26 MAY 1928

Page 1

ALIT extraordinary - and sinister accident happened hi — • Hamburg last

The Spectator

Sunday. The top of one of the phosgene gas tanks at the Stolzenberg chemical work's blew off, and the deadly invisible fumes drifted southwards over the city. Some people who...

EDITORIAL AND PUBLISHING OFFICES : 13 York Street, Covent Garden,

The Spectator

London, W.C.2.—A Subscription to the SPECTATOR costs Thirty Shillings per annum, including postage, to any part of the world. The SpEareTos is registered as a Newspaper. The...

All this is to the good. It must not be

The Spectator

forgotten that the Prussian Government, which is formed of just such a Coalition, with a strong Socialist tinge, as now seems to be certain in the Reich, is likely to remain in...

News of the Week

The Spectator

T HE German elections which took place last. Sunday resulted in a much more decided swing to the Left than anyone had expected. The Nationalists were shat- . tered. It is clear...

The chief concern of the Socialists will undoubtedly be to

The Spectator

introduce the domestic reforms which they have persistently demanded. The more Radical members of the Centre will no doubt march with them part of the way but not the whole way....

Page 2

On Wednesday in the House of Commons the Home Secretary

The Spectator

moved a resolution for setting up an inquiry into the queStioning of Miss Savidge by Scotland Yard. In a leading article_ (which 'was "Written before the Mime Secretary made his...

Strangely enough, however, the Opposition were equally responsible with the

The Spectator

Home Secretary for drafting the first resolution. 'Sir William Joyi" ison-Hicks consulted both the Labour Party and the Liberals and had their consent to the wording. Apparently...

.A few months ago it would have been thought impos-

The Spectator

sible that M.. Venizelos should return to active political life in Greece. Recently, however, there have been sure signs that he had become impatient of his self-imposed...

It is worth noticing that this was the - second occasion

The Spectator

Within a few weeks on which the rank and file of - the House have successfully held' a-pistol to the head of the Government. The first instance was the revolt - against the duty...

All Englishmen admire the brilliant qualities and daring imagination of

The Spectator

M. Venizelos, whose career is one of the great romances of politics. From his native Crete the dazzling rebel emerged to become the saviour of the mother country, and almost to...

The latest act of Japan may have a profound effect

The Spectator

upon events in China and, however undesignedly, upon the whole character of her own foreign policy. She has sent to the Peking and Nanking Governments a warning in these words :...

SO long as Chang Tso-lift Contented himself with ruling - Manchuria

The Spectator

the relations of the Manehurians 'With the Japanese garrison and the Officials on the rail- ways were 'passably good, but his absence at Peking made --room:for all sorts of...

Page 3

In the House of Conuuons on Monday there was an

The Spectator

interesting debate . on the work of the Imperial Cable and Wireless Conference which is now sitting. Labour speakers feared that the merger between the Eastern Telegraph Company...

* * * * The quarrels among the members of

The Spectator

the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are lamentable. The generous aims of the Society ought to be strictly a common cause if ever there was one. Unity is...

- The Federation policy received the support of only two-thirds

The Spectator

of the membership in the American section, whereas a four-fifths majority was necessary. In the Egyptian section , only 28 per cent. of the membership voted for the reduction of...

* * * *

The Spectator

• On Tuesday it was announced in Manchester that the Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' Associations and the Cotton Spinners' and Manufacturers' Association had not cast a...

• Lord Birkenhead's speech on the second reading of the

The Spectator

Franchise Bill in the House of Lords on Tuesday was an amusing performance. He explained that he was an unrepentant anti-feminist, but that it had been his fate both in 1918 and...

Obviously, therefore, there must be an amalgamating arrangement by which

The Spectator

the cables shall be supported by wireless. What authority should properly preside over the amalgamation ? The State, in our view, has not the money to risk on the development of...

_ Bank Rate, 4i per cent., changed from 5 per

The Spectator

cent., on April 21st, 1927. War Loan (5 per cent.) was on Wednesday 1001- ; on Wednesday week 1001 ; a year ago 100*. Funding Loan (4 per cent.) was on Wednesday . 90 ; on...

