REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 



U | 11( .|, i s , u ite wrong. The phrase is a very common one, meaning 

 "She was very depressed." In pointing out these mistranslations we 

 hope the translator will not be depressed and be deterred from pursuing 

 hia efforts at mastering the language. 



Japan's Financial Relations with the United States. By Gyoju 



Odate, Ph. D. New York.— Columbia University. 

 This work deals with the trade between the United States and Japan, 

 principally during the years of the war. How the trade was financed 

 and the developments of the banking systems of both countries are 

 set forth in much detail. The dislocation in the discount facilities 

 of the world occasioned by the war is clearly shown. The financial 

 centre of exchange shifted from London to New York. It is pointed 

 out at the same time that the machinery was very inadequate. 

 London's long experience and unrivalled opportunities could not be 

 replaced. We doubt whether the statement regarding the transfer 

 of centre from London to New York will hold good to-day. In fact 

 we think that London is rapidly regaining the position that it tem- 

 porarily lost, and that it still will be the financial centre for the 

 world's exchange. The pound sterling may still come to be the 

 great medium of economic speech and practice. This is a book for 

 the expert in trade and banking. 



Chinese Grammar Self-Taught. By John Darroch, Litt. D., o.b.e. 



London : E. Marlborough, pp. 152. 

 This excellent little volume is a companion to "Chinese Self- 

 taught," a work that is well-known. The design of the earlier book 

 was to help the student to learn to speak Chinese ; the present volume 

 attacks the problem of instructing him to read. The method of pre- 

 sentation is that of an English grammar, so that the form of the 

 instruction will at least be familiar to the student who proposes to 

 himself the difficult task of acquiring the written language by the 

 aid of a book only. It goes without saying that if Dr. Darroch 

 could be successful with his first book, he should be so with this. 

 The proof of that pudding will have to be in the eating ; but we are 

 inclined to believe that a determined student with a talent for langu- 

 ages will oet a long start by mastering what he will find here. The 

 size of the book makes it very sententious ; but if the student deter- 

 mines to omit nothing, he will make steady progress. There are 

 twenty-four lessons; which reminds one of the educational corres- 

 pondence agency that advertised an infallible method for learning a 



