A Bishop Sees the World
Some World Problems. By the Right Rev. Arthur F. Winnington Ingram, D.D., Lord Bishop of London. (Longmans. 4s.) THE Bishop of London always holds the platform by his amazing activity and alacrity. His activity was manifest to an admiring public by his world-tour ; his alacrity becomes immediately apparent by this prompt record of his impressions and the advice which those impressions constrain him to give. The book suffers a little both from this promptness, and from the fact that, though the Bishop has a receptive mind, no human capacity could really cope with the kaleido- scopic shifting of scenes and problems presented by the panorama of a world-Empire, with its neighbours and com- petitors. In this little book we note much quotation of letters written en route to the Times, and a certain number of proof errors. We are tempted, following Dr. Johnson, to say that the wonder is not that the book is so well done, but that it is done at all, and so quickly. But we will add that there is surprisingly temperate and sound advice in these pages, and practical help in the Bishop's indication of little- known organizations such as the Council of Church of England Empire Settlement and the Public Morality Council, whoNe addresses in London are given. Most of us are slow to take advantage of the expert knowledge of such societies, and the Bishop's direct reference to their activities is useful.
To come to the message of the book itself. Broadly, it is this : that the Old Country must wake up from national softness, and try to send out, especially from the Public Schools and Girls' Colleges in which the Bishop takes so keen a personal interest, colonizers for the vast vacant spaces of Empire. Such colonizers must carry the Christian Faith with them ; on this Dr. Ingram is naturally insistent.
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