INTERNATIONALISMing between the peoples, the promotion of good feeling between the peoples, is the most pressing duty which lies before us in the new century. To dispel the ignorance and misunderstanding which at present render, it almost impossible for the residents in one country to form an unprejudiced judgment concerning the actions of the residents in another country, is to promote internationalism, and this end must be sought not by one method, but by all. Especially is it important that the good work should be undertaken among the young. The old have grown up in the midst of prejudices which have caked hard, and which in many cases can no more be removed or modified than you can remove or modify the shell of a tortoise by tickling it with a feather. They can neither learn the language, accustom themselves to the manner of thought, nor realise the environment of the foreigner; but the new generation which is springing up in our schools offers more plastic material upon which to work. In their case also, it is possible to reinforce the more or less latent desire for fraternal union by the practical necessity of familiarising themselves with the knowledge of other languages than their own.

For some years past the system of international correspondence between scholars in various countries initiated by M. Mieille has been carried on with everincreasing success in France, Germany, North America, and this country. But in view of the increased urgency for extending and developing all agencies making for peace, friendship, and international intercourse, it has been decided to put the whole matter upon a more solid and permanent foundation. There will be published at Easter next year the first number of an International Annual in three languages, English, German, and French. There is at present no international periodical issued for the purpose of accustoming young scholars in various countries to form those acquaintances which are so much to be desired both for facilitating the acquisition of a language and for forming those ties of sympathy and friendship which do so much to promote the amenity of intercourse between the peoples.

This first Annual will, of necessity, be very much of the nature of an experiment; and it will depend for its success upon the degree of support which it may receive, especially from teachers and those who have already cooperated with us in promoting this international interchange of correspondence.

At present there are no fewer than 8000 persons, chiefly pupils, in schools in this country, who carry on a correspondence more or less regularly with as many young friends in France and Germany. Between Germany and France the number of correspondents is computed to be still larger. Thus the more or less sporadic but natural growth of the idea mooted by M. Mieille some years ago has produced the satisfactory result that thousands of persons in the three countries are corresponding with each other, and not only acquiring more facility in the use of a foreign language, but, what is from a general point of view of still more importance, learning to realise the existence of living human beings with warm human interest in other countries than their own. In the production of this Annual I am glad to have the co-operation of M. Mieille as French editor, and in Germany my esteemed collaborator will be Professor Hartmann. I sincerely hope that the announcement of this Annual and the publication of the first number will

be followed by a great extension of the system, which is eminently simple, and which experience has shown is followed by the best results, both educational and otherwise.

By way of encouragement to the scholars themselves I have resolved to offer one hundred prizes, or rather presents, these presents to consist of books in the three languages chiefly concerned, about thirty for each country.

The head teacher in each school upon the lists of the REVIEW OF REVIEWS, Revue Universitaire, and those of Professor Hartmann is asked to send in the name of the pupil considered by him or her as most deserving as regards continuance in regular careful correspondence and general character. As only ninety books are available for France, Germany, and England, it follows that only one name can be sent from each school, and that even then age and length of correspondence must be taken into consideration. Only pupils who have corresponded at least one year are eligible.

The names to be sent in to the three different centres not later than the first week in February.

CONTENTS OF ANNUAL.

As the book is intended to be interesting to all concerned it must contain

1. A sketch of the scheme in the three principal languages. 2. Accounts of school, home, or neighbourhood, from the scholars themselves, with photographs, if the school has a sufficiently able amateur. These accounts are, of course, to be sent by the teacher, one from each school. One scholar, however, may write the account-another photograph; these accounts may be in own language. Age of writer must be given, and other particulars.

3. Original letters from scholars in the language of the foreign correspondent.

4. If possible a story from a famous writer in each country. 5. A list which will contain the name of each prize winner and accepted contributor, with name of school and teacher. 6. Some details of the exchange of homes.

7. Accounts by scholars of favourite school games. 8. Jokes, conundrums, etc., translated from foreign journals by the scholars.

Contributions for Annual; letters, accounts, written in German, photographs, must be sent to Professor Hartmann, 2, Fechnerstrasse, Leipzig, Germany. Those in French to M. Micille, 59, Rue des Pyrénées, Tarbes, France. Contributions in English to be sent to the office of REVIEW OF REVIEWS, Mowbray House, Norfolk Street, endorsed "Languages." Teachers are asked to send anything which interests their scholars.

