1914 THE NEW BOOKS Naples, and the proclamation by Parliament Hunting in the Arctic and Alaska. By E. An informal but agreeable and sometimes vivacious account of an expedition in search of the big game of the Arctic-polar bear and walrus. The author's route was down the Yukon, through Bering Strait to Herald Island and Siberia, and through Bering Sea to Alaska. This is a new route for hunters. There are many pictures and maps. Ecuador. By C. Reginald Enock, F.R.G.S. (South American Series.) Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. $3. This volume is specially notable because there has been no authoritative work in English dealing with Ecuador—perhaps the most retrograde of all the South American republics in As in Mexico, the advance of civilization. the laboring classes in general own no land; they are insufficiently clothed; their food is scanty; they live in mud houses; they are subject to epidemics of disease; their education is neglected; and the control of both health and education is in the hands of a small oligarchic, plutocratic class. As elsewhere in Central and South America, the high cost of living is becoming increasingly marked. This, says the author, is due, in part, to high tariffs on imported articles, to the monopoly of the middlemen, and to the excessive cost of transport. These evil conditions exist despite the fact that Ecuador is enormously rich in natural resources and that much land still remains the property of the State. A particular feature of interest to Americans is Mr. Enock's description of the Galápagos Islands. These islands are near enough to the Panama Canal to form a natural outlying fortification. Thus our possession of them would In 1909, accordbe a distinct advantage to us. ing to Mr. Enock's statement, the publication of ex-President Garcia's private papers showed that there had been proposals for the sale of the archipelago to the United States. Two years later there were dealings between President Estrada and the United States for a lease of the islands for a term of ninety-nine years, under a payment of $15,000,000 to Ecuador. Unfortunately, the offer was refused by Ecuador. In view of the Republic's financial condition, an acceptance would have been of advanIt tage to it. The name of the islands is derived from the galápago-the giant tortoise. abounds in the islands, but is now becoming scarcer because of the hunt for the excellent oil it yields and for its flesh and eggs-agree . able articles of food. Mr. Enock's description These reptiles various directions. have formed wide-rutted trails in the drinking-places, and, as the latter are scarce upon the Soul of America (The). By Stanton Coit. The Dr. Coit believes in God, in prayer to God, and in mystic union with God. But his God is simply a name for ideal goodness as the object of supreme desire and endeavor. It exists nowhere but in man, and in man only till death ends his existence. Prayer is to be offered to this "God in man," devotedness to which is the highest patriotism, and also is the only true religion. The redemptive spirit of this higher patriotism is "the Soul of America." Thus would Dr. Coit have Christianity reinterpreted in the light of science and American idealism, and expressed in scientific language and democratic symbol with a new manual of National worship in democratic form. Apart from his evisceration of the Christian significance of the cardinal terms of spiritual life Dr. Coit's discussion of the essentials of American manhood and womanhood and of the moral mission of our country to the world is both stimulating and instructive. Vanished Messenger (The). By E. Phillips Oppenheim. Little, Brown & Co. $1.30. Mr. Oppenheim again exhibits his skill in weaving an exciting plot, and again the background of his story is found in international complications of the great Powers of Europe. The "vanished messenger is on his way from America, bearing a message from the great money kings of the United States which will surely prevent a threatened war by a coalition of the Great Powers against England. He disappears on a stormy night on which he was expected to cross the Channel to the Continent. What became of him, how nearly he escaped death at the hands of a human monster who plots war and destruction for all the world, and how he was rescued in time to save the situation, make up a story which is not the less thrilling because it is totally improbable. Incidentally there is a love story, but it is of the slightest interest. Traffic managers and commercial organizations are asked by the railways to co-operate in promoting the most efficient use of freight cars in moving the great crops of the present year. The number of freight cars in the country last year was 2,127,314, an increase over the average of several previous years of about 100,000 cars. The number for each mile of road was 10.03. But still more cars are needed. Mr. Henry C. Demming, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, writes to us, referring to the finding of life at high altitudes, that he has found tarantulas at an elevation of nearly 13,000 feet, on Babcock Peak in the Rocky Mountains; that at an elevation of 12,200 feet he has seen humming-birds; that he has never seen a snake above 9,500 feet, but that mice and mountain rats are sometimes very numerous at high altitudes. Above the timber line on Babcock Mountain he found a large colony of conies, which "seemed to be identical with the cony of Palestine." As the reader may not be entirely familiar with the characteristics of the cony, the new Standard Dictionary's description may be quoted: “A daman or hyracoid ungulate, as Hyrax syriacus, identified with the cony of the Bible; an ashkoko." This definition may be matched for intelligibility to the ordinary inquirer with that of "crawfish" in the