The inscription on the front page of Mr. Winston Charcbill's new book, theme Mr, Charchil has suceessfally avoided any preaching. The characters are left to tell their own story and though there is occasionally Tittle too much of the arts of a showman exhibiting a poppet show, they tell it, great and small, with trath and fidelity to life in all their actions. ities this book is dedicated. itis mot necessary to be such s mao, nor even to have more than u smattering of internal American polities to take the deepest interest in Mr. Churchill's ign. Most newspaper readers general terms with peculiar form of Home Rule, local option in every shape and high tariffs have given rise in the American Commonwealth. It i almost, a matter of gospel that big Trosts gre inimical to public interest and that a railway (as in the story before tus) may control the whole machinery of © State's government in order to ave itself from the' consequences mismanagement. What we do not so def the book Mr. Winston Churchill permits himself to put into the mouth of Austen Vane the moral of all that has gone before, la which one senses the author's own beliefs terests. The practices by which you have controlled this State, Mr. Flint, are doomed. However necessary these practices may have been from your point of view, they violated every principle of free government, and were they to continue the nation would inevitably decay and become the scorn of the world.
depended for their sneees on one Condition—the ignorance and disregard of the voter. You have but to read the signa clearly understand is how this control Cetermi corporation, and is exercised, and here Mr. Winston Churchill comes in to teach us with over. mainly for the Tenedl ets corporation is wonderfal insight and vividness. We How far Mr. Winston Churchill have rarely read a novel so clearly in prophesying after the event we "with a purpose" and that of a very cannot say, not knowing how long he technical kind—which contained was engaged upon Mr. Crewe's Career. much absorbing interest. It is not Recent months ly have seen the novel to gkip: Mr. Winston Church. power of the railways curtailed, parti-ill writes too closely for that. Bat calorly in the matter of secret rebates theo, fortunately we do not want to and preferential rates, and there is no kip. doubt that a new conscience is awake among Americans. If an onlooker may venture to criticize, much would seem Apart from its political atmosphere to depend upon futare adjustment be-Mr. Crewe's Cureer contained a slender tween the claims of State Government bat very charming romance in the love aod Federal Goveroment. From this story of Austen Vane and Victoria point of view the meeting recently call-Flint daughter of the president of the ed by President Roosevelt of Governors Northeastrn Railroads. From thy and representatives from every State to moment that we learn that Hil discuss national treatment of national Vane is chief counsel to the rail and that his son, Austen, has been a resources may be of far-reaching] yy, consequence. Perhaps Mr. Winston lide "wild" io' early youth (bat Charchill will touch on this subject in always popular) it follows that the his next book for what we are sure) latter will take the side of pure polities would be to the benefit both of novel against " railroad " wire-palling. readers and students of American are conventions not to be negleded, nor do they matter greatly so long as politics.
Hevea not have allowed so delight. the author rewards our interest in A literary lawsuit of extreme inby allowing it to end up happily. terest for authors and publishers was being fought out in Paris when the fal a girl as Victoria Flint to lose the last mail left home. It involved the man of her heart. Where Mr. Win-publication by M. Chambon, librarian ston Churchill's greatest skill is shown of the Sorbonne, of a book entitled isin the continual contrast of characters Notes sur Mérimée, and sub-and emotions. For example there is Lih Crewe, plunging like a tornado damages brought by Mme Hémon, scneat ction snd claim fr fr. §,000 into the anti-railroad campaign, believ-Mérimée's heir and legal representative, ing himself to be sincere, but obviously the ground that M. Chambon bad mored by mere political ambition included in his book several of and on the other hand, Austen Vane, Mérimée's hitherto unpublished letters. sincere beyond all doubt and holding 'M. Chambon claimed that Mérimée back from the prominence to which his admirers would raise him, out of had abandoned the literary property in his letters; that he kept no rough drafts; and finally that the letters he great tact, considering the obvious had printed belonged to the Victor Cousin library of the Sorbonne, and were consequently State archives, "Mr. Crewe's Career—by Winston which the State had authorized him to Macmillan and Ca. London, use. Mime, Hémon's counsel replies! 1908. that if Pierre Loti gave the INS. of!
Picheurs d'Islande to the State, it might be consulted but not published without the author's leave. To the first part of the defence counsel replies by an epigram st Mérimée's—" Lore-letters are articles the proof-sheets of which are not corrected," one wonders what Z'Znconnue, to whom so many of of his letters were addressed, would have said to that piece of oyuicism—and an autograph note sent to Victor Cousin Mon cher Maitre—8, L'Impératrice desire vous voir domain & trois heures. J'irai vous aod, are conclusive evidence that Mérimée did intend to republish his correspondence, 1 piece of self-confidence, if true, which many might wish, bat few dare to emalate. An interesting account of the law on copyright was given by Mme. Hémon's counsel. When a letter is confidential," he said," it cannot be published save with the twofold consent of the writer and the person to whom it is sddreeied. But if it is not confidential, the latter party owns merely the autograph. He can destroy it but not publish it." 'The-erotically this is the law though it has not always been upheld. Indeed, as "The Times' Paris correspondent points out, the question of the property of letters is n0 more adequately settled by French than by English law. The present action, when concluded, should 80 far to solve the problem.
Britons are accustomed by now to be told that they leave foreigners to discover for own musical geniuses, Sir Edward Elgar, whose Dream of Gerontius hed to find favour in Germany before it had recognition in England, being case in point. The slur losing its application now; but it still seems to have " good deal of trath in it when we read of the success attained by London Ronald as a conductor in some of the chief music centres of Germany and Holland, Berlia, Leipzic Rotterdam, where audiences are no-tonously critical. were enthusiastic, euwe Rot-
Englistiaa, and st timer Mile erect little eccentric. His rendering of the Overtaro to Oberon was not devoid of surprises in the tempi—so much #0, that the orchestra at times had a certain amount of difficulty in following all that the conductor wished. But wonderful how the orchestra followed the conductor in his strong-willed direction.
The highest point, however, according to this critic, was reached in the Prelude and Liebestod of Tristan "The tone which he produced from the orchestra and the clearness with which he laid bare the inner parts of the music, were things never to be for gotten." The Van den Dug also calls Mr. Ronald " one of the groatest: virtuo-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.