6/4 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



The subject of Forestry, which unfortunately arouses so little interest in the 

 general reader of this country, is ably represented by American Forestry. The 

 number for December 1916 contains, in addition to discussions of its main theme, 

 many interesting and beautifully illustrated articles on kindred matters such as 

 bird-life, game-preserving, and parks. 



Mr. J. Holland Rose in The New Europe, February 15, challenges President 

 Wilson's unfortunate phrase " Peace without victory," and brings forward incidents 

 of history to support the usual view that an indecisive war will only prove the 

 forerunner of fresh wars. Some American papers, however, do not admit that 

 President Wilson's phrase bears this interpretation, but claim that he intended to 

 convey that after victory was gained the victor should not demand the uttermost 

 farthing from the vanquished. 



Mr. Arnold J. Toynbee has made an attempt to rouse the British mind from 

 apathy to action with regard to the Armenian Atrocities in a penny pamphlet 

 bearing that name and prefaced by Lord Bryce's speech in the House of Lords 

 (Hodder & Stoughton). One hopes that the time is not far distant when a 

 nation will not be allowed to murder 800,000 defenceless people while the world 

 sits idly by contenting itself with a mere verbal expression of horror. The Revue 

 Philosophique contains in its January number able essays on the subjects of 

 Energy and Force, and of Liberty. The November number of Scientia includes 

 good articles on "The Influence of the Theory of Evolution in Morphology," by 

 E. S. Russell, and "The War and International Law," by G. H. Goudy. 



This and That (The Editor). 



The Report of the Speaker's Conference on Electoral Reform was issued on 

 January 30. It is proposed to give the vote to " every person of full age, not 

 subject to any legal incapacity, who" . . . occupies premises of not less than j£io 

 yearly value. The representation of universities is to be maintained. Redistribu- 

 tion is governed by the principle that each vote shall, as far as possible, command 

 an equal share of representation. Oxford and Cambridge are to return two 

 members each ; the remaining English universities are to return three members ; 

 the Scottish universities the same number : and the possession of a degree shall 

 be the electoral qualification for these constituencies. Proportional Representation 

 is largely accepted throughout the report. At a general election all polls are to 

 be held on one day. The expenses of elections are to be largely reduced and 

 borne by the State ; but a candidate must lose his nomination deposit of ^150 if he 

 does not obtain an adequate proportion of votes. Candidates' expenses are to be 

 allowed a maximum of sevenpence per elector, or less. The Conference objected 

 to the "growing practice" by which political organisations incur expenditure in 

 the furtherance of the views of particular candidates. Soldiers and sailors are to 

 have votes under certain conditions. Some measure of woman suffrage is to be 

 conferred, and absentee voting allowed. 



On the other hand the total number of members of the House of Commons for 

 Great Britain (567, with an additional 103 for Ireland) is to remain substantially 

 the same. The suggestions made in Science Progress for January last by 

 Mr. Cowan, namely, that the duration of parliaments be fixed, and that voting in 

 the House be by ballot, dealt, I suppose, with questions outside the terms of 

 reference of the Conference. On the whole, many will think that these terms 

 were not wide enough ; and, also, that the recommendations do not strike hard 

 enough at the principal defect of our political system — the tyranny of the party 