Century Dictionary: "The common name of the small fluviatile long-tailed decapod crustaceans of the genera Astacus and Cambarus." These definitions may be well enough for scientific purposes; other works describe the cony as a small, burrowing animal, resembling the marmot, found in Asia and America. A new device enables the kodak-user to write on the edge of the film, at the time of making an exposure, data concerning the taking of the photograph. This will enable the snap-shotter to identify his pictures, and will be of advantage to the professional photographer who uses films. Red cedar, which has been used for many years as a casing for lead pencils, is diminishing so rapidly that the Forest Service has been experimenting with a substitute. It has decided that juniper is the best wood now available for this purpose, and manufacturers are said to be securing lumber rights in the juniper lands of New Mexico and elsewhere. A writer on camp life tells in the "National Sportsman" how to cook a steak: On a forked stick place the steak and toast it over the hot, red ashes, turning it quickly. Put it on your tin plate or piece of birch bark; spread on it butter, a little mustard, and salt and pepper. Have your coffee ready and hot, and baste the steak with two or three tablespoonfuls of this, pour ing it on the steak; the resulting gravy will be delicious; and when this steak is served with roasted potatoes and hot buttered toast, "you can ask the editor to dinner." Forecasting the season of 1915 in the automobile industry, "Rider and Driver" says: "We can see the day coming when 10,000 miles will be the average life of tires, and when the cost of upkeep and operation will be reduced to ten cents a mile on a basis of 8,000 miles a year. . . . At present the average cost of operation is from nineteen to forty cents a mile," except in the case of a few "small fours" which touch lower figures. Apropos of the new theater for the use of the insane in the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a subscriber writes that the New York State hospitals for the insane are all equipped with a similar feature, and that for twenty-five years patients have taken part in the plays presented. To Dr. Carlos F. MacDonald, our correspondent says, is due the credit of instituting many such remedialmeasures in the treatment of the insane. Mr. Walter Winans, in his recent book on "Animal Sculpture," remarks that some writers on sculpture call the statue of Charles I in Leicester Square, London, "the finest equestrian statue in England." He then comments: "The horse has ridiculous human eyes. He lifts his off fore leg, and yet does not shift his right to his near side, as horses have to do to keep their balance. . . . His tail is stuck in half-way down his quarters." Mr. Winans urges sculptors to resist the tendency to improve upon nature. In the reminiscences of Tolstoy by his son published in the "Century Magazine” the most remarkable sentence is perhaps this: "During all his [Tolstoy's] lifetime I never received any mark of tenderness from him whatever." Yet his children were devoted to this undemonstrative father. In what is now known as the Sanford Celery Delta in Florida a thousand acres were sold in 1899 for twenty-five cents an acre. Under cultivation with sub-irrigation, says J. N. Whitner in the "Country Gentleman," some of these lands have since sold for $1,500 an acre. The estimated output of vegetables this season in the Delta will exceed 2,000 car-loads. Is there no limit to the size of pictures of disagreeable insects that are to be exhibited to readers of a popular magazine? The question is suggested by the proximity of a number of charming pictures of Japanese children, by Eliza R. Scidmore, in the July number of the "National Geographic Magazine," to enormously magnified photographs of a robber fly, a centipede, a dragon-fly and its victim, etc. AUGUST 22, 1914 LYMAN ABBOTT, Editor-in-Chief HAMILTON W. MABIE, Associate Editor R. D. TOWNSEND, Managing Editor THE STORY OF THE WAR BY ARTHUR BULLARD THE OUTLOOK'S WAR CORRESPONDENT AT HOME As announced last week, Mr. Bullard, who, under his pen-name of Albert Edwards, was The Outlook's correspondent in the Balkan War, will, as "The Outlook's War Correspondent at Home," tell from week to week in this place the story of the war in Europe in special signed articles and with the aid of maps. Every effort will be made, through Mr. Bullard's special knowledge of the countries involved and from information from many sources, to enable readers to follow the great authentic events of the war told in a simple and clear narrative.-THE EDITORS. T HE stubborn resistance of the Bel- In an article on the German war plans in the March issue of the "Armée et Marine," a military magazine of Paris which is under the patronage of the French General Staff, the magazine's expert on strategy, who signs himself" Col. X," wrote that by the fourth day after the declaration of war the Germans would be ready" to commence their invasion of Belgium in order to dislocate the mobilization of this country, to menace Liège and Namur, and so give a pretext to King Albert to concentrate his army about Antwerp, leaving the road open to the German troops. . . . Belgium will have seemed to cede to superior force. . . . But in reality this will be the execution of an agreement for which the price has already been fixed." As recently as last March the best-informed military magazine in France believed that the Belgians had a secret treaty with the Kaiser and that Liège would not fire a shot to check invasion. This belief seems to have been shared by the German General Staff. They have been surprised and apparently disconcerted by the opposition of the Belgians. One is reminded of Bismarck's definition of the qualities of a good diplomat: "Sound