Review of Reviews, ifTJOS. 



The Reviews Reviewed. 



THE AMERICAN REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



The May number opens with a hopeful survey of 

 the progress which has been made towards the solu- 

 tion of national problems and international disputes. 

 The editor remarte that Mrs. ^^'hitridge, wife of the 

 ^pecial ambassador .sent to represent the United States 

 at the Spanish wedding, is a daughter of the late 

 Matthew Arnold. He welcomes the postponement of 

 tlie second Hague Conference until after the Pan- 

 American Conference at Rio .Janeiro, as likely to 

 benefit both of these international gatherings. He 

 mentions Mr. Choate, Cteneral Porter, and Judge 

 Rose as likely to be sent to represent the Vnited 

 States at the Hague. The tide of immigration at 

 New York Harbour is stated to be higher this year 

 than ever before. The number of immigrants is ex- 

 pected to reach 1.100.000, who are officially described 

 as mostly able-bodied and willing workers, who add to 

 national efficiency. 



Mr. Rosenthal's sketch of the Alaskan Siberian 

 railway and Mr. Saviuien's account of the United 

 States of Colombia have claimed separate notice. Mr. 

 P. T. McG-rath gives a thrilling account of the perils 

 faced by New England fishennen along the Atlantic 

 seaboard from Delaware to .Newfoundland. He says 

 that one of the deadliest perils they encounter is that 

 of their vessels being run down and sunk by ocean 

 steamships racing through the fog. The French Go- 

 vernment is urging an international conference to 

 make ocean-steamers avoid the Grand Banks alto- 

 gether, the annual death-roll of French fishermen 

 being appalling. He incidentally i-emarks that the 

 Yankee fisherman is bent on keeping Newfoundland 

 and Canada apart. For, as has been said, "the day 

 Newfoundland unites with Canada, that day Glou- 

 cester puts up its shutters." Gloucester is the centre 

 of the Now England fisheries. 



Louis van Norma gives a vivid account of the New 

 York Post Office, the most important centre under 

 the United Slates Post Office, which in its turn is the 

 largest business concern in the country. It is the only 

 business operated by the United States Government. 

 On an average 2^ million letters and postcards per 

 day were sent from New York in 1905. In the Money 

 Oriier business the largest number of oi-tlers go to 

 Great Britain, but the large.st amount of money is 

 -ent to Italy, which during 190.5 received orders 

 equal to 11 million dollars. Comparing New York 

 with the chief European capitals, the writer says that 

 the London Post Office is, all things considered, prob- 

 ably the most admirably managed and efficient postal 

 institution in the world. The London collector and 

 carrier has a salary graded more scientifically, and is 

 better paid. This is in spite of the fact that London 

 has not the pneumatic tube, which in Paris and in 

 Berlin makes it possible to send a card from almost 

 any portion to any other portion of the citv in «r 

 hoiir. The pneumatic tube figures large in the pros, 

 pects of future reform. A special appropriation Bi/t 

 for the extension of the pnuematic tube service in 

 large cities has passed the Hon.se of Representatives. 



THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER. 



The chief feature in the Nineteenth Century is the 

 symposium of papers for and against the Education 

 Bill, which has been noticed elsewhere. Mr. Sidney 

 Lee gives an account of recent Shakespearean finds, 

 and Sir C. A. Elliott's indictment of the cantinei 

 scolaires of Paris has been mentioned elsewhere. 

 COLONIAL PREFERENCE AND IMPERIAL DEFENCE 

 Mr. Russell Kfa writes on the Liberal Government 

 and the coming Colonial Conference. He shows how- 

 Mr. Chamberlain's Protectionist campaign has 

 changed the attitude of the Colonies to the Home 

 Country from one of pure gratitude and affection to 

 that of a mere commercial bargaining. At the same 

 time, it has made perfectly clear that the Colonies 

 will do practically nothing towards bearing the bur- 

 dens of Imperial defence. Mr. Rea suggests that at 

 the nest conference, which will have to be very care- 

 fully handled, we should cease to worry our C!olonies 

 for money. His proposals amount to urging that the 

 Home Country .should continue to bear the cost of 

 Imperial defence, while the Colonies should in return 

 grant the Home Country some special share in their 

 growing material prosperity by means of a Preferen- 

 tial 'Tariff. The Home Country would thus maintain 

 Free Trade, which is its economic necessity, and the 

 Colonies would maintain that which is equally neces- 

 sary to them — their freedom from militarism. 



PEACEFUL PICKETING OF THE LORDS. 

 Sir Herbert Maxwell writes under the title of 

 "Why Lift Trades Unions above the Law?" After 

 sternly denouncing the Prime Minister for having 

 thrown overboard his Attorney-General, Sir Herbert 

 gives unplea.sant instances of trades unions picketing, 

 and then proceeds to apply to the House of Lords that 

 "peaceful persuasion," the legality of which he so 

 deprecates in the case of trade unions. He says : — 



Just as the barons of England intervened at Runnymede 

 to curb tbe tyranny of the monarch, and just as the great 

 middle class threw ofl the tyranny of boroughmongering 

 lords in 1832. so now it is to the Lords of Parliament, sup- 

 ported by the middle cl.-iss. that we must look for protcc- j 

 tiou from tlie tyranny of trade unions. I 



Have they nerve and judgment for the occasion? ' 



- It may he feared that the Lords themselves may shrink 

 from exercising their legitimate control. What will be the 

 inevitable consequence of such shrinking? They will pre- 

 serve their titular existence, having become, as Lord New- 

 ton with .apt irony described it. a hybrid between a supe- 

 rior debating society ;uid a registry office. 



THE POLITICS OF THE CROWD. 



Sir Martin Conway has an interesting paper on the 

 individual versus the crowd. He says that civilisa- 

 tion and morality have been brought about by crowd 

 influence on opinion, and that in their incapacity for 

 thought perhaps the beneficence of their influence 

 consists. A crowd is dependent for ideas upon some 

 " compelling individnal." He illustrates, however, 

 not merely from school and universit.v life, but also 

 from current politics, the crowd influence: — 



There is no reason in tbe nature of things why Liberals 

 should not have proposed tariff reform and Conservativefl 

 resisted it. Mr. Chamberlain h.is been a member of both 

 political parties, and he proposed his revoltition as a mc^ 



