press, lOs. 6d. net.), is a relarbable attempt to set up a system of geometry in which any element may be...

The Real I.uliau PeopIe, by Lieutenant-Oolonel S. J. Thor- mon (W. Blackwood and Sons, 7s. 6d. net), depicts " the grest silent rural population which, of all sections of the...

I The Army of the Roman Empire, like our own to-dIay, included a large body of highly trained and trustworthy troops levied from outlying provinces and fronticr legions. Mr. G....

IThe march of recent events lends a timely interest to Sketches in Pola.d, written and painted by Frances Delanoy Little (Andrew Melrose, 99. net). The author's brightly...

Most globe-trottes reember the great iron pillar which I stands in the courtyard adjoining the exquisite Kutab Mijar, a few miles south of modern Delhi. It would probably have...

Goldsmith thought that he had hit upon a conception veryI unlikely to be realized outside his freakish fancy when be put I his criticisms on European civilization into the...

I The remarkable discoveries described in Dr. Edward Hindle's treatise on Flies in lR atic to Disease (Cambridge University Press, 12s. 6d. net) are of the greatest practical...

Was it not Robert Louis Stevenson who maintained that an I atlas was excellent reading P Those who agree with him wiU welcome Sir Herbert George Fordham's Studies in...

When the Master of St. Catberine's College, Cambridge, I was invited by the British Academ.y to deliver the Scbweich Lectures in 1912. he selected for his subject The Relations...

THE LACK OF RECRUITING FACILITIES IN CANADA. LTO - EorrOR Or T-R " SPECATOL'] SIn,-Since reading Mr. J. H. T. Falk's letter and the editorial note in your issue of December...

AN APPEAL. [TO - EDITOR ON T-O "S-ICTiTOR.. SIR,-May I ask you for space in the columns of the Spectator for the following appeal to your readers? In an article in your issue...

RECRUITS AND INOCULATION FOR TYPHOID. II[To - EDITOR o. T. R SIR,-I would like to call attention through your paper to the unfortunate fact that a large number of our recruits...

THE AMERICAN PROTEST. Io IT. l EDIT[ R 0 - TOE " -SPlT0N..--1 SIR,-Your article in last Saturday's issue on this question is I all right as far as it goes-that is, to the...

THE COUNTY OF BUCKS NATIONAL RESERVE. II [To -z EDITOR. 0 T-x "E ScT-ToR.n] cuR,-she lollowung information in connexion with the Bucks National Reserve may be of interest to...

DIGNITY AND DOMESTIC SERVICK. [To -E -IUo3 ow CO SrI,-If your correspondent "Child Study" will visit the Elementary Schools under the London County CounclT, he ill not find...

TWO REPRINTED POEMS. LTo -a Eo1DB OP -SPECTvTORPJ SzI,-I have seen many verses lately in the papers, but few to compare with those in your issue of December 2nd, 189th "Men who...

" THE SENTRY." [To T.e Einnon oP TEn "S P-CATOIL"t Six,-The accompanying lines are the spontaneons utterance of an Amerieca schoolgirl. I venture to send them to you without...

I SUPPRESSIO VERI." [To . ErnTCR or -H "BPWOATOR."] Sra,-Historical parallels are always interesting. The following passage from Caesar (D. BeUo GaUico, VI., 20) seems to mne...

As our readers know from our former criticisms, we think I this attempt at scientific recruiting was not applied as it ought to have been, but we are not going to cry over...

It is with deep regret that we record the los of this battle. ship, which was sunk in the Channel by a submarine on the morning of Friday week. The Formidable' was a vessel of...

The naval situation was reviewed by Lord Selborne. le indulged in only three criticismn. The first concerned the Antwerp expedition, which, in his opinion, ought not to have...

Lord Curzon's speech has been dealt with by us elsewhere, I lbut we may note here that, while refraining from saying anything which could possibly hamper the action of the...