Page 4

The Reply to the United States

The Spectator

T AST Saturday the British reply to Mr. Kellogg's proposal of a Pact renouncing war was handed to the American Ambassador in London. It is an anxiously careful document and it...

Page 5

The Police Inquiries

The Spectator

T HE conduct of the police in connexion with offences in the London parks and streets has been seriously questioned so repeatedly in the last two or three years that public...

The Tide of Bricks and Mortar * Hertfordshire Regional Planning

The Spectator

Report, 1927. By W. B. Davidge. (5 Victoria Street, S.W. 1.) Mr. Davidge's new Report, like its predecessor (The West Kent Joint Regional Town Planning Report, reviewed in our...

Page 6

The Week in Parliament

The Spectator

THE House was impressed- by Mr. Neville Chamberlaires account of the work of his Depart- ment last week. He is precise, unemotional; and the clearest speaker on either side....

Page 7

Emigration and Unemployment

The Spectator

[Ai reply from Sir Herbert Samuel to Commissioner Lamb's article last week.—En. Spectator.] T HE article in the Spectator of last week on the question whether emigration is...

Page 8

The Lion in Africa

The Spectator

_IONS, in their own country of Africa—there are few left in India in these days—have always been dangerous and troublesome neighbours to natives and white settlers ; and it...

T HE youth of Athens, at the time of its greatness,

The Spectator

was taught to play the flute, to use the abacus, and to read its Homer : beauty of form and expression held then their rightful place in education. To-day we must return to such...

Page 9

At a Cotswold Inn

The Spectator

A T ` The Three Magpies' Inn, that living monument to the spirit of rural English democracy, all the news of the surrounding district comes to be discussed of a summer evening ;...

Page 10

Correspondence

The Spectator

THE YOUNGER POINT OF VIEW [Under the above title we propose to publish occasionally the views of the rising generation on topics of the day. The following is from an Oxford...

Page 11

Poetry

The Spectator

The Old Devadasi JAGGANATII Swami, Greatest God of all, Hear me, Thy servant, Hear my piteous call ; See now these pleading Hands I hold on high, Jagganath Swami, Jagganath...

A LETTER FROM LIVERPOOL. [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

The Spectator

Sin,—It is obvious that Liverpool is quite in love with its Iady Lord Mayor. Not every great city might care to entrust this high office to a woman, but it is not every city...

Page 12

The League of Nations and the British Empire

The Spectator

Tan British Commonwealth of Nations is a part of that greater society to which we owe our loyalty—Western civili- zation. That civilization has been built up by the thought...

Page 13

A SHEEP-DOG'S PREFERENCE.

The Spectator

A sheep-dog of my acquaintance is becoming noted in the neighbourhood for a very charming preference, directed by a fine intelligence or gift of perception. He is good at his...

A YELLOW ENGLAND.

The Spectator

Let me quote another conversation in a very different place with another and more famous man of science and horticulturist with experience practical, adininistrative, and "...

A COUNTY'S SELF-DEFENCE.

The Spectator

Among the specially made " bye-laws for the good rule and government " of the county affixed outside the police station in " our village " appears the following :- " No person...

WATER OR AIR ?

The Spectator

Several effects of the water system have, of course, been known for a long time. If a leaf, even of a tender plant, is gloved by frost in a tissue of ice, it suffers no harm...

A CURE _FOR FROST.

The Spectator

This was the question we dismissed at the cattle ring while the judges ranged the Jerseys in order. The farmer had just beard that his fruit and potatoes had suffered from seven...

Country Life

The Spectator

THE THREE ICEMEN. At the edge of a ring, where some of his Jersey cattle were being judged, I met the manager of one of the most highly equipped of Midland farms. The date was...

WANTED—FOUR PLOUGHMEN !

The Spectator

On the same day of last week I read, in the London Press, that agricultural labourers had diminished at a greater rate than ever before, and in the local rural Press that there...

Page 14

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

The Spectator

Sni,—In your issue of May 19th your correspondent " W. A. P." takes exception to my description of Longwood as " that residence which Lowe declined with disgust for Lady...