Two copies will be sent free to the schools which are on. the Correspondence list of the Revue Universitaire, REVIEW OF REVIEWS, and Professor Hartmann's lists; one for the teacher, and one for the school library. It will also be sent free to those scholars who correspond, if applications are sent by the teacher with 2 d. for postage. All prize-winners and accepted contributors will receive a free copy also. To others the price is Is. post free.

We earnestly ask those teachers who are interested themselves and have interested their pupils in international correspondence to tell their pupils about the project, and that we shall be glad to receive any accounts they like to send us. We cannot promise to publish every such contribution, as our space will be limited to thirty pages, and therefore a selection will have to be made. Possibly in some cases such an account might be suggested to a promising pupil as alternative to the usual holiday task.

I

DO not think that I have ever written a book which has interested me more than my new Annual. If it interests the reader as much as it interested the writer, it will certainly have a phenomenal success. For my new Annual is quite unique. It is entitled "Lest We Forget A Keepsake from the Nineteenth Century." My idea was to provide the reader with a volume which would be exactly what its name implies, that is to say, it would be a permanent aide-memoire for all that is most significant and interesting in the history of the Nineteenth Century.

It is divided into three parts. The

first deals with the movements of the century, and is a character-sketch of the last hundred years. The second deals with the personalities of the Century, and passes in rapid review the men and women whose lives have made the history of the Nineteenth Century. The third section contains a carefully compiled chronology of the Nineteenth Century. It is, of course, impossible to mention all the incidents in the history of the last hundred years within the compass of our Annual. But it contains about 1,500 of the more important dates. They might easily have been multiplied to 15,000, but at the same time it is not probable that more than 150 will be remembered after the lapse of another hundred years. It also contains a summary of about twenty of the great treaties by which from time to time the map of the world has been remodelled. I have taken as my motto the familiar couplet of Lowell's :

:

It is not merely an aide-memoire, and a chronology, an appreciation, and a character sketch. It is also a portrait album. It is chiefly in the selection of the subjects for portraits that my interest in the compiling of the Annual was excited, for if you think of it, the task before me, as editor, was to construct a Temple of Fame for the Century, and the task before me was really the selection of those who were worthy to be remembered among the Notables of the Century. If only we had had nineteen similar books, one for each of the nineteen centuries, of the Christian Era, with what interest we should turn over the pages of this unique collection!

Of course I make no pretension to be qualified for the custodian of such a Temple of Fame. The work

ought to be done by a committee of experts, not by a single individual working at high pressure, endeavouring to rake together, in a fortnight, the accessible portraits of those whose names are familiar at least to the British public, even if he had nothing else to do. But as a matter of fact, I have seldom been so driven, having had not merely to bring out the REVIEW OF REVIEWS in the sa..e time, but also to prepare my latest pamphlet on the war, "How Not to Make Peace," which had to be written and published before the debate on the Queen's Speech. Nevertheless, such as it is, it has the field to itself, for it has no rival and no competitor.

I have divided the Notables into two categories. There are those of the first flight, who have figured most conspicuously in the Century. To each of these I allotted a full page for their portrait. The others are groups and categories, and as there were two hundred of them, it was necessary to print them small, so that several could go on a page. Few more interesting discussions than those which took place as to the right of the Notable to a full page or to a part of a page, could be imagined. In some cases Notables had to be left out, for the simple reason that I could not lay my hands upon a suitable portraitone of those accidents which often determine the survival of historical personages in the records of their time. Here is the list of those whom I have selected as "the full-page Notables," the selection being made with a view to covering as wide an area as possible, both geographical and intellectual :

:

The Queen's portrait I print as a frontispiece, for her reign has covered more of the Century than that of any living Sovereign.

After her come Napoleon I., Metternich, Stein, Goethe, Sir Walter Scott, Cobden, Mazzini, Alexander II., Abraham Lincoln, Bismarck, Moltke, Gambetta, Gladstone, General Gordon, the Empress of China, the Mikado of Japan, Nicholas II., Darwin and Pasteur.