On Thursday the discussion of things military and naval I was contiuued in the House of Lords. The first subject raised was that of the instructions issued to certain...

I Italy in occupying Valona, on the Albanian coast, bag taken a step that may bave important results. Valona comnands the Straits of Otranto and the entrance to the Adriatic,...

On Wedncsdav the House of Lords, for the first time in I living memory, sitting by itself while the Commons were still in recess, listened to a statement by the Secretary of...

I After the explosion the crew behaved. as always happens in such affairs, with surpassing coolness and fortitude. Everything was done to get the boats away and to prepare...

I We do not want to be always appealing to America, but we cannot help feeling that, as the only Great Powler which holds a neutral position, she must do something to mark her...

NEWS. OF THE WEEK. THIE brilliant victory achieved by the Russians over the Turks in the Caucasus is dealt with by us elsewhere. Besides this great feat of arms which means...

I Ib remains to be seen wbether events will justify Mii. Diamandy's view. We cannot fail to note, however, that the great military blow received by Turkey this week must have...

The progress on the south of the Carpathians has been well marked. The Russians have already reached the Roumanian frontier, and very soon there will be a large body of their...

In Poland things are almost as quiet and as set as in Flanders. It is clear that General von Hindenburg is held up opposite Warsaw, and, what is more, is not likely to be...

I The Report of the French Commission appointed to investigate the acts committed in violation of international law by Germany appears in the Jors1al Officicl of Friday. The...

FICTION. MACBETH - THE attempts tbat have been m-d. ill the Iast two bundred a nnd fiftyyealls to nimnplify or p, plorizeetoedard works would furnish manterials for an...

NATIONAL DEFENCE A HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS AGO. [TO Tu EDITOX [ . m. - " SCT. Sin,-The annexed extract from Lord Cockburn's Mfmorials of His Own Time may teach us one or two...

THE ADOPTION OF SOLDIERS' ORPHANS. [To -nu EDITOR 01 -TV "SSPCTATOL. I2 SIR,-As a consequence of the terrible mortality amongst our troops in this war, there must inevitably be...

THE INFECTION OF A.BUSE. Io[TO - Eo-roz O. .. d ".r.. soL") Sin,-Admitting to the full the enormity of the provocation. still, for all that, is not a portion of the Press and...

THE DANGER OF THE SOLDIER'S CAP. [TO - E-rroE 0P T., - SrZCTOu 1 SIR,-Soldiers at the front must be thankful to your correspondents who second the protest against their cap....

EMPLOYMENT FOR BELGIAN REFUGEES. tTo - ED..O. 0t -fl " SI-CAT..I] Slit,-We have read with interest your note in last week's Spectator about Sir Ernest Hatch's Report with...

THE DUTIES OF SUBMARINES. ITo [Tr. EDITOR 01 TUR Srornrou | SIR,-Some weeks ago you quoted an extract from a letter in the Morning Post describing the way in which a submarine...

CORRESPONDENCE. INHUMANITY AND CLAUSEWITZ. tTo TH. EDTOR - T 'h SIR,-When Caesar wrote for his countrymen his account of the campaign in which he had won for them what we...

I . Th Unaertain Glory. By Molly Tbynne. (Methuen and Co. 6s.)-It is a pleasure to find a new and inexperienced writer who can contrive to write an entirely harmless book all...

SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK. I [Notice in tcis column does root nece-arily V-rNce dt t uetit ribe.] I The Y.M.C.A. with the Colours. By J. Kennedy Maclean I and T. Wilkinson...

I READABLE NOVES.-The Hfonourable Percival. By Alice I Hegan Rice. (Hodder and Stoughton. 6s.)-A comedy of a sea voyage, written with kindly humour, and delightfully...