[To the Editor of the SPECTAToR.] Sue,—In reply to "

The Spectator

W. A. P.," permit me to point out that a book entitled Napoleon at St. Helena and Sir Hudson Lowe, now probably out of print, by William Forsyth (1853), vindicates, with a...

Letters to the Editor

The Spectator

NAPOLEON IN CAPTIVITY [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Snt,—That writers treating of the conditions attending Napoleon's detention at St. Helena should feel it incumbent...

THE R.S.P.C.A.

The Spectator

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] am desired to inform you that the Council of the R.S.P.C.A., at its meeting on the 17th instant, passed by fourteen votes to three the...

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Storm clouds which had

The Spectator

long been gathering burst at the recent extraordinary meeting. Dissatisfaction amongst mem- bers all over the country is keen and acute. The question of fox-hunting or shooting...

Page 15

INDUSTRY AND FINANCE

The Spectator

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] read with much interest Mr. Darling's letter in your issue of May 19th, with which I entirely agree. The late Lord Milner, I know, viewed with...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—May I venture to

The Spectator

voice the opinions of many private members of the R.S.P.C.A. who yield to no one in zeal for humanity, but are beyond measure perturbed by the scenes at the recent general...

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

The Spectator

[To the Editor of the Sracra.roa.] Sig,—Your admirable articles on the Housing Problem in recent issues of the Spectator bring home so forcibly the terrible condition of our...

BENEVOLENCE TO THE NON-EXISTENT

The Spectator

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—As you have paid a good deal of attention to the subject of animal welfare, may I bring to your notice a queer assertion which is often...

Page 16

A SCOTS- PROVERB [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]. .

The Spectator

. SIR, --7- Friday's hair and Sunday's horn goes to the dule on Monday morn,"- is a very intriguing proverb ; and one doeS not wonder that Mrs. Campbell Clover-has been puzzled...

• - DIET- IN-11IE NAVY - • [To the' Edithi. of

The Spectator

thi Sr:EcrArOn.] Sat,—With reference to the letter recently published in the Bpikator on the subject of " Diet in the Navy," no thinking . ' naval officer will agree with...

WERE THERE MINOAN FLEETS ? [TO the Editor of the

The Spectator

SPECTATOR.] ' SIR,—I observe that Mr. Porter in his review of the second - Volume of Sir Arthur Evans'sPalace of Minos makes the . . astounding statement that Minoan Crete...

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR - .] SIR,—I imagine that the

The Spectator

proverb, whose meaning your correspondent seeks, refers to the superstition that it"is unlucky to cut one's hair on Friday _or ones.nails on Stmday. The latter half of the Scots...

POLICE METHODS [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I believe

The Spectator

everybody who has any acquaintance with the work of the police in' their task of maintaining public order appreciates the courtesy and efficiency which they invariably *-...

Page 17

FARMERS, RAIL RATES, AND FOREIGN FOOD [To the Editor of

The Spectator

.the Sescrivron.] Sin, — We are invited to believe that one reason why our agriculture declines whilst we eat more and more foreign food is- that the rail rates from farms ....

THE COST OF EMPIRE TOURS [To the Editor of the.

The Spectator

SPECTATOR.] . SIRh-Y01.1 have recently -had more than one laudatory article or reference to- the Empire- tours of Premier and - Secretary of State, and. there is no question...

WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR'S MOTHER [To .the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

The Spectator

Sra,—In an old farmyard near Honfleur, which now constitutes all that is left of the once famous abbey of Grestain, lie un- honoured the remains of Arlette, the mother of...

A TALKING RAVEN [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Snr,—It

The Spectator

may be questioned whether Edgar Allen Poe's Raven ever flew into his study, and taking up its position on the top of a picture frame, pronounced the difficult word, " Never-...

Page 18

THE WOODARD SCHOOLS [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] -

The Spectator

SIR,—We desire to bring to the public . notice and to endorse an appeal for £80,000 which is being made on behalf of the Woodard Schools in the West of England. • - These...

