Nsw EDITIONS.—Mr. Meredith Townsend has published a third edition of
his Asia and Europe (A. Constable and Co., 5s. net), with a preface in which he discusses the bearing of recent events in the Far East on his thesis. In these he finds a remarkable confirmation of his judgments and forecasts. Briefly put, the Japanese victory means "Asia for the Asiatics." Mr. Townsend does not think that the West need fear that Japan will exploit the resources of China—of which she will infallibly get the control—for an attack on Europe; but he does think that European partition of the profitable regions of the East must cease. He thinks, also, that Japan will retort—when it is quite convenient for her to do so—on the exclusion which the West now enforces against her. If any Tariff Reformer thinks to terrify us with threats of desertion by our Australian Colonies, let him read what Mr. Townsend has to say about the possible future of the Australian Continent if Japan should covet it. Nothing could prevent a Japanese conquest if the British Fleet were not available for defence. Imagine Australia separated from Great Britain, and so without the Fleet at call. The Labour party passes an Act excluding the Japanese. Japan presents an ultimatum,—Retreat or war. What then ? And what of. the Dominion of Canada, if it pursues the same policy ? —Another new edition is The Seat of Authority in Religion, by James Martineau (Longmans and Co., 7s. 6d.)—Also we have a popular edition of The Outcasts, and other Stories, by Maxim Gorky (T. Fisher Unwin, Is. net).
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