judgment of what other people will probably do under given circumstances; correct interpretation of their intentions and purposes.' Evidently there is no Bismarckian diplomat in Berlin to-day. At the first threat of invasion King Albert of Belgium called his people to arms and rushed to the defense of his frontier. Fighting began at once, and after a number of indecisive skirmishes the Belgians at Liège were driven back to their fortifications by a force of Germans estimated at 125,000. LIÈGE CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR Numerous despatches have reached us telling the Belgian version of how the ancient town of Liège has suddenly come to life in current history. It is a city of a little less than 200,000 souls, sprawled over the two banks of the river Meuse. There are some fine mediæval buildings to attract tourists and many very modern factories, which account for the railways that converge there and give the city its undesired military importance. On the heights about Liège there is a ring of forts. Of course their existence was known, but no one seems to have taken them seriously. "The Statesman's Year Book," which generally gives such information, does not mention the fortifications. But for more than a week these unconsidered forts held back the German army. The city has been entered, but the forts still hold out and block the railways. Military experts on both sides expected the German army to be on French soil by this time. The long-heralded "dashing attack" crumpled up. It is admitted that the German soldiers showed immense heroism in their assaults. What criticism we hear is directed against the higher officers. They were utterly unpre pared for determined resistance. Their siege artillery was not at hand. And for several days, ignoring the lessons of every modern. siege from Port Arthur to Adrianople, they recklessly launched infantry, in close formation, against fortifications and machine guns. As they had expected to dine in Liège, they had not brought food. And German soldiers are said to be surrendering in the hope of getting a square meal. Liège, in itself, is not important. The French General Staff did not count on any serious resistance. But the check to the German advance is immensely important. The great superiority of the Kaiser's army was its ability to strike quickly. Liège has allowed France to throw her standing army into Belgium and to muster her reserves undisturbed. It has given England time to land her expeditionary force. It may well prove that the plucky Belgians have been a decisive factor in remaking the map of Europe. The French Government has given the heroic little city the Cross of the Legion of Honor a distinction which has been granted to but one other city, Belfort, the hero of the Franco-Prussian War. MARKING TIME IN LUXEMBURG Germany's first act of war was the invasion of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. An army of 100,000 men is said to have overrun the tiny country-it is less than oneeighth the size of New Jersey. And since this first news there has been no word from Luxemburg until the 11th brought a rumor that an advance was being made into France by way of Longwy. Here again the "dashing attack" did not materialize. Why should the Germans waste so many valuable days in Luxemburg? Probably they were waiting for the advance of the army before Liège to cover their right wing. THE FRANCO-GERMAN FRONTIER From the boundary line between France and Germany we have no news which clearly indicates the presence of any large force. German dash across the frontier near Nancy A was easily repulsed. A few hundred German cavalrymen raided the environments of Belfort and carried off some horses. The French also reported a few skirmishes across the line. But the largest single group of troops so far mentioned is a French force of less than 100,000 men. THE FRENCH INVASION OF ALSACE It is too early to guess the importance of this raid. The number reported in the press despatches is a very fair-sized advance guard in such a war as this, but it is not an army. But the unconfirmed report of the presence of General Joffre, the Commander-in-Chief, points to a serious military operation. Starting from Belfort, this column crossed the frontier into "the Lost Province" of Alsace and came in touch with the enemy at Altkirch on the evening of the 7th. After some resistance the Germans retreated; the French entered the village, and the next morning pushed north and occupied the important but unfortified town of Mühlhausen. Other French detachments, after severe fighting, forced their way through the passes of the Vosges Mountains, to the north of Belfort, and effected a juncture with the southern column. Their number is not given. The combined forces are reported to be in conflict with a larger German army. So far these operations have been little more than a raid. But it is probable that the French are pouring troops across the frontier, and they may attack the fortress of Neu Breisach, which is a great deal more formidable than Liège. The news of the first big battle of the war may reach us from Alsace. It looks as if a serious engagement was inevitable either there or in Belgium within the week. WHERE IS THE GERMAN ARMY? According to all paper reckonings, the Kaiser should have at least 2,000,000 men in the field by now. One hundred and twentyfive thousand are reported before Liège. 100,000 in Luxemburg. Not 50,000 have been definitely accounted for along the Franco-German border. We can guess that 200,000 are guarding the Russian frontier. But that leaves at least a million men unaccounted for. Where are they? There are three main ways of entering France: (1) The northern route by way of Belgium and Luxemburg. (2) A frontal attack against the line of forts from Verdun to Belfort. |