Lighter Lyrics

The Spectator

A Reply (From one trout-fisher to another.) IT would have been jolly— The Mayfly is up You say, in full folly, Where cloud and kingcup, And chestnutty candles Light Kennet...

UP OR DOWN /

The Spectator

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In Saint James's Churchyard, Hyde Park-on-the- Hudson, New York, there is a quaint tombstone on which is cut :— " Stranger, stop and...

THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY [To the Editor

The Spectator

of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—May I be allowed to bring to the notice of readers of the Spectator a meeting which is to be held by the University of London Animal Welfare Society...

THE NOISE OF CITIES [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

The Spectator

SIR,—The noise of our cities is increasing year by year. The distracting din on our heavily laden roads, especially on the more important highways in our large cities, is a...

THE DISTRESS IN BULGARIA

The Spectator

WE have received an appeal, signed by a number of well-known people, for funds to relieve the widespread distress in Bulgaria caused by the recent earthquakes. A correspondent...

Page 19

Some Books of the Week nuinig . t.6 past month the bOoks

The Spectator

most in demand at the Times Book Club have been . FicTiox.Octavia, by the Countess of Oxford and Asquith ; Brook Evans, by Susan Glaspell ; The Battle of the Horizons, by...

Even those who know the letters of Mr. A. P.

The Spectator

Herbert's newest heroine by heart will be delighted to poSsess The Trials of Topsy (Been, 5s.) in bound form. Few jokes can bear repetition, but Topsy's delicious drivel never...

* * * *

The Spectator

" A reputed French foksong, hymning the fame of Arlette (the mother of William the Conqueror), remarks that " Ii naquit, cet illustre enfant, d'une simple amourette," which is...

This week we publish in addition to our usual "

The Spectator

Poetry " some verses under the heading " Lighter Lyrics." We hope that we may receive enough light verse of sufficient merit to enable us to continue this feature. * * *

* * * *

The Spectator

The tragic drama concerning Marimilian and Charlotte of Mexico which stirred the heart and imagination of the Western world in the middle of- the last century has been retold by...

* * *

The Spectator

The interest in the problems of the Fourth Gospel is peren- nial, but we own that the latest contribution to the subject by Dr. Vacher Burch (The Structure and Message of St....

Miss Mend Buchanan has given us a very intimate account

The Spectator

of places and personages in her new book of reminiscences, Diplomacy and Foreign Courts (Hutchinson, 18s.). She has a great gift of memory and writes of pre-War Germany,...

A New Cohipetition

The Spectator

THE counting of the votes given by those who took part in our last Competition will take some time, and it will not be pos‘sible to publish the result until June lkth....

The Spectator

Page 20

The Immortal Dreamer To be " old-fashioned " in these

The Spectator

days is to be ahead of one's time. This represents no attempt at Chestertonian paradox, but is the sober faith in which I have been confirmed by a re-reading of The Pilgrim's...

Page 21

Our Educational System

The Spectator

The English Educational System: By Cyril Norwood. (Benn. -The Schools of England. Edited by J. DoVer Wilson. (Sidgivick and Jackson. 18s.) . . LIKE most of our customs and...

Page 22

The Infinite Capacity

The Spectator

MR. WALPOLE is just the man to write on Anthony Trollope. He is himself a professional, painstaking craftsman with no highfalutin notions about the hieratic powers of the...

Page 23

The Machine as Servant

The Spectator

Printing of To-day. Edited by Oliver Simon and Julius Rodenberg. (Peter Davies. 21s.) IF William Morris were alive to-day—as his friend and printing instructor, Mr. Emery...

A Woman's Photograph

The Spectator

My Life. By Isadore. Duncan. (Gollancz. 15s.) " I MIGHT publish my photograph and ask the readers what they think," wrote Isadora Duncan, considering the question of whether or...

Readers wishing to let their country or town houses, or

The Spectator

seeking country or seaside accommodation for the summer months, are invtted to inform the readers of the SPECTATOR, by advertising in the small classified advertisement columns....

