The April Magazines
The Contemporary Review offers variotn readings of the European situation. Mr. Wickham Steed's " Outlook " is definitely anti-Hitler and alarmist ; Great Britain cannot condone a treaty violation. Mr. Geoffrey Mander, on the other hand, is sure that Germany is not ready for war, that we need not rearm according to the White Paper and that the League with its " overwhelming military strength": will deter Germany from aggression. And Dr. Maxwell Garnett holds that the League can stop the 'Abyssinian war and also rebuild the foundations of peace in Europe with the help of Germany. Similarly Professor Allison Peers maintains that nothing very much is happening in Spain;'While Mr. Henry Buckley looks for trouble from the success of the extremists in the elections. Mr. F. W. Hirst asks " Is British Liberalism Alive or Dead ? " and answers that it is very much alive because it stands for freedcim and private enterprise, though the party needs to be reorganised. Professor Hilda John- stone's attractive paper on " History and Art " shows how research is recovering details of the fine work of the thirteenth century when Henry III was a true Maecenas.
In the Nineteenth Century Dr. W. H. Dawson is given first place for an enthusiastic commendation of ",Hitler's Challenge," with its " courage - and largeLinindedneSs.- Nothing that Germany does can seem wrong to Dr. Dawson, nor can France ever be right. Sir Arnold Wilson reports at length the views of Professor Pastor, who thinks that France may come to terms with Germany if we do not confuse the issue. The suggestion that the Franco-Soviet Pact was partly dictated by a desire to bring the French Communists into the national fold " is interesting. The Editor of " Crockford " subjects the Tithe Commission's Report to some criticism on the ground of its injustice. Mr. K. de B. Codrington contributes a lively article on " The Making of Museums."
Blackwood's contains, under the title of " Presto-Prestissimo," an amusing account of the part- played by the British troops in the final rout of the Austrians in North Italy—a part to which, as the author says; Italian historians seldom allude. Colonel F. E. Whitton tells the. story of " Williams of Kars," the British .General who held the Turkish fortress against an overwhelming Russian army in- 1854-55 untit his .food: supply was exhausted. - Chambers's Journal prints a good first-hand narrative of the Zebrugge affair of April 23rd, 1918, by an officer in one of the three block-ships. Mr. J. E. Donaldson describes " Scotland's Klondike—the Sutherland Gold-Diggings," where in 1869 gold valued at between £12,000 and £22,000 was found by some hundreds of miners in the Strath of Kildonan near Helmsdale.
In the Occult Review Mr. S. Everard revives the old Royalist legends about " Oliver Cromwell and Black Magic," including, of course,' his alleged pact with Satan for seven years of triumph from September 3rd, 1631 (the Worcester victory), to his death on the same day in 1658.
In the Fortnightly Mr. Stephen Gwynn maintains that " British Policy in the Crisis " should be very much what Mr. Eden, since the article was written, has explained it to be. M. Andre Siegfried in an Analysis of American Recovery " holds that Mr. Roosevelt's cure is worse than the disease ; vast Federal expenditure is sending prices up when industry would reduce them in order to promote trade and employnient. Dame Ethel Smyth contributes a charming study of " A Victorian Grande Dame," the late Lady Ponsonby, who died in 1916. Mr. Harrison Brown in American Journey " records his experiences of a 4,000-mile 'bus ride in the Western States, mostly at 50 miles an hour.
Pride of place is given in the always admirable Geographical Magazine to an interesting article by Professor W. K. Hancock on " Early Settlement in South Australia," which comes appropriately since Adelaide is this year celebrating the centenary of organised settlement. It is suppleMented by some superb illustrations.
Previous page
