

196 



The Review of Reviews. 



February SO, 1906. 



THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW. 



Nearly every article of importance in the Contem- 

 porary has been separately dealt with. Sir Courteiiay 

 llbert reviews a recent German book on t lie History of 

 English Parliamentary Procedure, which, he says, fills 

 a conspicuous gap in English constitutional literature. 

 A learned young Austrian has done a piece of work 

 winch some competent Englishman ought to have un- 

 dertaken long ago; and the work has been evidently 

 admirably done, with characteristic German thorough- 

 ness. Moreover, the treatment of the subject is fresh, 

 impartial and vivid, at once removing the book from 

 the " dryasdust " category. 



In Mr. C. F. (;. Masterman's article on the " Unem- 

 ployed" there is not much that is new. The incoming 

 Government, he says, must either (1) deal directly with 

 them by new distress committees, especially in con- 

 nection with Land Colonies; (2) deal indirectly with 

 them by small holdings, encouragement of co-operation, 

 etc., or by the development of English sylviculture, 

 or establishing schemes of reclamation; or <;ii deal 

 directly with the problem of poverty by lifting taxes 

 from necessaries, child labour Legislation, greater 

 economy in Government expenditure, concern for phy- 

 sical efficiency of poor children, and similar methods. 



Dr. Emil Reich's third article on "The Bankruptcy 

 nl' Higher Criticism," says that, considering the im- 

 portance of Biblical criticism, would it not be bettei 

 to try to settle the problem of it and of the Penta- 

 teuch by excavations in Palestine, the cost of which, 

 he suggests, could easily be met by voluntary subscrip- 

 t ion. It may easily be imagined what would be the 

 effect, of the discovery of a copy of Genesis or Exodus 

 in cuneiform. He does not say that such a copy will 

 unfailingly be found, but only suggests thai il is very 

 likely to be found somewhere in Palestine. Several 

 rich British amateurs are spending large sums on pub- 

 lishing Oriental manuscripts, none of which can com- 

 pare in importance with the Pentateuch. 



The Rev. F. Stuhbs lately contributed to the Ot,uj<, 

 Daily Times a series of three articles on "The Seamy 

 Side of Civilisation," in which he dwelt upon some of 

 the disabilities which have accompanied our onward 

 march in other things. Some of the most st liking 

 indications of loss, he considers, are physical degenera- 

 tion, with the absence of robust health, muscular 

 strength, and size of body known in the primitive 

 races, and he quotes the Maori in New Zealand as 

 an illustration of the way in which " civilisation " has 

 caused physical degeneration. Social relations, too, 

 he considers, are not satisfactory, as evidenced in 

 the effort made to cram children with knowledge at 

 early ages, and the still too prevalent sweating of 

 children in factory life. Moreover. Mr. Stubbs con- 

 siders that the effect of civilisation on morals, as 

 evidenced in the relation of the sexes, in the huge 

 expenditures over the liquor traffic, and the records 

 of crime, are not a compliment to '' civilisation." He 

 says, however, "I do not make the above comparisons 

 as an argument for a return of savagery. That is 

 neither possible nor desirable, but what is possible 

 and desirable is that these ugly features of modern 

 civilisation should be eliminated. In order to bring 

 this about, he suggests that the nation should, as 

 far as possible, remove alcoholic liquors and drugs, 

 prevent sexual excesses by a simpler life, secure more 

 up-to-date legislative assistance, and readjustment of 

 our criminal methods, and the prevention of the 

 hopeless degenerate from propagating their kind. The 

 article shows a deal of care and thought fulness in 

 preparation, and no one can disagree with the con- 

 clusions. 



THE PALL MALL MAGAZINE. 



The most interesting article in the January Pall 

 Mull Magazint is Sir Harry H. Johnston's account of 

 his travels in the Tunisian Sahara, not far from the 

 borders of Tripoli. Tins African region, he says, is so 

 attractive that he wonders that more tourists able to 

 ride long distances on horseback do not visit it. 

 OAVE-DWELLINGS IN THE TUNISIAN SAHARA. 



A good deal of this plateau region is of limestone 

 formation, and. as the limestone is like soft white 

 marble, it lends itself readily to carving. Water has 

 created many natural caves, but more interesting than 

 these sei'iii to be the artificial caves tunnelled out of 

 the cliffs. Sir Harry Johnston writes: — 



Either we would see a black doorway in t lie face of a 

 precipitous white cliff, and entering this doorway pass from 

 chamber to chamber hollowed out in t he limestone; or if 

 we were to lodge in one of the horizontal caverns, we would 

 he riding over a. level surface and suddenly behold the path 

 Sloping to a tunnel a tunnel hi ltIi enough for camels. 



Biding down this incline, dark and mysterious, we would 

 emerge into ;i central hall open to the sky— simply a square 

 excavation into the bowelE "I the earth. From this centre 

 hall would branch oil' apartments scooped out of the rock 

 . aid receiving their air ami a little light from the open 

 excavation- 

 Ill manj of these caverns— vertical and horizontal— not 

 only bad the apartment been excavated from the soft lime- 

 stone, hut. the architects had actually had the foresight in 

 their Bcooping to carve the more useful articles of furniture 

 as well. Thus they had left and shaped blocks of lime- 

 stone which represented a dais and a stone couch, stone 

 - round the trails, niche- and shelves, tables and stools. 

 I have seldom seen anything oi its kind more ingenious; 

 you carved out room and furniture at once, with the sole 

 inconvenience that the furniture was a. fixture, on the 

 .'round were spread mats, skins, and carpets, while other 

 carpets and mattresses made the stone benches sufficiently 

 comfortable for a tired traveller to repose on. 



Mr. William Hyde contribute- an article on Liver- 

 pool, which he describes as the second city of the 

 Empire, and Mr. Charles Motley describes the service 

 in the Chapel of the Poor Brothers of Charterhouse in 

 his series, " London at Prayer." 



C. B. FRY'S MAGAZINE. 

 C B. Fry's New Year number is chiefly distin- 

 guished by the Editor's setting out to convert us into 

 a nation of marksmen, and so to obviate conscription 

 and defencelessness. For the rest, golf, football, 

 hockey, and skating are the dominant interests of the 

 number. Mr. Fry describes the goal-keeper's art, with 

 a number of action photographs. Mr. Syers describes 

 national traits in skating; Captain Pearson tells how 

 to use a rifle ; both with copious photographic illustra- 

 tions. Mr. Fry suggests an excellent New Year re- 

 solution — a vow never to laugh in the wrong place, 

 and never to refrain from laughing in the right place, 

 and prays. ■• Lord, fill US with laughter, the sort of 

 laughter that rings true under the open skies." His 

 next suggestion is to the housewife, that improved 

 cookery would very much help health, humour, and 

 hope. Other suggestions are to make every bit of 

 garden or other ground the richer, and to practise 

 courtesy towards the lower animals. Even in January 

 Mr. Pry makes one in love with the outdoor life. 



A New Magazine. 



I have to welcome to the list of the periodicals of the 

 world The Cosmopolitan, a monthly miscellany, the 

 first number of which appeared in September at 

 Shanghai. It. has on its cover the flags of all nations, 

 except the Union Jack, and is printed in English and 

 is sold at a dollar the number. It is copiously illus- 

 trated, is original in its conception, and admirable in 

 its execution, and we cordially welcome the newcomer 

 to the fraternity of the magazines and reviews of the 

 world. 



