220 REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 



complete, and yet not prolix account of the course of the dealing of the 

 various important nations with China. After theoretical and historical 

 introductions, Great Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Japan and the 

 United States, are taken up in the order named, and there is a chapter 

 on International Control, and a final chapter in which the author's 

 conclusions are summed up. It is an evidence of the soundness of his 

 method that his conclusions will need very little revision in the light 

 of developments since the book was written. As this is the only book 

 we have on this subject, it offers the first chance to follow the tale of 

 foreign finance in China without distraction, and a sorry tale it is, 

 on the whole. The conclusion of the author on p. 272 is not too severe : 



"This, then, is a point of supreme significance, namely : that the 

 bottom idea of all the treaty stipulations and agreements as to inter- 

 course, customs, extraterritoriality, spheres of interest, railway con- 

 cessions and control was not the welfare of the people of China, but 

 the profit and ease of doing business by the people of the West. With 

 the exception of a few missionaries, and a few scholars, writers and 

 artists who admire Chinese civilisation, the interest of the world was 

 a money interest pure and simple." 



We judge that the author's wide preparatory reading was done 

 away from China, and that he has never been there for any length of 

 time. Any disadvantage arising from that fact is more than com- 

 pensated by the greater impartiality of attitude which it has been as a 

 consequence possible for him to cultivate. 



H. K. Wright. 



Lectures on Biology. By P. M. Bayne, m.a. Chengtu. Printed at 

 the Canadian Methodist Mission Press. 



This work in Chinese contains lectures delivered to students by 

 Mr. Bayne at the West China Union University. The book is well- 

 arranged and in good, easily-understood style. The printing has been 

 well-done. We must add, however, that it would have increased the 

 value of the book if there had been a list of terms in English and 

 Chinese. 



The History of China's Pictorial Art. An Introduction to the 

 History of Chinese Pictorial Art. By Herbert Giles, ll.d. 

 Shanghai : Messrs. Kelly & Wash, Ltd. 



Professor Giles did a great service by his first edition of History 

 of Chinese Pictorial Art. This has been much valued and lately 