Page 24

Liberalism of To-day and Yesterday

The Spectator

The. British Liberal Party. By Hamilton Fyfe. (George Allen and Unwin. 10s. 6d.) . Ma. HAMILTON FryE has written a useful little volume op the history .of the Liberal Party....

An Exquisite Miniature

The Spectator

Mary Cholmondeley : a Sketch from Memory. By Percy . Lubbock. (Cape. 3a. 6d.) Tins .is an elegiac portrait, painted in sombre tones, by a -hand whose skill is heightened by the...

Shakespeare's Words

The Spectator

Words and Poetry. By G. H. W. Rylands. (The Hogarth Press. 10s. 6d.) Ma. GEORGE RYLANDS has published his Fellowship disser- tation as' a volume of literary criticism. The...

A Bishop and Son of a Bishop

The Spectator

A Memoir of Herbert Edward Ryle. By the Rev. Maurice H. Fitzgerald. (Macmillan. 15s.) HERBERT EDWARD RYLE, by his goodness and charm, went 'far to justify his upbringing. His...

Page 25

THE PROMISED LAND. Ladislas Reymont.

The Spectator

(Knopf.. 2 vols. 15s.)—The little town of Lodz in Poland is being industrialized; cotton factories arc being built, amalgamations are taking' place, there' are trade rivalries...

THE MONTFORTS. By Martin Mills. (Constable. 7s. 6d.)—A really brilliant

The Spectator

and entertaining example of the family history kind of noyel. This- particular family, descended from the historic Simon to begin with, has been enlivened about a hundred and...

Fiction

The Spectator

CRANMER PAUL.' By Rolf Bennett. (Heinemann. 7s. 6d.)—This is an unflinching portrait of an unusual type. There is power in Cmiimer Paul, first Mate on 'a cargo boat, but...

DIM STAR. By Hannah Yates. (Collins. 7s. 6d.)The author chooses

The Spectator

the late 'nineties of the eighteenth century as the period for this novel. - Many of the War difficulties of that day and the devices by which. they are evaded are strangely...

RICH MAN, POOR MAN. By Hulbert Footner. "(Faber and Gwyer.

The Spectator

7s. 6d.)—This is a grim story of the development of two opposed types, and their failure and success in New York City: Wilfred Pell belongs to a fairly well-to-do family ; but...

. CLAIRE AMBLER. By Booth Tarkington. (Heinemann. 7.s. 6d.)—In three

The Spectator

glimpses Mr. Tarkington reveals the development of a spoilt little Arilerican beauty. We see. her first as a pretty young flapper 'coolly and Cruelly trying her charm on various...

Page 26

TALES FROM GREENERY STREET. By Denis Mackail. (Heinemann. 7s. 6d.)—We

The Spectator

willingly return to Greenery Street, and call at sever* houses of the newly wed, over- hearing their absurd and deleetabfe dialogues, considering their babies, their domestic...

More Books of the Week

The Spectator

(Continued from page 769.) Anyone who has watched the sheldrake, the handsomest and most proud of carriage of any of the duck family, walk statelily out of its burrow across the...

THE FOUR TRAGEDIES OF MEMWORTH : A Detec; tive Story.

The Spectator

By Lord Ernest Hamilton. (Gollancz. 7s. 6d.)— Here is a succession of really exciting incidents and an un- expected conclusion which leaves the reader guessing. The Prologue...

On August 31st, 1915, Tala'at Bey informed his German allies

The Spectator

that " La question armenienne n'existe plus." Why it did not exist, the callous attitude of Europe and America towards the whole bloodstained tragedy, can be read in Dr....

BRIGHTON BEACH. By Mrs. Henry Dudeney. (Collins. 7s. 6d.)----The author's

The Spectator

cryptic announcement in her preface that after certain episodes the story moves backwards is calculated to puzzle the reader ; but the puzzlement will be as nothing to his...

TREVY THE RIVER. By Leslie Reid. (Dent. 7s. 6d.)— There

The Spectator

is always a fantastic element in Mr. Leslie Reid's novels, and in Trevy the River this quality runs perhaps a little to seed. There is more than a suggestion that the soul of...

