Weston CIVILIEATION AND IME Far East. By Stephen King-Hall, London Methuen @ Ca, Li.
Net This is a work of grea' merit. The bulk of it is made up of a record of the chief events that have taken place in China and Japan since the pressure of Western force and influence have been felt. Inmost picturesque figures in London, and is rarely to be seen without a pine with an unusually capacious bowl He has no interest in sport, ud one would judge that smoking: ind talking are his principal amusements. At his Saturday evening parties at St. John's Wood may be met many of the most distinguished Jiterary men and women of the day.
The Five Brains," by Wilfred sheridan, (Jarrolds. 7s. Gd), is an exciting story concerned with the termination of a subterranean society in Africa, whose object has been the subversion of existing governments and the substitution of 4 great black republic under the rule ut the five scoundrels where alleged ive the title to the book. society is: heft to Miles Sefton as one of the conditions of his uncle's will, Miles: sporting young Ennecilless to say, the which cerebrate very, ineffectually, are outwitted by him and the friends he gathers round him. 'The story ix preposterous plot, yet it is told well, and the characters of the young adventurer and his friends 'a1 shed $0 agreeably that the.yarn is readable, nethhly those part= of it which rear of adventures in the jungle and in' Zanzibar.
The one great flaw) in the story, as in so many of its class, is the arars stupidity of the villains, who in their lust for a lingering: "revenge" omit to strike vypeedily when the hero falls from to time into their alutehes This folly repeated again and again eprives even the best arranged incident of its thrill, and in. the present ease makes us wonder how conspiracy conducted by such people could have been the menace we are asked to assume it. cidentally, a synopsis of the culture and poli included. A st necessary before the course of later events could be fully understood. These have been admirably done and enable the reader to have inet conception of the inst! of these countries.
An excellent review is given of the political events of China and Japan during recent years. The beginning of China's labour is attributed to the country's defeat in 1895. Tt opened up the land to the competition of foreign Powers and the Battle of the concessions. In turn the national spirit was arouse ed; and the struggle for internal reform has proceeded pari pass with the growth of national conreiousness and the rise of hostility to foreign interference and domination. Considerable space is given to events succeeding the fall of the Mamchus and, Yuan Shih-kai highly thought of. Spoculation as to what he might have done is freely offered. We think that the estimate of Yuan's loyalty is too generous. We happen to have indisputable evidence that Yuan intended to carve hie way to x throne. Before the swept out of his way all those who opposed, er would eppoxs his pare pose.
The relations between China and sapan are fully giv The we tion of the imperialistte party in Japan vividly portrayed, ae it was China ani later in Siberia, How this was frustrated and finally annihilated, atthe Washington Con: ference when Japan had to recede from the advanced position she hed occupied, must make unpleasant and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.