At the beginning of the Century, keepsakes were a great feature in Christmas literature, but they lost their vogue many years ago. I hope that this venture of mine may revive their popularity, for "Lest We Forget" is a veritable keepsake for the Century, and I can imagine no more seasonable and permanently useful Christmas present than "Lest We Forget." The worst of most Christmas Annuals is that they perish with the using, and by February no one remembers that they existed; but the value of the Nineteenth Century keepsake will increase year by year, rising in value as the events of which it treats fade into the distance.

THE LIFE OF ABDUR RAHMAN, AMIR OF
'AFGHANISTAN.*

THE Monthly Review recently published as an article some extracts from this remarkable book. I noticed it at the time in the REVIEW OF REVIEWS, and now I am very glad indeed to have the two volumes, clearly printed on good paper and illustrated with excellent portraits of the Amir. It is not often that an Oriental sovereign writes the history of his reign while he is still in the zenith of his power. That Abdur Rahman has done it entitles him to our gratitude and appreciation. He has a very pretty wit has the Amir, and his Oriental fashion of illustrating his story by apologues and fables is a welcome change to the Western reader. One of his illustrations is so felicitous that, although I fear it is told in order to attack the policy. with which I have always been identified, I cannot resist quoting it here. Speaking of those who maintain that there is no need to be perpetually worrying about the alleged designs of Russia upon India, the Amir says:

This reminds me of the pigeon, who, seeing a cat coming towards him, closed his eyes, thinking that if he did not see the cat, the cat would not see him. But the cat did see him, and caught him, and ate him up.

THE GOAT, THE LION, AND THE BEAR. This illustrative style is one great characteristic of the Amir as a historian. For instance, it pursues him even into his dreams, for he

says:

We hear the bleating of the goat as he turns alternately from the lion to the bear, and wonders whether his horns will grow sufficiently sharp to enable him to keep them both at bay. Of the two, as this book is published in English, it is not surprising to find that he has most distrust of Russia; but he is by no means satisfied with England. He quite appreciates that he is much better off with Russia on the other side than he would be if he were left face to face with England, and no Russian bear on the northern horizon. The natural policy, therefore, of the goat when he addresses himself to the lion is to do everything he possibly can to foment hatred and distrust

There is a saying that the cat does not dream about anything but mice. I dream of nothing but the backward condition of my country, and how to defend it, seeing that this poor goat, Afghanistan, is a victim at which a lion from one side and a terrible bear from the other side are staring, and ready to swallow at the first opportunity afforded.

The first volume, with which we need not concern ourselves here, is chiefly biographical, and the first part of the second is descriptive of the way in which he governs his country; but the latter part of the second volume is devoted to an exposition of his political ideas.

"The Life of Abdur Rahman, Amir of Afghanistan." Two vols. 235. With portraits, maps, and illustrations. (John Murray.)

She used to take great pains to cut it into tiny little slices, and place it upon a costly porcelain plate, when he visited her. One day it happened that she got hold of a very bitter melon by mistake, and as she had not tasted it herself, she put it before him, as usual. The man went on eating it, without saying a word about its bitterness. When the last piece only of the melon was left upon the plate, one of his friends came in, and took it up to eat it, but finding it so bitter, asked his friend why he had not told his beloved of the bitterness of the melon. He answered that it would have been most ungrateful, after having eaten a sweet melon every day for months, to grumble about a bitter melon which he had only to eat once. This, of course, endeared him more in the eyes of his idol.

So we are evidently left to infer that England will be

more than ever devoted to Abdur Rahman when she discovers with what good grace he accepted the refusal of his son's request.

CRITICISM OF ENGLISH POLICY.

In his criticism of English policy in Afghanistan he speaks some unpalatable truths. The first Afghan war, which was undertaken in order to dethrone his grandfather, was a step for which we had no justification, and it was not honest to put our puppet upon the throne against the wishes of the Afghan people. The second period of our passive policy culminated in the third Afghan war, which was undertaken because Shere Ali had received a Russian emissary.

"It is a curious thing," remarks the Amir naïvely, “that England did not ask Russia for an explanation of her conduct in giving protection to Shere Ali, and in interfering with Afghanistan; but they punished Shere Ali for this, though Lord Lytton himself had ordered him to write letters to General Kaufman."

