Part 5

But though it is now evident that a very great deal may be done for the preservation of rural England by the exercise of legislative powers which local authorities already possess, and by pressure on corporate bodies and private landowners of the best type, the ultimate success of the new crusade will depend on its ability to influence public opinion. Two kinds of opinion are involved, that of the country dwellers themselves, and that of the urban invaders of the countryside. Probably most young people now employed in remote villages and on farms would give their skin to get away from what they regard as the monotony of rural life, and one must sympathise with that view. The introduction of wireless and cinemas will make their existence less irksome, and the phenomenal increase of motor-bus facilities allows them to travel cheaply and frequently to the nearest town, with its shops and bright streets. But none of these things will teach them to prize the country, rather the reverse, for many of the films they see show them uglification at its worst--in the ricketty shacks of Western America. It might be possible to teach them to admire their own heritage by occasional lectures at the village institutes on town-planning and architecture; not the architecture of great cathedrals and of foreign buildings like the Parthenon, but the simple homely architecture of the village church, the village barn, and the village cottage. A competent lecturer accustomed to such an audience, avoiding like the plague all sentimental talk about the glory of country life, might explain the beauty of old bridges and mills, the simple skill of old craftsmen, in such a way that his hearers would be less anxious to substitute suburban vulgarities for everything that their rude forefathers of the hamlet had made. Recently there was organised, in my own village, an exhibition of drawings, engravings, maps, old documents, etc., illustrating the history and development of the district. It was visited by a large number of people, including many children, and undoubtedly it aroused much interest in things that had hitherto passed unnoticed.

The urban motorist, whether he travels in a Rolls-Royce or a charabanc, often provides an equally difficult problem. He may be a superior person of great wealth, who avoids the hackneyed resorts of trippers because he objects to the sight of beer-bottles and paper bags on the heather, but, as a humorous artist recently reminded us, he probably goes to a more secluded common and instructs his chauffeur to leave the champagne bottles and disembowelled lobsters under a gorse-bush there, for he has the soul and breeding of the tripper, and litter does not offend him. The beach X---- in Romney Marsh, already mentioned, was littered from end to end with newspapers, cigarette packets, and confectioners’ debris, when last I saw it.

Untidiness, ugliness, lack of respect for history and beauty, an insane craze for speed in getting from one futile pursuit to another, blatant advertisement, sordid commercialism--these are some of the things we have borrowed from American life to vulgarise our own. But when Americans come over to England, the thing that impresses them most--far more than anything we can do in our towns--is the harmony and peace of the English village and the English countryside. They feel in their bones that there we “have them beat.”

It is simply heart-breaking, to those of us who know how future uglification may be avoided and how much of the blundering of the past may be remedied, to see the process of deterioration steadily continuing. With more of brains and less of greed, more of public spirit and less of vested interests, rural England may yet be saved.

SOME ADDRESSES

THE COUNCIL FOR THE PRESERVATION OF RURAL ENGLAND,

33, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 1.

THE GARDEN CITIES AND TOWN PLANNING ASSOCIATION,

3, Gray’s Inn Place, W.C. 1.

THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS,

20, Buckingham Street, W.C. 2.

THE COMMONS AND FOOTPATHS PRESERVATION SOCIETY,

7, Buckingham Palace Gardens, S.W. 1.

THE COAL SMOKE ABATEMENT SOCIETY,

7, Buckingham Palace Gardens, S.W. 1.

THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST OR NATURAL BEAUTY,

7, Buckingham Palace Gardens, S.W. 1.

THE SCAPA SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF DISFIGUREMENT IN TOWN AND COUNTRY,

7, Buckingham Palace Gardens, S.W. 1.

THE RURAL INDUSTRIES INTELLIGENCE BUREAU,

20, Eccleston Street, S.W. 1.

TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

_Each, pott 8vo, boards, 2/6 net_

This series of books, by some of the most distinguished English thinkers, scientists, philosophers, doctors, critics, and artists, was at once recognized as a noteworthy event. Written from various points of view, one book frequently opposing the argument of another, they provide the reader with a stimulating survey of the most modern thought in many departments of life. Several volumes are devoted to the future trend of Civilization, conceived as a whole; while others deal with particular provinces. It is interesting to see in these neat little volumes, issued at a low price, the revival of a form of literature, the Pamphlet, which has been in disuse for many years.

