CURRENT LITERATURE.
We are glad to see that the United Service Magazine—a name once famous through many decades—has taken a fresh lease of life, and entered on a line suggested by existing conditions and deserving public support. It proposes to review " all questions affecting national interests," which means, we assume, that it will steer clear of party and party politics ; and having a new pro- prietor, while it retains the well-known title, drops, of course, the prefix " Colburn's," under which the monthly used to travel all over the world. The current number, the initial step under the new arrangement, is well filled, and shows of itself that there is not the least notion of making the Review purely technical. On the contrary, it appeals to no section, but to the public at large ; to no party, but to the nation; and will, if the design is carried out, handle the questions affecting naval and military defence solely on their merits. The broad character of the course begun is indicated by the mere list of contributors to this number, which, opening with a paper by Sir Charles Dilke, ends with a brilliant one from Sir Geoffrey Hornby, and includes others by Major-General E. F. Chapman, Lord Wantage, George Baden-Powell, M.P., and Colonel J. F. Maurice. The range of subjects is also wide, and every one is interesting. Take the first and last. Sir Charles Dilke discourses on " Our War Organisation of the Future." He wants to create a General Staff, with a responsible Chief to advise and guide the Secretary of State for War. Well and good; but the point Sir Charles does not meet is the crucial one,—How could a really effective Staff do its work side by side with the Treasury and the political con- ditions governing party government in and out of the House of Commons ? He wants a "combination of intellect with power," and rightly wants it ; but how can it be attained in our political system? In Germany, the executive, William I , for example, was in harmony with the General Staff ; he had no " majorities " to fear ; he could, therefore, and did carry out its decisions. But, says Sir Charles, " it is not to be wished that either the General Staff or its Chief should possess executive power." Yet, practically, that is the condition of things which has existed in Germany. The Secretary for War in England, even if he knows his business, cannot do this or that, especially if it costs anything, because it might embarrass a Government in the House, or lose an election, or fail to pacify the Treasury. What Sir Charles Dilke desires for the War Office, and Sir Geoffrey Hornby for the Admiralty, is right enough ; but will somebody tell us how the necessity can be satisfied when, as the able writer of " A National Want : a Practical Proposal," in the Fort- nightly so aptly puts it,—" What will give victory in the present House of Commons and in the next ? That is the absorbing question of English politics." No doubt one step towards obtaining a satisfactory solution would be found in thorough out- spokenness on the part of the best men in the services, and also by others well informed and deeply concerned, and judging from this number, we may hope that the United Service Magazine will help to supply the "national want" by appealing directly, and with much authority, to the people. Sir George Baden-Powell's paper on "Imperial Federation," full of facts, wall marshalled, is a cognate topic, because it deals with many burning questions more or less the sport of "politicians." Among the other articles is a very useful one describing " The Pacification of Burma," which cannot fail to be welcome as a succinct account of "Military opera- tions which are almost unique in the history of our Indian Empire," and as showing by what arduous exertions, and with what steady purpose, a great dominion has been brought within reach of order and civilisation. General Chapman records the striking fact that only last year an adventurous Afghan, with• some twenty-five ponies, made his way from Silchar; over the hills by way of Manipur, to the Chindwin Valley, and we may be sure that the Bengalees will not be slow to follow by that and other routes nearer the coast. Moved by the " trash " talked at the "Panorama," Colonel Maurice gives an opening chapter on the facts of " The Waterloo Campaign," never more lucidly set forth in outline, and promises to follow them up by comments and ex- planations which he is so competent to offer, on the deeply interesting questions they raise. He is quite right in saying that an amount of legend has gathered round the great drama "which makes the story of the Waterloo Campaign, as popularly believed, more like an 'Arabian Nights' tale than like the real facts as they actually happened," and he will be most fortunate if he should succeed in consigning the legends to oblivion. The whole con- tents of the Magazine are full of life; and if its successors resemble it, a new literary and practical force will have entered the political arena.
