'AN OUTLINE oF CutNese CIVIL Law.
Hobert T. Bryany Jo Bay The Commercial Press, Ld, Shanghai, This is an "outline but an cute line far too brief, We should hava Wked Mr. Bryan to iven more details, instead of severely, confining himself to "outline, great eral knowles However, the author imparts which gained from. his practical experience ab the Shange hai Bar, and it should be of value to all who are brought into contact with the Chinese or who have eccas sion to refer to Chinese law, inelud= ting local legal practitioners. Mr. Bryan has spared no pains in his dificult undertaking, and his wor should smooth the thorny path off the student, and fill an extremely, useful place in the shelf of refer ence books on China, It is a timely, survey, and as a general sketch of the Chinese civil law certainly serves high praise. We have fortunately too few books on Chine ese law, especially Chinese civil law, translated into English. Sir George Staunton's "Chinese Law,'t translated more than a century ago old and out of date, for since those far off days China has passed through rapid and startling transit tion, We had, recently, a French translation of the Chinese law by, the Siccawei Press, but that, too, while a very excellent work, denote ing high scholarship worthy of tha Roman Catholic missionaries, hag the language difficulty for English
from time to time excellent band-'There have also been books and pamphlets on special subs Jects from the Chinese law, but they, also are limited in their sphere, hence Mr. Bryan's book will be found exceptionally handy.
The author makes no claim to, originality, the matters contained bee ing compiled and taken from recognized Chinese authorities and the works of approved foreign aus thors. Wherever possible, authori. ties have been cited in support off each proposition of law, and wherd no authorities could be' found, Mrs Bryan has drawn from his own experience. He has received much help from a capable young Chinese lawyer, Mr. K. W. Chang, 11.8. in the compilation of this book and this he acknowledges.
The Commercial Press are to ba congratulated upon their production of such a well produced. book, al work that compares favourably with that of printers and bookbinders in America and Europe. Tt i beautifully and clearly printed and excellently bound—w. He. i We do not hear much of the Saar, in these days. But it is still ong of the danger-spots of Europe: auf irritant whose presence helps tq prevent the establishment of real peace between France and Germany. Sir Robert Donald has just published a short, clear, ai sonable statement' of the "A Danger-Spot in Europe" (Parsons, 3s: 6d.), which brings out very' plainly the systematic folly, wherewith France has used majority in the Saar Commission to Gallicize this district, the progress sive embitterment of the population, and the failure of the League off Nations to ensure that the clause of the peace treaty dealing the, Saar are observed in the spi and not merely in the letter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.