_Published by_ KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., LTD. Broadway House: 68-74 Carter Lane, London, E.C. 4.

_FROM THE REVIEWS_

_Times Literary Supplement_: “An entertaining series.”

_Spectator_: “Scintillating monographs.”

_Observer_: “There seems no reason why the brilliant To-day and To-morrow Series should come to an end for a century of to-morrows. At first it seemed impossible for the publishers to keep up the sport through a dozen volumes, but the series already runs to more than two score. A remarkable series....”

_Nation_: “We are able to peer into the future by means of that brilliant series [which] will constitute a precious document upon the present time.”--T. S. ELIOT.

_Manchester Dispatch_: “The more one reads of these pamphlets, the more avid becomes the appetite. We hope the list is endless.”

_Irish Statesman_: “Full of lively controversy.”

_Daily Herald_: “This series has given us many monographs of brilliance and discernment.... The stylistic excellences of this provocative series.”

_Field_: “We have long desired to express the deep admiration felt by every thinking scholar and worker at the present day for this series. We must pay tribute to the high standard of thought and expression they maintain. As small gift-books, austerely yet prettily produced, they remain unequalled of their kind. We can give but the briefest suggestions of their value to the student, the politician, and the voter....”

_Japan Chronicle_: “While cheap prophecy is a futile thing, wisdom consists largely in looking forward to consequences. It is this that makes these books of considerable interest.”

_New York World_: “Holds the palm in the speculative and interpretative thought of the age.”

_VOLUMES READY_

=Daedalus=, or Science and the Future. By J. B. S. HALDANE, Reader in Biochemistry, University of Cambridge. _Seventh impression._

“A fascinating and daring little book.”--_Westminster Gazette._ “The essay is brilliant, sparkling with wit and bristling with challenges.”--_British Medical Journal._ “Predicts the most startling changes.”--_Morning Post._

=Callinicus=, a Defence of Chemical Warfare. By J. B. S. HALDANE. _Second impression._

“Mr. Haldane’s brilliant study.”--_Times Leading Article._ “A book to be read by every intelligent adult.”--_Spectator._ “This brilliant little monograph.”--_Daily News._

=Icarus=, or the Future of Science. By BERTRAND RUSSELL, F.R.S. _Fourth impression._

“Utter pessimism.”--_Observer._ “Mr. Russell refuses to believe that the progress of Science must be a boon to mankind.”--_Morning Post._ “A stimulating book, that leaves one not at all discouraged.”--_Daily Herald._

=What I Believe.= By BERTRAND RUSSELL, F.R.S. _Third impression._

“One of the most brilliant and thought-stimulating little books I have read--a better book even than Icarus.”--_Nation._ “Simply and brilliantly written.”--_Nature._ “In stabbing sentences he punctures the bubble of cruelty, envy, narrowness, and ill-will which those in authority call their morals.”--_New Leader._

=Tantalus=, or the Future of Man. By F. C. S. SCHILLER, D.SC., Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. _Second impression._

“They are all (_Daedalus_, _Icarus_, and _Tantalus_) brilliantly clever, and they supplement or correct one another.”--_Dean Inge_, in _Morning Post_. “Immensely valuable and infinitely readable.”--_Daily News._ “The book of the week.”--S_pectator._

=Cassandra=, or the Future of the British Empire. By F. C. S. SCHILLER, D.SC.

“We commend it to the complacent of all parties.”--_Saturday Review._ “The book is small, but very, very weighty; brilliantly written, it ought to be read by all shades of politicians and students of politics.”--_Yorkshire Post._ “Yet another addition to that bright constellation of pamphlets.”--_Spectator._

=Quo Vadimus?= Glimpses of the Future. By E. E. FOURNIER D’ALBE, D.SC., author of “Selenium, the Moon Element,” etc.

“A wonderful vision of the future. A book that will be talked about.”--_Daily Graphic._ “A remarkable contribution to a remarkable series.”--_Manchester Dispatch._ “Interesting and singularly plausible.”--_Daily Telegraph._

=Thrasymachus=, the Future of Morals. By C. E. M. JOAD, author of “The Babbitt Warren,” etc. _Second impression._

“His provocative book.”--_Graphic._ “Written in a style of deliberate brilliance.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “As outspoken and unequivocal, a contribution as could well be imagined. Even those readers who dissent will be forced to recognize the admirable clarity with which he states his case. A book that will startle.”--_Daily Chronicle._

