The Folly of Nations by Frederick Palmer Review by: M. M. Knight The Journal of International Relations, Vol. 12, No.

4 (Apr., 1922), pp. 581-583 Published by: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29738524 . Accessed: 04/10/2013 01:31
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is that the advanced of M. Demangeon's position to fact nations the that international recognize ought imperialistic wars for control are worse than useless and they should further of the backward countries unite on a policy of general guardianship with the central idea that just so soon as the natives are desirous to do so. But French? of going it alone they should be permitted men are not much given to such moralizing and we have nothing logic of the sort here; but he does clearly state that the imperialistic is pretty well played out and the best thing for game for Europe France to do, at least, is to spend more of her capital and energy and gradually in domestic put aside her agelong development is a bit of advice which ambitions. This every imperialistic fellow countrymen of France hopes M. Demangeon's well-wisher will follow. B. B. Kendrick, Columbia University. Palmer. Frederick New York, Dodd The Folly of Nations. and 408 1921. Mead pages. Company, Palmer has seen war at first hand since 1897, when Frederick his career as war correspondent began in the rather old fashioned, it folly He says he thought Turko-Grecian struggle. glamorous to His pictures of the old peasant, at the time. get his trying us of idea the book. out of the of the range guns, gives key sheep This shepherd looked upon war as a sort of "act of God"?some? We and pestilences. thing which just came, like earthquakes a attributes the author the that goodly portion get impression to men?men of the ilk of the pot-bellied, of the responsibility nest who stirred up the hornets' Greek platitudinous Deputy, If this is so, we have something from a safe distance. tangible on which and the simple-minded to work?both the Deputy people who listen to him. of the "McAndrew's The discussion imperialis? Epoch"?the the "white man's tic period which discovered burden," made some small wars of organized peoples, and against unorganized rather tedious read? the way for the tragedy of 1914?is on Sore In "The World's this and the chapter following ing. saw him? accounts what he of the author mixes telling Spots," on the significance reflections self with but over-long intelligent ideas evi? and prosy meandering of these experiences through and dis? derived The disgraceful from books. pillaging dently invasion of China to put down order accompanying the Powers' paved

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the Boxer uprising may be news to some readers. The analysis toward compulsory attitude of the Filipino occidentalization is comes from the sources. well done and evidently It extremely is genuinely how fewT people have ever been exposed astonishing to the idea that the "backwardness" of less developed lands and are merely of the industrialized the "advancement" occident of the same thing. different but complementary If we aspects our exploitation make like ourselves, of them must these groups as cease?which would almost as much change our civilization theirs. for those who have War has a lure for young men, especially seen it. Old men and rotten politics never easily drag these endure into it. Those who the tragedy, youngsters suffering and dirt of the actual campaigns are made to believe lies about the enemy. of philosophy Wild abortions convince them that are noble, moral the aims, if not the process, and religious? to the end, having otherwise they could not endure quickly war is. In the peace, and intolerable found out how beastly these young men are betrayed. Then a new generation, seeing the world-old lies and not under? lure, believing shining are a new war. and the horror to led destruction, standing even to sketch here Mr. Palmer's It is impossible ideas of is required to nail the lies, to dissipate what and the delusions war. to which lead is nationalism misunderstandings, Jejune have an international bad. We must to curb it. organization Mr. Palmer has a faith in the League of Nations which many of his readers will not share. The remedy for war really boils down are kept properly to education. If people generally informed about war and its effects, they will be skeptical. The atrocity stories about the Germans were mostly false, as were their atrocity stories about us. Terrible things happen on both sides of such a brutal argument. The very first German prisoner the Ameri? cans took was murdered?stabbed to death after he had sur? The censor?Colonel rendered. Palmer in this case?could not allow this to get to the people. be Americans Ordinary might frenzied by war propaganda for moral beyond the capacity judg? And what would neutrals ment, but some would certainly object. sort of propaganda would Germany think? What erect on such a fact, to bolster up her own morale? is as inseparable Lying from war as from stealing. The lacks the beauty and force style of this book literary which made Gibbs' Now it Can be Told such an epic of the vast the

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As a demonstration of the physical tragedy. Irwin's The Next War is clearer, more lucid and Yet Colonel Palmer attempts something more is rather a treatment of war in the abstract,

of war, absurdity more convincing. than either. His with illustrations here and there from his wide grave old experience. "Dear, face and honest sphinx-like Palmer, with soul," as his friend Gibbs characterizes of a thought? him, has given us the philosophy ful lifetime in touch with his subject. It is heavy in spots, but it is tremendous in others. Someone must map out the conventional beliefs of the war the armistice period, period and the post-war disillusionment, into proper relationship each other. The these with getting in which we find ourselves time of disenchantment has its own so to speak. and slogans. It "leans over backward," catchwords In this respect, the others. The Folly of Nations is less faulty M. M. Columbia The Question Alpheus than most Knight, University. of

in the Law and Practice of Nations. of the Aborigines New York and London, Henry G. P. Snow. 1921. 376 Putnam's pp. Sons, This book fills a gap in our legal literature. It is a reprint, by a of in material collected 1918 attorney permission, by prominent

and author, of Washington, D. C, at the request of the Depart? of State. of civilized ment So commonly the dealings have as states with native been looked upon peoples purely private affairs that these relations have not been dealt with to any ex? tent by legal authorities, and Mr. Snow found "no treatise on the nor even in any book on international any chapters question, law or the law of colonies, to serve as a model or a guide." the legal Indeed, there is considerable ground for questioning of nature of the customs which have prevailed in the dealings so as in far states with their aborigines, the the various except state have been involved at interests of more than one civilized one and the same time. of has always been diversity There as on even that the such opinion among questions authorities, of the validity of treaties executed between a civilized state and native tribes. In the early days of our government Chief Justice Marshall made his famous decision in which he classed the Indian and tribes within our borders as "domestic nations;" dependent with treaties solemnized prior to 1871 our government repeatedly

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