CURRENT LITERATURE
THE STRENGTH OF ENGLAND. By George F. S. Bould. (Methuen. 8s. 8d. net.) THE STRENGTH OF ENGLAND. By George F. S. Bould. (Methuen. 8s. 8d. net.) LORD HALIFAX'S saying that " England hath its root in the Sea " has been a favourite text of the Spectator's, and se can readily commend Mr. Bowles's exposition of what Is terms the " sea-centrality " of England. Our geographical position has been and still is most advantageous, and ow wealth and power have been built up on our sea-going trade, But Mr. Bowles's spirited historical chapters soon lead up to a highly controversial attack not merely on the Declaration of London of 1909, but also on the Declaration of' Paris of 1856, and to a severe criticism of the successive War Ministry
which, in the author's opinion, weakly allowed Germany to receive supplies through neutrals between 1914 and 1917.
Mr. Bowles, who makes much use of Admiral Consett's recut book, seems to think that if we had stopped all neutal cargoes directly or indirectly intended for Germany the War would have ended in victory 'within six months. it't
fear that the case was not quite so simple as that. Mr. Bowles forgets that what is theoretically possible is nal always expedient, and that the Allies probably could lid afford to antagonize all the neutrals, including the United States, in the first year of the War. He contends that America would not have complained if her immense came on their way to Germany had been seized and condemned by our Prize Court, and that she really objected to our Orders in Council, but not to the decisions of the Prize Court. This argument, though plausible and often used, will hardly convince anyone who has studied the movements of American public opinion in 1914-15. Mr. Bowles is a loss to the House of Commons, whereby he falls short, to our regret, of a paternal example, but many of the views expressed in his book delight us as examples of filial piety. In more serious form, we recognize the same vigour that once issued from A Gun-rows Ditty Box.
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