There is displayed more of the spirit of " Sylvanus Urban " than -usual, at all events during recent years, in the April number of the Gentleman's Magazine. It contains a number of articles on out-of- the-way subjects, which are not, however, too antiquarian. Under the title of " The Thin Red Line," we have a learned account of the supreme sacrificial archaic origin of the colour of the favourite war standard and war equipments ; and under the title of " Ha! Ha ! Ha ! " Mr. Arthur Gaye discourses pleasantly on the history and the ethics of laughter. " Book-Fires of the Revolution and Restoration" is the rather clumsy designation of a paper, by Mr. J. A. Ferrer, on books that were ordered to be burnt by the common hangman during two of the most exciting periods of British history. The most curious article, however, in this number of the Gentleman's Magazine is one on Beroalde de Verville, one of the chief apostles of Pantagruelism, who was born at Paris in 1558, five years after Rabelais's death, and who produced one book, the " Moyen de Parvenir," which was clever and licentious, and several other works that were licentious and dull.
The most notable feature in the new number of Scribner's
Magazine, which is, however, in all respects an excellent one, is the illustrations of three articles on such widely different subjects as "Tadmor in the Wilderness," " The Electric Railway of To-Day," and "In the Footprints of Charles Lamb." Certainly the repre- sentations of Tadmor accompanying Mr. Bliss's well-written paper have all the realism of the photographs from which they have been taken. A series of brief, useful treatises on "The Rights of the Citizens "—recalling Messrs. Macmillan's " English Citizen " series of manuals—is begun in this number, Mr. Frederick W. Whitridge leading off with a succinct and readable essay on the citizen's rights as a householder. Fiction is best represented in this number by " Javan Hackett's Ill-Mended Fortunes," a pathetic account of the career of an American farmer, who tries his luck and comes to grief as an official politician.
Cassell's Family Magazine and the Quiver maintain, on the whole, a uniform standard of ability and variety. The April number of the latter is, however, Sunday-schoolish even to a namby-pamby extent. It contains in reality only a single paper of general interest—for after all, Admiral Coligny, even when treated by the Librarian of Lambeth Palace, is a hackneyed topic—and that is one of a series on " Some of our Ancient Churches." The new number of the Family Magazine is, however, quite up to the mark. It contains, in addition to useful articles on such subjects as " The Influenza," a pretty little picture of a Yorkshire dale, a good (and unsolved) mystery of the sea, and a paper on the work done by the Prince of Wales, from the pen of Mr. Edwin Goadby, which, though written in an interesting style, is yet devoid of the spirit of the historian-in-waiting.
The Sun is a sixpenny magazine which has made remarkable strides to the front within the past few months. It contains con- tributions from some of the very best and best-known of the more popular magazine-writers, such as Professor Alfred Church, Mr. George MacDonald, and Dr. Japp ; and in point of tone and style, may be described as a happy compound of Chambers's Journal and Good Words. The April number, for example, contains a short paper by Professor Church on " Tiberius at Capri ;" " Phoenicia," by Dr. Japp ; the first part of " The Original Monte Christo," in a series bearing the title of " Studies from the Romance of History;" and "The Origin and Progress of the Chinese Army," by Mr. Andrew Sibbald. There are, in addition, papers of a scientific, geographical, and artistic kind. Indeed, The Sun contains an embarrassment of riches in the way of letterpress ; what it needs, and needs much, is illustrations to lighten it up.
The Newbery House Magazine, which has now reached the fourth part of the second volume, more than sustains the promise of its start as a magazine for the clergy and laity of the Church of England. Those of such who like to see Church views of a certain class clearly and forcibly stated may be recommended to turn to Judge Homersham Cox's paper on " Tithes," or " Mr. Morley's New Radical Inquisition in Matters of Religion." Lovers of more general and non-controversial literature, on the other hand, will find abundance of readable matter to interest them, such as Mr. Baring-Gould's paper on " The Catacomb of St. Priscilla." For our part, we like most Mrs. Molesworth's delightful " Sweet Content," with its equally delightful illustrations. The Newberg House Magazine is full of what can only be described as " go."
The fiction which appears in the April number of the Sunday Magazine is the best element in it. " Rex Raynor, Artist," by Silas K. Hocking, is certainly a novel of a curious but powerful character ; while, in Annie S. Swan's " Maitland of Laurieston," there is displayed more of genius in Scotch portraiture than this very popular author has yet exhibited. " The Romance of Durham Cathedral," "Model Workhouse Schools," and "A Convict's Daughter," are perhaps the most interesting of the miscellaneous articles.
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