Of course the Amir equally disapproves of Lord Lytton's policy of partition, and although he approves of the present policy of subsidising Afghanistan as an independent kingdom, he is disappointed to find that it is not carried out to the extent it ought to be. He ought, for instance, to have his ambassador in London. But here again he winds up the expression of his differences with another apologue. His sons and his successors, he says, must not complain :

They must remember the story of a person who was dreaming that God offered him some pence. He said, "No, I want precious stones." Then God offered him silver coins. The man still insisted on precious stones. He was then offered a few gold coins, and he demanded more. All at once he awoke, and found he had nothing at all. So, closing his eyes again, he stretched out his hands again, and said, "Give me whatever you like. I will take it and be thankful." But it was too late. He got nothing.

A NOVEL TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

What the Amir would like is to see a Triple Alliance of Turkey, Persia, and Afghanistan, closely united together, with their capitals connected by railways and telegraphs, as a strong wall in face of Russian aggression. "The sooner the English Government take steps to bring this about," he says, "the better."

The

The Amir speaks with a tone of absolute conviction as to the certainty that Russia intends to devour Afghanistan when she can, and India, Persia and Turkey immediately afterwards, from which it will be seen that the Amir attributes to Russia an inordinate appetite, altogether beyond the possibilities of her digestion. His policy, he says, has been dominated by this conviction. Afghan people," he says, "should understand that, although the Russians have left Afghanistan alone, it is only for a season," as they are waiting for his death or some other convenient time. "I am sorry," he adds grimly, "to have disappointed my Russian friends so many times, but they must not blame me for this. It is not my fault. I cannot die to please them, death being fixed by the Divine will."

very warm reception." He has also employed thousands of men for twelve years in building a great fortress at Dehdadi for the fortification and protection of the province of Bokh. It is also mounted with the best quick-firing guns. Having fortified Herat and Bokh, Russia turned her attention towards Bavakshun borders, in answer to which challenge he acquired Kaffrerestan, and prepared himself to meet the Russians in that quarter also. Now that the Russians are exhibiting an activity in the direction of Persia, he is going to pay earnest attention to the south-west border, between Herat and Kandahar. "No matter in what direction the Russians move, I, being informed by my spies, send double the number of soldiers to be ready for them, whenever they come too near." The goat evidently feels it useful to advertise to the bear how very sharp are his horns, and how strong is his neck.

WHAT ENGLAND OUGHT TO DO.

Years, however, must elapse before Russia makes any attack on his territory, but that it will come some day he is quite certain. Therefore he drops a few necessary hints as to what we ought to do in order to protect our buffer State from Russian aggression. England and Afghanistan must be firm allies, for India would become ungovernable if Russia were at Herat. He is quite sure that Russia will never attack Afghanistan so long as England is prepared to back the Amir through thick and thin. His second hint is that Russia will never stop moving forward till England stops her; and here again comes the inevitable.apologue :

When a spring of water first breaks through a small hole, it may be stopped by a finger being placed upon the hole; but it cannot be stopped by putting an elephant before it when it is too large to be stopped.

to

The third hint is that England must stump up more money, more arms, and more munitions of war strengthen the Amir and his successors. It is very interesting to note the emphasis with which he insists upon the determination of the Afghans not to allow any English to enter their country, even for the purpose of defending it against Russia. He says :—

The only time that the Afghans would willingly admit the English army into their country would be when they had been decisively and officially defeated by Russia, and could not stop her from having their, country by any possible means; but as long as the Afghans can fight for themselves, they ought not, they would not, let one soldier of Russia or England put his foot in their country to expel their enemy, as it would be impossible to get rid of the army which they themselves had invited to help them, who would always have the excuse of remaining, by saying that they were keeping the country peaceful.

If Russia and England were to partition Afghanistan, the poor goat tells the lion that the bear would get all the juicy bits :--

The countries on the west of the Indo Koosh are the richest and the most fertile provinces of Afghanistan, while those of Jellalabad and Kabul, which would fall to the share of the English, are scarcely rich enough to pay their expenses.

His fourth suggestion is that we should promote the Triple Alliance of which I have already spoken, and the fifth is that England and Afghanistan should both work towards making their subjects rich and contented, keeping an army sufficient to oppose the advance of an enemy, "just as taking a tonic is better than taking medicine after falling ill." By way of a friendly hint to the rulers of India, he tells them that the Russians are much our superiors in promoting intermarriage and social inter