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"Social and International Ideals." Bernard Bosanquet. 6s. net. Macmillan & Co. Pp.ix.325. This is a book about the enduring conditions of peace, and the production of an atmosphere unfavourable to war in the future but it is not a book about the ending of the present war, or about diplomatic arrangements for providing directly against its recurrence. Its thesis is in a word that the nature of our patriotism is what creates the peaceful and the warlike atmosphere: and that the nature of our patriotism is displayed and operates primarily through the degree in which rights are organised with- in the social and political community. This is its operation but what it ultimately depends on is our conception, whether implicit or explicit, of the good we chiefly desire, and whether it lies in the things which diminish by sharing or those which have the opposite character. The warlike atmosphere means disease within the State; the healthy State, however strong, is non- militant in temper." These opening words of his preface describe Mr. Bosanquet's work as faithfully as it is possible to do. The book is a collection of essays written on various subjects of social interest during the last five or six years. But all of them touch deep issues of national life, and with a dignity and seriousness worthy of this grave moment. There is no discussion of the mechanism of social life nothing, therefore, which would earn the epithet of practical." Probably for that reason, it is not an easy book to read and one has to go warily lest one should miss the significance of a very simple statement. It is a mark of this book that its doctrine can be easily expressed. Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteous- ness and all these things shall be added unto you." That is all; but at the end one has gone some way towards realizing what a complex and subtle principle it is. There are, of course, many points of interest in Mr. Bosanquet's treatment of specific problems. Readers who are specially interested in the work of charity organization will find much dis- cussion of their ideals and problems; but the book ought to be studied by every political student. In the three lectures on Social Ideals, e.g., there is a remarkable elucidation of the fundamental dilemma of social construction, between individual rights, prima facie equal or tending to equality, and the imperative public good enjoining functional differences with differences of equip- ment (what we call property) as their corollaries." There is matter here of serious import. But perhaps the most immediate interest will attach to the con- cluding two papers in which Mr. Bosanquet expresses himself most directly on the pressing questions of the nature of the State, and of an international organization designed primarily for the prevention of war. On the first topic, in spite of much criticism, Mr. Bosanquet has not altered his previously expressed view, though he has given it on some points a less ambiguous statement. And there is one element in this new work which must seem to his critics something of a paradox. One would have expected in an alleged adherent of the Prussian doctrine of State-worship a friendly feeling towards, if not complete agreement with orthodox socialism; and a thorough enmity to syndicalism and the gospel of class-war. But the fact is that Mr. Bosanquet is not very well disposed to the Socialists, seems, if anything, rather to under- estimate the strength of their position; while he is obviously quite favourably impressed with certain elements in syndicalism. His treatment of Sorel's Reflexions on Violence is an admir- ably sympathetic but critical appreciation of a new attitude in social thinking. As regards international organization, Mr. Bosanquet's view follows directly from his conception of the nature of the State. The difficulty in the way of such an organization is the want of a single coherent and articulate common will. An organization REVIEWS which is merely machinery would be even more dangerous than the present system; as the opportunities for clashes of interest would be more numerous. The real cure for war is to foster in all states the sense that the true ends of national and individual existence are not such as can be gained by fighting and by devotion to these ends, to create a real community of will which could find appropriate expression in international institutions. There can be no objection to international organizations as such but only to the creation of them without the necessary foundation in an alert and living common will. The organization must be a consequence not a cause. And Mr. Bosanquet believes that the way to create that community of interest is for each nation to direct its own life towards the realization of the higher values of human activity. The way to peace and security is simple in principle. If it is intricate in detail this is due to the complica- tions which past evil policies have engendered. But the royal road to peace is to do right at home, and banish sinister influences and class privileges from the commonwealth. Such an attitude will not leave us without a foreign policy, but it will leave us without what a foreign policy is often taken to mean. It will leave us without plans for out-witting and circumventing other countries, and securing gains which we hope and believe to be at their expense and ruining their trade and industry." All of this is true and wise and needs to be said. And if it seems to be too little or too remote, there are two things that ought also to be remembered. The first is that the extent to which an international common will is already an actual fact is probably greater than we may at first be disposed to think. Mr. Bosanquet is certainly right in thinking that an international organization merely for the prevention of war would be doomed to failure. But an international organization would have at this moment, ready to hand, a far wider and more positive basis than this. That basis would be concern for the manifold interests of men which war threatens or destroys; and how numerous and important these are we are acutely enough aware. And in the second place, the organization is itself a means of consolidating the will. It cannot come into effective being without a firm foundation in common will but, as we know from national institutions of every sort, it itself creates in some measure the will which maintains it. Mr. Bosanquet lays down and rightly the conditions which an international organization must satisfy. The internationalist may fairly contend that the conditions are present here and now sufficiently, at least to justify the attempt to create the organization. But it still remains true that the first essential is an enlightened inner life of nations and that the supreme way of peace is to make evident in the inner life of groups a devotion to the great ends of humanity such as to offer a sure foundation for precautions to be taken in their relations with each other against the obstruction of those ends which all of them genuinely desire and mould their lives upon." "The Soul of June Courtney" by Elizabeth Ryley. Duckworth & Co. 6s. This story shows how the early tragedies of the war, especially amongst June Courtney's circle of friends, transformed her from a useless society butterfly into a helpful sympathetic woman. We can think of more than one book in which the same theme has been treated in a more interesting way. Nearly all the characters are conventional and all lack humour. Major Rainham, the hero, is an honourable English gentleman, but very dull. However, the story shows the great effort made by the aristocratic class on behalf of our wounded heroes and by surgeons, in such hospitals as St. Dunstan's, for blinded soldiers. A.F.