Tue Cuvstat. Cun—DBy Gertrude Ather~
This is described as unusual tale ut an ult-modern gid told with great dramatic power." The, author seutters a handful of unusual words across her pages. We read of asexual Indies and the activities of the sex cells. The jendverines, whatever kind of be tes these' may be, are responsible for much of the trouble that is met, with in the course of the story.
The author in the' preface to his book says that his first intentions were to Write a book of travel or an historical survey, but he discarded Voth in favour of a series of studies in personality; and has happily decided to do 80.
There have been so many books recently written on China on conventional lines that the public are surfeited and another book written! in the same vein would not be nearly'
attractive as this book under review. In the present turmoil and change in China two factors are shown to be always in evidence, the dominance of the military and the men who have pushed to the front, men of "a harder type than their predecessors and men from all classes."
When the Mancha dynasty had abrogated and the ancient system of government had waned, the struggle of military leaders for Power came to the front. This striving for power led to enrolment, of soldiers and more soldiers and taxation of the masses to pay for them. These conditions lead to the impoverishment of the country, destruction of villages and crops, and the hampering or total stopping of trade, the usual consequences of civil warfare. Another and inevitable consequence is the decline of civil authority and law vix a vis of military rule. a comment which it is interesting to note is made by the Commission on Extraterritoriality in their Report. Gone are the old days of officials were educated and in certain ways and the ethics of Confucius governed thei This type of old official depicted in the Civilian. types are equally clearly shown in the pen pictures of the Autocrat, Politician, Enthusiast, Iconoclast} and Diplomat, and from amongst these good sketches one would feel inclined to pick out the three Inst. The Enthusiast, a student oratorically prominent—learning] nothing with neither discipline nor palla:
to whom the teachings of Confucius convey less than nothing The Iconoclast, nature, not really knowing what he wanted with no politi I sense. Both familiar types in China to-day! The! Diplomat, man of culture who had served his country abroad, where political creed is "my country right or wrong," and whose sense of the fitness of things is outre existence of extraterritorial His arguments for the about extraterritoriality present an interesting study of mentality and display the views of one school of Thought on this vexed question. There are other chapters all of the same hisch standard which deal more particularly with offeials and events on the Thibet from his offic This book, which contains some! excellent portraits, is a valuable contribution to a study of the present state of China and decidedly worth veading. As the author says, personality is the dominant of the many factors that go to make up a, Political complex.
May China produce and quickly the one dominant personality to set [things right is the desire of all Compiled and Pal messrs. G"Mitehell & "Ca, "La." London. Price, © shillings, CAbrond 2. 6d.)
The 1927 edition of "The Newspaper Press Directory" has just been issued, and is the 82nd annual lame, It comprises 670 pages, and is brim full of information of interest to advertisers and ress men, 'As its' predecessors, the new edition includes a complete record of the newspapers, magazines, and Periodical publications of Great} Britain and Ireland, together with those of the British' Dominions and Colonies, and of the principal for-
Ca, La, Price $1.00, This book, prepaved by Mr. H, Lobb, B.sc.,"one of the masters the Public' School for Chinese and' Mr. Llewelyn Tipping, M.A, will be welcomed not only' by teachers and students, but by consular, customs, postal and other officials, and by' military and naval men, There has been a crying need for such a manual for many years, The book consists of two section Part one contains a general survey China with up-to-date informa tion about the climate, natural pro-Jductions, population, tory, come nications, trade and the cities find towns of the countrys Tu The Newopener Prone Directory" ty- ach ce son, i comsdsied well known for its concise presentation of much valuable informs. detail and there useful list of jon and statistics on Inter-Imper place-names ji and English Trade, and the new edition is in no prepared by Mr, S. Huang also wise lacking in this respect, Tu fact, of f the Public School for Chin the article on Inter-Imperial Trade, 'Some twenty maps and diagram: dealing with the export trade of the some of which were drawn' by pupils country and its Empire markets, is of Mr. Lobb's school, make the book Dethaps 1s unique in its entirety as the more valuable, any that appears throughout the No exercises are included, but year. veadars are advi ised to use as un A very interesting and informa-adjunct, tives article on "British Empire Book of the Geography of China" Trade" comes from the pen of the Rt, Hon, L. S, Amery, aut, Secre-Messrs. Lobb's and tary of State for the Dominions and brok, we feel sure, would have locke the Colonies, while Mr, W. S. Cravbetter and had fewer printers? ford contributes an article under the and other error hued it been printed heading of "An Adventure in in China or in England under either Creative Publicity."
Mr. Lobb's or it. Tipping's ime Other articles, which will part mediate super on. Printed ularly merit the attention of ad-was at Calcutta, where neither of vertisers and journalists, form a the authors live, the book has fa part of this standard work of re-too many mistakes. Moreover, who ference with respect to the Pr ne has gone through the work, one feels as Oliver did, asks for more.
We sincerely' hope that thi alnable manual when Ye-published
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.