=Lysistrata=, or Woman’s Future and Future Woman. By ANTHONY M. LUDOVICI, author of “A Defence of Aristocracy,” etc. _Second Impression._

“A stimulating book. Volumes would be needed to deal, in the fullness his work provokes, with all the problems raised.”--_Sunday Times._ “Pro-feminine, but anti-feministic.”--_Scotsman._ “Full of brilliant common-sense.”--_Observer._

=Hypatia=, or Woman and Knowledge. By MRS. BERTRAND RUSSELL. With a frontispiece. _Third impression._

An answer to _Lysistrata_. “A passionate vindication of the rights of women.”--_Manchester Guardian._ “Says a number of things that sensible women have been wanting publicly said for a long time.”--_Daily Herald._

=Hephaestus=, the Soul of the Machine. By E. E. FOURNIER D’ALBE, D.SC.

“A worthy contribution to this interesting series. A delightful and thought-provoking essay.”--_Birmingham Post._ “There is a special pleasure in meeting with a book like _Hephaestus_. The author has the merit of really understanding what he is talking about.”--_Engineering._ “An exceedingly clever defence of machinery.”--_Architects’ Journal._

=The Passing of the Phantoms=: a Study of Evolutionary Psychology and Morals. By C. J. PATTEN, Professor of Anatomy, Sheffield University. With 4 Plates.

“Readers of _Daedalus_, _Icarus_ and _Tantalus_, will be grateful for an excellent presentation of yet another point of view.”--_Yorkshire Post._ “This bright and bracing little book.”--_Literary Guide._ “Interesting and original.”--_Medical Times._

=The Mongol in our Midst=: a Study of Man and his Three Faces. By F. G. CROOKSHANK, M.D., F.R.C.P. With 28 Plates. _Second Edition, revised._

“A brilliant piece of speculative induction.”--_Saturday Review._ “An extremely interesting and suggestive book, which will reward careful reading.”--_Sunday Times._ “The pictures carry fearful conviction.”--_Daily Herald._

=The Conquest of Cancer.= By H. W. S. WRIGHT, M.S., F.R.C.S. Introduction by F. G. CROOKSHANK, M.D.

“Eminently suitable for general reading. The problem is fairly and lucidly presented. One merit of Mr. Wright’s plan is that he tells people what, in his judgment, they can best do, _here and now_.”--From the _Introduction_.

=Pygmalion=, or the Doctor of the Future. By R. MCNAIR WILSON, M.B.

“Dr. Wilson has added a brilliant essay to this series.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “This is a very little book, but there is much wisdom in it.”--_Evening Standard._ “No doctor worth his salt would venture to say that Dr. Wilson was wrong.”--_Daily Herald._

=Prometheus=, or Biology and the Advancement of Man. By H. S. JENNINGS, Professor of Zoology, Johns Hopkins University.

“This volume is one of the most remarkable that has yet appeared in this series. Certainly the information it contains will be new to most educated laymen. It is essentially a discussion of ... heredity and environment, and it clearly establishes the fact that the current use of these terms has no scientific justification.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “An exceedingly brilliant book.”--_New Leader._

=Narcissus=: an Anatomy of Clothes. By GERALD HEARD. With 19 illustrations.

“A most suggestive book.”--_Nation._ “Irresistible. Reading it is like a switchback journey. Starting from prehistoric times we rocket down the ages.”--_Daily News._ “Interesting, provocative, and entertaining.”--_Queen._

=Thamyris=, or Is There a Future for Poetry? By R. C. TREVELYAN.

“Learned, sensible, and very well-written.”--_Affable Hawk_, in _New Statesman_. “Very suggestive.”--_J. C. Squire_, in _Observer_. “A very charming piece of work, I agree with all, or at any rate, almost all its conclusions.”--_J. St. Loe Strachey_, in _Spectator_.

=Proteus=, or the Future of Intelligence. By VERNON LEE, author of “Satan the Waster,” etc.

“We should like to follow the author’s suggestions as to the effect of intelligence on the future of Ethics, Aesthetics, and Manners. Her book is profoundly stimulating and should be read by everyone.”--_Outlook._ “A concise, suggestive piece of work.”--_Saturday Review._

=Timotheus=, the Future of the Theatre. By BONAMY DOBRÉE, author of “Restoration Drama,” etc.