THE GREAT IMPROVISATION. [T. -in E-..., -r Ioe"8PTR SiI,-May I express the satisfaction with which, I am sure many will see that, in the article so headed in last week's issue,...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OF VOLUNTEER TRAINNG CORPS: HOME GUARDS. [To IIZ Enr-a Oz m " SP-C--T`OxP Srn,-The excellent record the Spectator has in military...

TOWN GUARDS IN SOUTH AFRICAN WARS. |[TO . EDITO- r Or TEX SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In all the Kaffir Wars Town Guards were formed in every village as a matter of course. I have myself...

AME RICA AND THE WAR. [To -As r E S--oTV n.-3 SIR,-Born and bred an American, I ass, by every cirenmstan'e of descent, association, and inclination, not only for the Allies,...

AMERICAN OPINION. [TO . H ED-TOO - Th S Sm.,-You may care to print the accompanying extract frotm a letter just received from the United States. The vrite-i President of a...

BOOKS. MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S SPEECHES.* IN editing a selection of Mr. Chamberlain's speeches, Mr. 0. W. Boyd has chosen his material wisely, and has still more wisely refrained...

P0 E T RI Y. THE LITTLE PEOPLES. THE Pbaraohs trampled on us in their day, As slaves we trod the streets of Babylon, The Roman Eagles found in us their prey, Yet we rcmain,...

AiBULANCE BUFFET FOR THE WOUNDED. [TO T- EDITOR .r T.. SrrDwboo 2'] Sns,-Can you find room, in the multiteode of appeals, for the following very practical one? It is notorious...

THE CENTRAL ASSOCIATION OF VOLUNTEER TRAINING CORPS. PauwSMaT: LORD DESBOROUGS. HoN. Srsconssr.Y: PERCY A. HARR S, Esq, HE.D Or-cas: Judges' Quadrangle, Royal Courts of Justice...

A STUDY OF DR. BRIDGES.* Ma. BRETT-YOUNG has devoted much pains and intelligence to his critical estimate of the Laureatc's poetry, of which ho is . sincere and enthusiastic...

TOPICS OF THE DA-Y. LORD CURZON'S SPEECH. THERE opening of Parliament, or rather of the Lords' House of Parliament, on Wednesday gave rise to mixed emotions in the Unionist...

I A PRIMER OF THE WAR FOR AMERICANS.* It is an interesting and memorable fact that some of the very best literature setting forth the strength of the case for the Allies, and...

KING ALBERT'S BOOK.* IT would be very easy to criticize King Albert's Book as being no book at all, but merely a bundle of miscellaneous contributions-poetical, pictorial, and...

TOYNBEE HALL AND THE ENGLISH SETTLEMENT MOVEMENT.* THE " Settlement Movement " in this country has found in Dr. Picht a very careful and admiring historian. He traces its...

A DONNE BIBLIOGRAPHY.* BIBLIOGRAPHIES are, as a rule, of very limited interest, and likely to concern only those specialists whose hobby is books. But here is a bibliography of...

THE MAGAZINES. I THE Nineteenth Century opens its new number with a symposium on " Voluntary or Compulsory Service ? " Colonel * Etlf, 1g,.phy o the JIoekn offlr. John Doo..,...

HOME GUARDS AND THE MEN OF MILITARY AGE. WE are sorry to see from letters appearing in the W Morning Post and elsewhere that there is still a great deal of misunderstanding in...

A A NIGHT RIDE WITH THE SURREY GUIDES& rCOMMUNICATED.1 EADERS of the Spectator have on several occasionw J heard of the doings of the Surrey Corps of Guides. During the war...

THE THREAT OF GRAND ADMIRAL VON TIRPITZ. THE Manchester Guardia. of Tuesday published the text of the interview with Grand Admiral von Tirpitz which appeared last week in the...

THE THEATRE OF THE WAI N the days when we used to speak under our breath of a great war of the nations, hoping against hope that Germany would be prevented from bringing about...

THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AS A I SHIPOWNER. THE action of President Wilson in committing his party to a scheme for enabling the American Government to take on the business of a...