ANIEL GREGORY MASON has recently received evidence of widespread appreciation for his books for laymen and music lovers. In connection with the National Music Week, held May 4 to 10, 1924, a list of sixteen books for amateurs was compiled from lists submitted by famous musicians, music critics, orchestra conductors, and music educators, who were asked to name the books which they thought would best help to create new lovers of music besides deepening the musical appreciation of those already interested. In this list of sixteen books no less than five of Mr. Mason's were named. The editors of The Outlook hope that their readers will find in the article here printed and the articles to be published later the same clearness, ready intelligibility, and interest that have made Mr. Mason's writings so widely popular.

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Volume 137

Sagacious and Courageous Marx

TH

HE most important recent event in connection with the London Conference has been the arrival

of the three German representatives, Dr. Marx, the Chancellor, Dr. Stresemann, the Foreign Minister, and Dr. Luther, the Finance Minister. Of these men, in individual and official strength, the Chancellor stands first.

Dr. Marx is a typical Rhinelander, and that means the best sort of German. Spare, not fat; alert, not heavy; friendly, not morose; above all, democratic, not aristocratic, he is as good a representative of the German Republic as could be mentioned. Had his work in London permitted, he would gladly have returned to Germany to help keep Constitution Day-August 10-in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the signing at Weimar of the present German Constitution.

Not so Dr. Stresemann; it is reported that he forbade the party of which he is leader (the miscalled People's Party) to celebrate the event. Perhaps to him the Republic, as opposed to the former Monarchy, is a constant reminder of German defeat in the War.

Naturally, the extreme parties of the Right, like the Nationalists, would have nothing to do with Constitution Day; they made their abstention so spectacular as to give to a stranger the impression that the Republic, in view of the inevitable and powerful Monarchist reaction, is not as strong as it really is. It must be remembered also, however, that many German Republicans are not altogether enthusiastic about the centralization features of the Weimar Constitution.

But, so long as the Democratic, Center (Roman Catholic), and Socialist Parties stand together, as they have done, in defense of the Republic, they can defy the rest, despite the fact that the Nationalist group is now the largest in numbers.

As the leader of the Center Party, Dr. Marx has shown himself an astute politician. If the German Republic survives, it will owe some of its life to him. But

August 20, 1924

he is more emphatically a sagacious statesman. His statesmanship has been both courageous and cautious. He was the first German of distinction to proclaim, as he did in his New Year's address nearly eight months ago: "Wir sind ein besiegtes Volk"-We are a conquered people. Up to that time most Germans had obstinately refused to

Dr. Marx, the German Chancellor

acknowledge this fact. And why? Merely because they had preserved their Fatherland from invasion! The Chancellor's proclamation signaled a new German psychology, already compelled, indeed, by the Ruhr occupation.

If the Chancellor were courageous in proclaiming an unpleasant fact not yet publicly acknowledged by most Germans, he has been equally cautious in his management of the ship of state. When, last May, the Nationalists gained their victory, every one foresaw shipwreck for the Republic and for Marx in particular. But the Republic still lives and Marx is still Chancellor.

Number 16

ance of the Dawes reparation plan. Premier Herriot's flying visit to Paris seems to have convinced at least the members of 'his Cabinet that French interests were being protected, especially as Mr. MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, had, it is understood, pledged himself not to retire British troops from the Cologne sector on the Rhine on January 10, 1925, unless Germany should have fulfilled every obligation undertaken in conformity with the Dawes Plan from the period elapsing from the present time to that date.

An interesting development at the Conference was the decision that an American shall sit with the Reparation Commission, not only when a question of default is raised, but at any time in case of difference of opinion concerning the Dawes Plan.

As an offset for the proposed evacuation of the Ruhr territory on January 10, a Franco-German commercial treaty is now under negotiation.

Concerning Allied control over German arms it is now proposed to abolish the Interallied Commission created by the Versailles Treaty and to place with the League of Nations the responsibility for Germany's obedience to the Allies' demand for disarmament.

Playing With Fire

Ν

IN striking contrast to the attitude of

our Secretary of State towards Bolshevism is that of the British and French Prime Ministers. Both have given pre-election pledges concerning Russia.

Mr. MacDonald has now redeemed his, not only by recognizing de jure the Bolshevist Government, but also by signing a treaty with it. The gist of this treaty is that Russia concedes some of the British claims as to debts in return for the guaranty of a loan.

The treaty is the first ever signed by a British Premier which does not contain the King's name; this, it is explained, is due to the lack of a personal head in the Bolshevist Government. Rather rough on Rykov, one might think!

The signing of this treaty with a

decency-defying and irresponsible government does not mean its approval by the British Parliament. General opinion in England, it would seem, is reflected by Lloyd George's curt comment, "A fake."

