Welsh Journals

Correspondence. To the Editor of 'The Welsh Outlook.' DEBUT OF THE WELSH NATIONAL PARTY. Sir,-Partly through misplacement of the prefix pre, the words 'provision* and 'pre-committed,' appeared, in your August issue, instead of 'prevision' and 'committal.' One upshot of the Pwllhcli meeting was to decide on a Spring or Summer School of persons pledged to the new Welsh National Party (which is absolutely inde- pendent of all the pre-existing political parties), arrangements for which School have been left in the hands of a strong Committee representative of North and South Wales. I take it that anyone pledging himself to the prin- ciple of an Independent Welsh Party, and joining the School, will have a deciding influence in the formu- lation of the policy of the party with regard to essentially Welsh questions, and possibly economic and other social questions. Meantime, no doubt, branches will be working at home quietly in the interests of Welsh National Unity and self-expression. Criccieth. Reviews. The Mountains of Snowdonia. Edited by H. R. C. Carr, and G. A. Lister. John Lane, Ltd. Twenty- five Shillings Net. This book is a sheer delight from first page to last. It has done for a group of North Wales mountains what the classic works of Whymper, Leslie Stephen, and Martin Conway have long ago done for Switzerland and Savoy. The first, and most pleasing, duty of the reviewer is to give heart-felt thanks, and that we do in all sincerity. The work is a compilation, written by several authors, and dealing with a diversity of subjects of subjects connected with Snowdonia. It is divided broadly into four parts, dealing respectively with History, Science, Literature, and Sport. The historical part opens with an admirable chapter by Professor J. E. Lloyd, in which the folk-lore and the history of this romantic region are dealt with. This is followed by a chapter on Nomenclature, by E. W. Steeple; one on "The Coming of the Mountaineer," by G. A. Lister; one on "Pen-y-Gwryd," by H. R. C. Carr; and one on the industries of the district, by R. D. Richards. Of these chapters the most fascinating are those which give the annals of the climbing fraternity at Pen-y-Gwryd, and at Pen-y- Pass, in the last seventy years. A crowd of famous names flit across the scene-Huxley, Kingsley, Trevel- yan, Melchior Anderegg, Oscar Eckenstein, Harry Owen, Tom Hughes, C. E. Mathews, Tyndall, also many others. They were a strenuous, but withal a jovial company, loving hard play as well as hard work, men in whose society it would be good to live. One regrets to see how few of them were Welsh, and that the fullest devotion to our glorious mountains was felt by foreigners first Passing to the second part, we find a chapter on Geology, by E. Greenly; one on Bird Life, by Kennedy Orton; one on Flora, by J. B. Farmer; one on Weather, by Lockwood and Orton, and one on Maps, by G. A. Lister. All these are packed with information, attrac- tively set out. Part three consists of two chapters; one on Snowdon in Welsh poetry, by L. J. Roberts, and one on Snowdon in English Literature, by Ernest Baker. The concluding section, dealing with mountain sport, contains excellent chapters on such topics as moun- taineering, camping, rock climbing treated technically, E. LLOYD OWEN, M.D. and angling. In these days, when happily an ever increasing number of people are turned away in disgust from the forms of sport which inflict pain upon dumb animals, it a good to have so admirable a book in praise of a sport which yields to no other in its demands upon the human frame, in its thrilling character, in its danger, and in spirit of comradeship which it engenders, while it inflicts no pain upon a single living creature. We must also add that this volume contains a beauti- ful frontispiece specially painted by David Hewitt, a large number of extremely good photographs, and several first-rate maps Truly this is a book that all our readers should hasten to buy or to borrow. We are confident that none will turn away from it disappointed. A Grammar of Politics. By H. J. Laski. Allen and Unwin, Ltd. Eighteen Shillings Net. This is a big book, big in bulk, big in conception, and big in achievement. Every year brings us scores of political monographs, many of them excellent in quality; but unless we are much mistaken, no complete text-book of Politics, written on an adequate scale, has appeared in English since Sidgwick published his "Elements of Politics" so far back as 1891. The need for a new survey of the whole field was great; for Sidgwick, in spite of the comparatively recent date of his book, was, in truth, the last of the great Utilitarians, belonging properly to the period of Bentham and Mill. Political thought has travelled far since those days; so much so as to give to Sidgwick's book, in spite of its solid and enduring worth, an air of unreality and of academic detachment. Now the charge of being old-fashioned is the very last that any critic would bring against Mr. Laski. He belongs not merely to the present, but occasionally to the distant future. We therefore approach this new book, designed to examine the whole field of Political Philosophy, with every disposition to be sympathetic. Nor do we go away disappointed. Mr. Laski is im- mensely learned. He seems to be well versed in the whole vast literature of his subject. Indeed, so thorough has been his study of the work of his pre- decessors in the field, that only the student who has himself been over part of the same field can be expected properly to appreciate it. But test it where we will, Mr. Laski's learning is above suspicion. With this solid foundation of book learning to rest upon. Mr. Laski proceeds to bring to his task a wide knowledge of modern political problems in the practical application; and this, perhaps, is the most valuable part of his book. The treatment of the subject is original in the best sense of the word. In its essence the book is a study of tendencies in modern politics in this country. The thesis is that in this country we have an illustration of how the exercise of power by Parliament has been moulded by the interests which have from time to time been predominant. Until recently the chief of these interests was property; but now it is the desire of the masses, enfranchised fully in 1918, for recognition by Parliament of better standards of life, wages and education. Mr. Laski's sympathies are obviously, though not unfairly, with the Labour party. The first part of the book deals with the purposes of social organ- isation. the second with an examination of political, economical, judicial, and international institutions. Not the least valuable parts of the book are those in which our local institutions are critically examined, and many interesting suggestions made for their improve- ment. It would be idle to say that this book makes easy reading; but we can honestly say that it is clear, and well-arranged, and not more difficult than a work on the most complicated of all subjects need be. In spite of the fluid condition of politics at present, we venture to predict that this will remain a standard of work for some years to come,