PAPER MONEY. By George Blake. (Constable. 7s. 6d.) —Scotland has

The Spectator

not lacked its romantic interpreters. But in Mr. Blake it has at last found its realist. Mr. Blake's latest novel fulfils the promise of Young Malcolm. The hem is Matthew Faed,...

The Shakespeare Review is a new monthly published at ls.

The Spectator

from 9 Union Street, Stratford-on-Avon, with Mr. A. K. Chesterton as editor. Mr. G. K. Chesterton contributes a gay article on Shakespeare and Shaw. There is a pleasant "...

A long time has passed since Mr. Rudyard Kipling and

The Spectator

Mr. Thompson Seton demonstrated the fact that wild animals are able to express their thoughts in remunerative English, and now here they are doing it again in African Jungle...

Page 29

In Englishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards (Oxford University Press, 12s. 6d.) Professor

The Spectator

de Madariaga points out that " the natural reaction towards life in each of these three peoples is : for the Englishman, action ; for the Frenchman, thought ; for the Spaniard,...

The latest - volume in Sir Janies-Marchant's useful " White- hall

The Spectator

Series " on the several Departments of State is also one of the best. Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith, who was long its Oficial head, was peculiarly welt-qualified to write on The...

A pathetic and a unique interest attaches to Oude in

The Spectator

1857 (Williams and Norgate, 5s.), for its author, • now in his ninety-fourth year, is the last surviving officer of those who took part in Lawrence's defence of Lucknow....

Motors and Motoring

The Spectator

Wrrn the steadily increasing number of motor vehicles using the roads throughout the country safety assumes more and more importance. Much has been done during the last two...

Mr. H. B. Creswell, the novelist, has newly become a

The Spectator

writer for children, and he is to be congratulated on Marytary (Oxford Press, 5s.). It is, as it should be, the story of a little boy and a little girl. Mr. Creswell holds the...

The first great gift of the essayist is to see

The Spectator

familiar things through fresh eyes, and the second is to allow his readers to share in his discoveries and enthusiasms. That Mr. Robert Lynd possesses both these faculties may...

* * * *

The Spectator

The keynote of Mr. G. Willoughby Meade's fascinating Chinese Ghouls and Goblins (Constable, 24s.) is to be found in this saving of Confucius : " How abundantly do spiritual...

General Knowledge Questions

The Spectator

OUR weekly prize of one guinea for the best thirteen Questions submitted is awarded this week to Miss G. Macintosh, The Rectory, Kinross, Scotland, for the following :-...

Page 30

CHEAPER CROSS-CHANNEL CAR FREIGHTS.

The Spectator

As tlie result of representations made by the Automobile Association to the Belgian authorities responsible for running the Dover-Ostend services, a new tariff showing reduced...

Aiiswers to " British Empire " Questions -

The Spectator

1. Newfoundland.-2. Primitive Negritoes.-3. Pledged for the payment of dowry to James DI. of Scotland on his marriage to Margaret of Norway.4. Lord Hopetoun.-5. Acadie, by the...

Page 33

Finance—Public and Private

The Spectator

The Investment Outlook AFTER a prolonged period of Stock Exchange activity, accompanied by rising prices, it will have been noticed that during the last week or so there has...

Page 34

IMPERIAL CHEMICALS.

The Spectator

Considerable interest attaches to the report which has just been published of the Imperial Chemical Industries, both on account of the magnitude nf the interests affected and by...

A Soimm Vmw.

The Spectator

In a short but admirable speech, constituting a reply on behalf of the staff to a resolution of thanks, Mr. Hugh Lewis, the General Manager—to whom the Chairman had paid a...

The profits which are now being made by some of

The Spectator

the gramophone enterprises seem to savour almost of the romantic. In the case, for example, of the Vocalion Company, whose report was issued the other day, the profit for the...

Financial Notes

The Spectator

L.C.C. L SUCCESS. IT would be rather difficult to say whether the great rush for the London County Stock this , week must be regarded as demonstrating the - great volume of...

* * * * INSURANCE PROGRESS.

The Spectator

The favourable impression produced by the annual report of the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company, to which I have referred previously in these columns, as...