336 



The Revihw of Reviews. 



THE LAST OF THE GREAT 

 VICTORIANS. 



That excellent little monthly, TheMillgalf, contains 

 an interesting interview with Dr. Alfred Russel 

 Wallace by Mr. Frederick Rockell. For three hours 

 the veteran scientist and reformer reviewed the many 

 problems to the elucidation of which he has devoted 

 so many long years of his useful life. 



On the subject of world e\-olution Dr. Wallace 

 naturally had much to say, believing as he does that 

 " an orderly and purposive variety is the keynote of 

 ihe universe." This variety "provides for the 

 development of man in endless diversity, not of body, 

 but of mind. So far as bodily structure is concerned 

 man's evolution is finished. Man's physical structure 

 stopped evolving when he began to use outside aids 

 to express his individuality. When man discovered 

 fire and its uses ; when he made weapons and invented 

 traps ; when he began to use tools ; when he developed 

 speech ; when he commenced to conquer Nature ; 

 then further evolution was shifted from the physical 

 to the mental plane." 



Physical dissemblances between men are as 

 nothing compared with their wide mental differences. 

 In the various gradations between the ordinary man 

 and the genius, what wonderful variety ! And between 

 men of genius these differences are even more striking." 



As a scientist of the highest repute. Dr. Wallace's 

 testimony to the truths of spiritualism possesses more 

 than ordinary interest, and his interviewer records 

 that— 



whatever may be the grounds of his failh, il was im- 

 possible to hear Dr. Wallace talk on the subject for five minutes 

 without perceiving that to him spiritualism was no mere working 

 hypothesis, nor a question of speculation, but a conviction 

 settled beyond cavil or dispute. I did not, therefore, question 

 him as to the evidences oT his belief. I was more interested to 

 learn what that belief had taught him as to man's destiny — 

 what was man's state after death ? 



"We gather from people who have passed over," said Dr. 

 Wallace, "that man goes on developing in the spiritual world 

 towards that infinite variety whicli is the object of life on 

 earth." 



" But," I asked, " if this development can go on in the 

 spiritual world, why was it necessary for an earth life at all ?" 



"The earth life is necessary," said Dr. Wallace, " in order, 

 as it were, to get a point of departure for the individual spirit." 

 The inference I drew from his further remarks was that the 

 purpose of material evolution was to establish conditions out of 

 which man's individuality could come into being. Without 

 such material conditions the individualisalion of humanity out 

 of the Godhead (this was not the exact word Dr. Wallace used) 

 might not have been possible. Hut that individualisation once 

 achieved, growth and development could go on in the spiritual 

 world apart from, and inlependent of, material conditions. 



Dr. Wallace retains his faith in the future of 

 Democracy, and is a convinced Socialist, having been 

 converted by Edward Bellamy's " Looking Backward." 

 Mr. Rockell explored a wide field in his interview, 

 ;ind gives the outlines of an interesting educational 



suggestion, which shows that he is at least a generation 

 in advance of his time. We are glad to see that 

 Dr. Wallace repudiates the suggestion that he is a 

 convert to the latest fad of Eugenics : — 



" Wherever did I advocate any such preposterous theories ?" 

 he said in scorn. " Not a reference to any of my writings ; not 

 a word is quoted in justification of this scientific libel. Where 

 can they put their finger on any statement of mine that as much 

 as lends colour to such an assertion? Why, never by word or 

 deed have I given the slightest countenance to eugenics. -Segre- 

 gation of the unfit, indeed ! Il is a mere excuse for establishing 

 a meilical tyranny. And we have enough of this kind of tyrannv 

 already." 



A REFORMED ALMANACK. 



In the British Columbia Magazine for July Mr. M. B. 

 Cotsworth advocates his scheme for " a rational 

 almanack." He recalls Julius Ciesar's reform, by 

 which the odd-numbered months were given thirty-one 

 days each, and the even ones thirty days each, with 

 the exception of February, which then ended the 

 year. Thi's was altered by Augustus, jealous of 

 Julius' fame, into the present extraordinary and 

 arbitrary calendar. .Mr. Cotsworth's scheme is set 

 forth in the table below. Thirteen months each with 

 twenty-eight days, each beginning with a Sunday, is 

 his simple proposal :--■ 



fic thinks that perhaps the Chinese Government 

 may decide in its favour. The 365th day in the year 

 should be made an international holiday, apart from 

 both weekly dates and monthly dates. The last point 

 was agreed on amongst leaders of calendar reform 

 throughout the world. Easter should be held on a 

 fixed date in April. Tlie new month he would call Sol. 



Th.at French culture is in danger, tliat }oung 

 Frenchmen, presumably educated, are losing ihcir 

 ability to use their native tongue with the old-time 

 clearness and correctne.s.s, not to sav elecrance and dis- 

 tinction ; that the scientific method, in imitation-of 

 Germany, is ousting tiie old French style, are tendencies 

 discussed in the Nmlh American Review by Mr. Allan 

 Ball, who writes on " the rescue of French culture." 

 lie traces the tendency back to the anti-classical 

 propaganda in France, and its alliance with the political 

 Radicalism that is sociological and utilitarian The 

 situation is described as " a crisis in French," and has 

 led to the formation of a League for the Defence of 

 French Culture. 