“A witty, mischievous little book, to be read with delight.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “This is a delightfully witty book.”--_Scotsman._ “In a subtly satirical vein he visualizes various kinds of theatres in 200 years time. His gay little book makes delightful reading.”--_Nation._

=Paris=, or the Future of War. By Captain B. H. LIDDELL HART.

“A companion volume to _Callinicus_. A gem of close thinking and deduction.”--_Observer._ “A noteworthy contribution to a problem of concern to every citizen in this country.”--_Daily Chronicle._ “There is some lively thinking about the future of war in _Paris_, just added to this set of live-wire pamphlets on big subjects.”--_Manchester Guardian._

=Wireless Possibilities.= By Professor A. M. LOW. With 4 diagrams.

“As might be expected from an inventor who is always so fresh, he has many interesting things to say.”--_Evening Standard._ “The mantle of Blake has fallen upon the physicists. To them we look for visions, and we find them in this book.”--_New Statesman._

=Perseus=: of Dragons. By H. F. SCOTT STOKES. With 2 illustrations.

“A diverting little book, chock-full of ideas. Mr. Stokes’ dragon-lore is both quaint and various.”--_Morning Post._ “Very amusingly written, and a mine of curious knowledge for which the discerning reader will find many uses.”--_Glasgow Herald._

=Lycurgus=, or the Future of Law. By E. S. P. HAYNES, author of “Concerning Solicitors,” etc.

“An interesting and concisely written book.”--_Yorkshire Post._ “He roundly declares that English criminal law is a blend of barbaric violence, medieval prejudices, and modern fallacies.... A humane and conscientious investigation.”--_T.P.’s Weekly._ “A thoughtful book--deserves careful reading.”--_Law Times._

=Euterpe=, or the Future of Art. By LIONEL R. MCCOLVIN, author of “The Theory of Book-Selection.”

“Discusses briefly, but very suggestively, the problem of the future of art in relation to the public.”--_Saturday Review._ “Another indictment of machinery as a soul-destroyer ... Mr. Colvin has the courage to suggest solutions.”--_Westminster Gazette._ “This is altogether a much-needed book.”--_New Leader._

=Pegasus=, or Problems of Transport. By Colonel J. F. C. FULLER, author of “The Reformation of War,” etc. With 8 Plates.

“The foremost military prophet of the day propounds a solution for industrial and unemployment problems. It is a bold essay ... and calls for the attention of all concerned with imperial problems.”--_Daily Telegraph._ “Practical, timely, very interesting and very important.”--J. St. Loe Strachey, in _Spectator_.

=Atlantis=, or America and the Future. By Colonel J. F. C. FULLER.

“Candid and caustic.”--_Observer._ “Many hard things have been said about America, but few quite so bitter and caustic as these.”--_Daily Sketch._ “He can conjure up possibilities of a new Atlantis.”--_Clarion._

=Midas=, or the United States and the Future. By C. H. BRETHERTON, author of “The Real Ireland”, etc.

A companion volume to _Atlantis_. “Full of astute observations and acute reflections ... this wise and witty pamphlet, a provocation to the thought that is creative.”--_Morning Post._ “A punch in every paragraph. One could hardly ask for more ‘meat.’”--_Spectator._

=Nuntius=, or Advertising and its Future. By GILBERT RUSSELL.

“Expresses the philosophy of advertising concisely and well.”--_Observer._ “It is doubtful if a more straightforward exposition of the part advertising plays in our public and private life has been written.”--_Manchester Guardian._

=Birth Control and the State=: a Plea and a Forecast. By C. P. BLACKER, _M.C._, M.A., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.

“A very careful summary.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “A temperate and scholarly survey of the arguments for and against the encouragement of the practice of birth control.”--_Lancet._ “He writes lucidly, moderately, and from wide knowledge; his book undoubtedly gives a better understanding of the subject than any other brief account we know. It also suggests a policy.”--_Saturday Review._

=Ouroboros=, or the Mechanical Extension of Mankind. By GARET GARRETT.

“This brilliant and provoking little book.”--_Observer._ “A significant and thoughtful essay, calculated in parts to make our flesh creep.”--_Spectator._ “A brilliant writer, Mr. Garrett is a remarkable man. He explains something of the enormous change the machine has made in life.”--_Daily Express._

=Artifex=, or the Future of Craftsmanship. By JOHN GLOAG, author of “Time, Taste, and Furniture.”