It is interesting to turn from this comment to Bolshevist comment concerning the Americans who have been engaged in "imposing" the Dawes plan for German reparations on German labor, thereby heaping taxes upon German taxpayers. "Slaves of democracy and coolies of pacifism" is what the Bolshevists call us. Just why "slaves" and just why "coolies" is not apparent. Perhaps the ultimate animus may be found in our refusal to recognize their govern

ment.

The Air Mail

THE

HE Postmaster-General, reporting on the first month's operation of the continuous schedule air mail service from New York to San Francisco, declares it "successful from every standpoint." During the thirty-one days the lettercarrier aviators flew 174,000 miles, practically seven times as far as the army aviators flew in their trip around the world. The average time, east-bound, was thirty-six hours and twenty-one minutes and, west-bound, thirty-nine hours and forty-nine minutes. This is a time saving of approximately fifty hours over the fastest combination of rail schedules. And this result was achieved despite adverse weather conditions on practically two-thirds of the days. A retarding factor, too, was the absence of lighted airways into San Francisco and New York. Work is in progress now, however, on lighting the way through the Sacramento Valley into San Francisco and through New Jersey into New York. Though the Postmaster-General does not say so, there is reasonable expectation that these improvements will reduce the flying time.

Surveying all of the difficulties and appraising all of the achievements, the Postmaster-General sees but one possibility of a fatal difficulty. That is that the service may not be supported by the public in sufficient measure to warrant its continuation. But, unless a worldold state of mind has changed almost overnight, the public will support the air mail service. Men always have sought the fastest means of transporting their written word. Couriers on the backs of flying steeds, mail pouch guards

in stage coaches behind spanking foursin-hand, clipper vessels coastwise and across seas, mogul engines shrieking through the night-these and a score of other means have letter-writers of this and other nations supported for the sake of speed since man first took it into his head to convey his thoughts by the written page to those persons far away with whom he had social or business ties. The present reduction in transit time is far and away the greatest ever achieved at one stroke, and the air mail service should for that reason be the more eagerly accepted.

True, there is not to-day the absolute necessity that used to exist for the transmission of thoughts by mail. The telegraph long since became the medium for almost instantaneous transmission and has been as long widely used for brief messages.

The telephone, because it speaks through distances, has been more favored than either the letter or the telegram for some kinds of long distance intercourse. Just now has come the radio, both telegraphic and telephonic, reaching to greater distances with equal certainty and speed. But, with all those things at his service, man still prefers to carry on most of his serious long-distance communication-and, for that matter, most of his non-serious-by letter.

Can any one imagine Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians-that for gravity-or O. Henry's prison letters to his child-that for a forced and heartbreaking levity-transmitted by telegraph or telephone or radio? Those are extreme illustrations; but there are in the world, and will be, multiplied thousands of modifications of those letterwriters who, because neither wire nor wireless can be made by any stress to serve their need, will accept with gladness an air mail service that spans the

continent in a third of the train time.

Parks and Playgrounds in the West

THE United States Department of

Agriculture has recently published an interesting account of the work of small villages and farm settlements in the West in securing for themselves playgrounds.

The picture presented by Bulletin No. 1388 turns pity for the farmers (of the West, at least) into something like envy. If they have such enlightened ideas in regard to their playgrounds and display such courage, generosity, and organizing

genius in acquiring them, why is it not to be expected that they will get for themselves eventually all the other good things of life?

Near Niagara, North Dakota, in the open country, is a farmers' park, financed, operated, owned, maintained, and used by farmers. These people did not see why they should sponge on a private owner for recreation grounds, nor did they approve of sending their boys and girls to town or village for their games and other outdoor fun.

A plot of eleven wooded acres along the Turtle River, costing $2,200, was decided on as a suitable place. They organized a stock company called the Bachelors' Grove Community Park Asso ciation, incorporated it under State laws, and sold shares at $25 each. When these were all taken up, it was found that ninety-five per cent of them were owned by farmers, nearly every family in the region owning at least one share.

The first year saw the place only cleared of underbrush and fenced in. Estimates for for further improvements figured out to $16,000, despite the fact that much of the necessary labor had been volunteered. But the people realized that these improvements would soon pay for themselves, so they went ahead, and in a few succeeding years created ball-grounds, a dancing pavilion, and other buildings and recreational facilities. Concessions are leased at a good profit. On the opening day five thousand people were in attendance. During the summer months there is, on an average, one huge organization picnic a week and on Sundays many small family picnics. There are frequent athletic games and contests between neighboring teams, and supervised dances in charge of the older people are given in the pavilion. Churches, boys' and girls' clubs, a Chautauqua, and

other societies hold all their summer meetings here.

ANY small villages in the West have similar achievements to their credit. Gregory, South Dakota, for example, is now a place of only nine hundred inhabi tants, and yet twenty years ago it set aside thirty-eight acres of the original town site for ultimate complete development as recreation grounds. During these twenty years trees have been planted, picnic grounds equipped, base ball and football grounds and tennis courts laid out, and a grand stand