The Magazines
Tun magazines for December all seem to have made a special effort to be true to form. There are many excellent articles in almost all of them, and it will therefore only be possible to touch here upon those which particularly stand out. It may also be noted that they each display far more uniformity of character than is usually the case. There is no more of the vacillation which was the result of a confusing and indecisive election. _ Almost without exception they have now settled down again into their stride.
The Realist is to be congratulated, then, on three excellent articles, in which the spirit of " scientific humanism " is very strongly displayed. Sir Martin Conway writes on the racial and political troubles in Paleitine, assessing the rights and hiteregts Of the three parties to the dispute—Great Britain, the Jews= and the Arabs—with singular impartiality. Mr. R. T. Nightingale makes a semi-statistical survey of the recruiting methods for the Diplomatic Service and the Foreign Office,. which reveals facts that are of great interest to any student of national or international politics. Dr. Aveling surveys the present state of psychology, gives a short outline of the main features of the principal schools; and estimates the claim of psychology as a whole to the name of a science. Professor .41alinawski.also contributes an enthralling account
of his experiences with a spiritualist medium while conducting researches among the "
The Contemporary contains, first, two good biographical - articles, " Prince Billow," by G. P. Gooch, and " Swann° and his Foreign Policy," by Count Sforza. The latter brings to light new material for an estimate of Sonnino, in the shape of extracts from letters and conversations which passed between • him and Count- Sforza. -" Criminal Procedure Reform," by William Mitchell, K.C., is an interesting examination of the, Scottish system of criminal procedure, with the excellent Moral that we have still something to learn from our nearest, neighbours. Last, but decidedly not least, Mr. George Glasgow contributes the clearest exposition of our recent foreign policy: in the financial sphere, and its relation to the French manoeuvres, which it has been our good fortune to see. The Nineteenth Century provides us with a number of sec- tional views of the American naval and South African prob- lems, which should help us in this country to understand a number of " other fellows' points of view." " An Indian View of Western Civilization," by John S. Hoyland, also contains useful material in an unusually lucid account of the Indian social structure, and its inevitable reactions with our own. Sir. John Macpherson contributes a much-needed plea for caution before proceeding, at the behest of amateur biologists, to sterilize mental defectives. Mr. S. L. Bensusan gives an interesting account of the state of agriculture in Wales and Scotland, and seems to find more grounds for hope than we are accustomed to read of on this subject.
The Fortnightly, in its new dress, seems to be more than ever worth reading. Out of a number of stimulating contributions we have only space to mention three : " On a Distant Prospect of Power," by T. Earle Welby, is as good an apology for Con- servatism (and incidentally for Mr. Baldwin) as has recently appeared. " The New Empire Crusade," by J. H. Harley, for the first time brings this idea into line with modern possi- bilities, and rescues it from the " extremely superannuated thought " of Lord Beaverbrook. " Wall Street and the Inter- national Bank," by H. C. Trench, analyses the effect of the mixture of politics with finance in the case of the Federal Reserve Bank, and comes to some very interesting conclusions. In the National Review we miss the accustomed if heavy hand of Mr. Maxse. " Artemis Ward in London," by C. Graves, is an interesting and instructive piece of reminiscence. There are also two informative articles on " The East Kent Regional Plan," and " The Break-up of the Poor Law," by Professor Abercrombie and Mr. J. M. Rendel, respectively.
Blackwoods maintains its usual standard, and has, in par- ticular, an account Of the origins of " Moby-Dick," by Mr. R. S. Garnett, which seems to be a real literary discovery. Finally, we must mention the Empire Review, in which the stories are, as usual, the most attractive feature. It is worth mentioning that two articles, " The Future of India," by Lord Sydenham of Combe, and " India as a Career for English- women," by Annette Acheson, exhibit in their fullest degree the two attitudes of mind which are causing most resentment among educated Indians to-day. The former seems oblivious of the claim of Indians to be consulted about their own future, and the latter seems to be oblivious of the existence of Indians at all. This can hardly do much good to the causes which the Editor seeks to advance.
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