82 



The Review of Reviews. 



July 1, 1906. 



THE MONTHLY REVIEW. 



The 2Ionthly Beiiew, though a good average num- 

 ber, does not contain any article of great importance. 

 The An-iter of the opening paper, on " Parliament and 

 Parties,'' says that there is not one of the high ex- 

 pectations formed of the new ilinistry which has not 

 already undergone some disillusion. There has been 

 even more dilly-dallying than usual over the pre- 

 liminaries of the Se.ssion. Old pro-Boer bitterness still 

 rankles, and the severest criticism of all is reserved 

 for the Natal episode and the handling of the Chinese 

 labour question. The writer says that public men and 

 the press in the colonies do not let their real feelings 

 about Liberal Governments appear, but they neverthe- 

 less do feel very strongly — a statement unfortunately 

 true. In fact, his conclusion Ls tliat "since the open- 

 ing of Parliament the Radicals have been giving 

 themselves away with both hands." 



JAP.tNESE STATESMEN OF TESTEEDAT AND TO-DAY. 

 Mary Crawford Fraser, writing on this subject, says 

 that Japanese statesmen of yesterday had to risk 

 everything, even their countri.-'s hatred, to compass 

 her renascence. The best known are Count Inouye, 

 of '■ gentle noble character and scholarly attainments," 

 the Marquis Ito, Count Itgaki. and Marshal Yama- 

 gata. His worst enemies are obliged to confess that 

 Marquis Ito is disinterested. He began life at a time 

 when even the weU-born Japanese could hardly speak 

 their own language correctly. In fact, most of the 

 article is devoted to an interesting sketch of Ito as 

 the type of the group of statesmen now passing aw^y. 

 Count Okuma, the writer says, will never be a leader 

 again. His remarks on the peace ended his influential 

 career. 



SPIEITTJALISir. 



Isabella C. Blackwood writes a sensible article on 

 " Spiritualism " — in inverted commas. Not that there 

 is anything new in it to anyone who has ever given 

 serious attention to the subject. It may be best 

 summed up by quoting the last paragraph : — 



■We contend, therefore, that while Spiritualism confirms 

 the claim for ancient inspiration from spiritual sources — 

 that men received ideas, commtinications. help, encourage- 

 ment, iruidance or warnings, from the spirit side of lite 

 while it explains the testimony of antiquity, it, at the 

 same time takes these experiences from the categorv of the 

 enpernatural and perfect, and makes clear the fact that 

 aU inspiration is imperfect, and must be judged according 

 to the ordinary tests of truth and right. 



AOCUESED RACES. 

 5Ir. Frederick Boyle writes on the curious subject 

 of races held accursed. Of course in the East it is 

 well known that there are many such races, but many 

 persons have now forgotten that in France, from time 

 immemorial till the beginning of last century, unfor- 

 tunates, both individuals and small communities, 

 existed in great number who were held to be so ac- 

 cursed, Wlien in 1847 M. Francisque Michel pub- 

 lished an account of them, he a.stounded the world. 

 Frenchmen felt inclined to protest that his evidence 

 applied only to the Middle Ages; but at that time 

 there were still living witnesses to such a state of 

 things, and his assertions have never been disputed. 

 These accui-sed people were called Gahets in Brittany, 

 Trangots in Normandy, Cagots (the commonest name) 

 or Capots in the South, in some parts even Chretiens. 

 Cagots in the Pyrenees were supposed to be hereditary 

 lepers, and their touch to be infectious : their breath 

 was said to be pestilential, and their bodies to give 

 forth an abominable stench. When, in the eighteenth 

 century, these Cagots came to be impartially examined, 

 they proved to be healthier, cleaner and better-look- 

 ing than the average French peasant. They were, 

 however, like other accursed races, never supposed to 



be ugly, but rather to have handsome faces and 

 soft, smooth skins. There was, moreover, a general 

 belief that they had no lobe to tlie ear. The writer 

 points out, for'what it is worth, that this is a recog- 

 nised character of the Berbers, though sometimes the 

 lobe is merely very small. How did these intelligent 

 people fall under such a curse? It is not at all 

 clear, except that they were recognised as Goths, and, 

 therefore, " furriners," for the people certainly did 

 not know who or what Goths were. The writer gives 

 many instances of other outcast races, and the article 

 is certainly one of the most curious and interesting 

 in this month's magazines. 



THE NATIONAL REVIEW. 



There are several papers in the May number of 

 exceptional interest, "Russia on the Rubicon's 

 Banks," Captain Mahan's plea for limiting the size 

 of ships of war, and Major Baden-Powell's " Advent 

 of the Flying Machine '' demand separate attention. 

 In his monthly chronicle the editor rejoices in the 

 success of Sir Edward Grey's policy at Algeciras, but 

 otherwise has, as might be expected, no good word 

 to say for the Government. Mr. Birrell's Bill is de- 

 nounced with a warmth which even Lord Halifax 

 might envy. The Commission of Three is fiercely as- 

 sailed, and the editor exclaims, in the frenzy of his 

 wrath. " There is nothing to prevent the Commission 

 from consisting of Lord Loreburn. Dr. Clifford and 

 Mr. Stead!" 



Mr. Ramsay Macdonald makes out a good ethical 

 case for the tabour Clause of the Trade Disputes Bill. 

 He confesses quite frankly that at first Labour men 

 were uncertain about the question. Tlieir present 

 faith is a reasoned triumph over their fii-st doubt. 

 Mr. Reginald Lucas adduces his own experience as 

 evidence of the negative value of a public school edu- 

 cation. The deplorable ignorance in which he icft 

 both Eton and Cambridge is confessed with edifying 

 candour. He is severe on the h.vpocrisy which waxes 

 frantic with earnestness to give elementary school 

 children definite religious teaching, but opposes the 

 appointment of a clerical head to a public school like 

 Eton. Miss Eveline Godley surveys rather rapidly a 

 century of children's books. She contrasts the change 

 from the austere idealism of a century ago with the 

 naughty realism of to-day. and suggests that, after all 

 concessions have been made, tlie real alone is a bad 

 substitute for the ideal. Messrs. H. J. Wickham and 

 H. P. TVyatt propose a scheme of imperial cooperation 

 under which the Colonies should build, equip and man 

 ships operated by private companies in peace, but 

 available for the Empire as auxiliary vessels in time 

 of war, Tlie normal pay of the crews, who must all 

 be members of the Naval Reserve, should be aug- 

 mented by the respective Governments, so as to secure 

 the very best men afloat. Tlie editor of the Outlook 

 speaks of the inevitable compulsion of Empire, and 

 urges that " sea-power must b& the first of all social 

 questions." 



Sir Rowland Blennerhassett, writing on the genesis 

 of Italian unity, urges the formation of an pntrnte to 

 include Italy, England, France and Russia, as an ade- 

 quate protection against German designs on European 

 libertv. 



The Economu; Ecriew for April is chiefly valuable 

 for Mr. A. Hook's paper on the problem of the 

 unearned increment, quoted elsewhere, and its very 

 useful summaries of contemporary sociological data 

 furnished by books, periodicals, official returns, etc. 



