Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/907

 Eyre: Letters of ]xsliingto]i 897 ican republics are hornets' nests guarded by the Yankee ; Finland and Poland may become autonomous, Russia constitutional, Austria demo- cratic and modern, Hungary and Slavonia federal, and the Balkans free and reformed ; — finally the whole world except the Sultan is alarmed at his pretentious imperialism. M. Berard concludes with an examination of Menaces ct Off res Allcmandcs, taking as his text a speech by von Biilow to the effect that any attempts to construct a circle of antagonistic powers and thus isolate Germany would be dangerous to the peace of Europe. This, according to our author, is just what is most likely to happen. A mutual under- standing between Russia, England, and France is one of the probabilities of the near future, and Denmark and Xorway will turn toward the west rather than to Prussian tyranny. The union of southern Europe will be even more easily accomplished : the Triple Alliance will die ; German competition weighs heavily on Italian industries and shipping; Hungary rising rapidly to a position of industrial independence will resist the tutelage of both 'ienna and Berlin ; in the contest for the Levant trade, the merchants of Fiume and Trieste find formidable com- petitors in the ubiquitous German and no mere political alliance can effectively withstand the strain of trade war. Slavs, IMagyars, and Latins are destined to be linked by economic interests and the future seems a happy one for the Frenchman. If brilliant hypothesis, carefully selected statistics, and ardent hopes were conclusive, this would be an impressive book. 'hether its thesis is a prophecy or a delusion, the future alone can decide. Charles A. Be-SiRD. BOOKS OF AMERICAN HISTORY Letters and Recollections of George Washington. Edited by Louisa Lear Eyre. (New York: Dotibleday, Page and Company. 1906. Pp. xi, 289. ) George Washington, Patriot, Soldier. States>nan. First President of the United States. By James A. Harrison". (New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1906. Pp. xxiii, 481.) Mrs. Evre's volume comprises ninety-one letters from Washington to her grandfather. Tobias Lear, between the years 1790 and 1799, Lear's account of the last days of Washington, and one hundred and thirty-nine letters from Washington to various persons on matters con- nected with the private life of the writer of them. Yery few of the letters in the book are included in either Ford's or Sparks's collections, no doubt for the reason that they do not deal with the more important public phase of the life of Washington. Moreover, most of them have been printed hitherto in special editions, which are not readily accessible to the student. Their publication in this popular form will confer a favor, therefore, on the public, although the present edition has the