The thesis of the " symbolic " history expounded in
Europe's Two Frontiers, by John Gould Fletcher (Eyre and Spottiswoode, 15s.) is that to-day there are two great forces working for materialism in the world—an industrialized and proletarian Russia, and an industrialized and plutocratic
America. Europe, between these two fires, lies spiritually bankrupt, intellectualized and sterile. It remains, therefore, for every intelligent Russian and American to " save America and Russia from themselves " and the world from both of them. So far as America goes, Mr. Fletcher is right, as any intelligent European could have told him ten years ago. As regards the rest of the world, we are not so certain. Europe has appeared exhausted before, more so even than to-day, and has reawakened to a period of expansion. And is it so certain, with Mr. Gandhi in the field, that the whole East will follow the path of Russia, even to her cult of soullessness ? We do not think so, but it is nonetheless pleasant to come upon an American taking his responsibilities seriously.
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