“An able and interesting summary of the history of craftsmanship in the past, a direct criticism of the present, and at the end his hopes for the future. Mr. Gloag’s real contribution to the future of craftsmanship is his discussion of the uses of machinery.”--_Times Literary Supplement._

=Plato’s American Republic.= By J. DOUGLAS WOODRUFF. _Third impression._

“Uses the form of the Socratic dialogue with devastating success. A gently malicious wit sparkles in every page.”--_Sunday Times._ “Having deliberately set himself an almost impossible task, has succeeded beyond belief.”--_Saturday Review._ “Quite the liveliest even of this spirited series.”--_Observer._

=Orpheus=, or the Music of the Future. By W. J. TURNER, author of “Music and Life.”

“A book on music that we can read not merely once, but twice or thrice. Mr. Turner has given us some of the finest thinking upon Beethoven that I have ever met with.”--_Ernest Newman_ in _Sunday Times_. “A brilliant essay in contemporary philosophy.”--_Outlook._ “The fruit of real knowledge and understanding.”--_New Statesman._

=Terpander=, or Music and the Future. By E. J. DENT, author of “Mozart’s Operas.”

“In _Orpheus_ Mr. Turner made a brilliant voyage in search of first principles. Mr. Dent’s book is a skilful review of the development of music. It is the most succinct and stimulating essay on music I have found....”--_Musical News._ “Remarkably able and stimulating.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “There is hardly another critic alive who could sum up contemporary tendencies so neatly.”--_Spectator._

=Sibylla=, or the Revival of Prophecy. By C. A. MACE, University of St. Andrew’s.

“An entertaining and instructive pamphlet.”--_Morning Post._ “Places a nightmare before us very ably and wittily.”--_Spectator._ “Passages in it are excellent satire, but on the whole Mr. Mace’s speculations may be taken as a trustworthy guide ... to modern scientific thought.”--_Birmingham Post._

=Lucullus=, or the Food of the Future. By OLGA HARTLEY and Mrs. C. F. LEYEL, authors of ‘The Gentle Art of Cookery.’

“This is a clever and witty little volume in an entertaining series, and it makes enchanting reading.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “Opens with a brilliant picture of modern man, living in a vacuum-cleaned, steam-heated, credit-furnished suburban mansion ‘with a wolf in the basement’--the wolf of hunger. This banquet of epigrams.”--_Spectator._

=Procrustes=, or the Future of English Education. By M. ALDERTON PINK.

“Undoubtedly he makes out a very good case.”--_Daily Herald._ “This interesting addition to the series.”--_Times Educational Supplement._ “Intends to be challenging and succeeds in being so. All fit readers will find it stimulating.”--_Northern Echo._

=The Future of Futurism.= By JOHN RODKER.

“Mr. Rodker is up-to-the-minute, and he has accomplished a considerable feat in writing, on such a vague subject, 92 extremely interesting pages.”--T. S. Eliot, in _Nation_. “There are a good many things in this book which are of interest.”--_Times Literary Supplement._

=Pomona=, or the Future of English. By BASIL DE SÉLINCOURT, author of ‘The English Secret’, etc.

“The future of English is discussed fully and with fascinating interest.”--_Morning Post._ “Has a refreshing air of the unexpected. Full of wise thoughts and happy words.”--_Times Literary Supplement._ “Here is suggestive thought, quite different from most speculations on the destiny of our language.”--_Journal of Education._

=Balbus=, or the Future of Architecture. By CHRISTIAN BARMAN, editor of ‘The Architect’s Journal’.

“A really brilliant addition to this already distinguished series. The reading of _Balbus_ will give much data for intelligent prophecy, and incidentally, an hour or so of excellent entertainment.”--_Spectator._ “Most readable and reasonable. We can recommend it warmly.”--_New Statesman._ “This intriguing little book.”--_Connoisseur._

_JUST PUBLISHED_

=Apella=, or the Future of the Jews. By A QUARTERLY REVIEWER.

“Cogent, because of brevity and a magnificent prose style, this book wins our quiet praise. It is a fine pamphlet, adding to the value of the series, and should not be missed.”--_Spectator._ “A notable addition to this excellent series. His arguments are a provocation to fruitful thinking.”--_Morning Post._

=The Dance of Çiva=, or Life’s Unity and Rhythm. By COLLUM.

“It has substance and thought in it. The author is very much alive and responsive to the movements of to-day which seek to unite the best thought of East and West, and discusses Mussolini and Jagadis Bose with perspicacity.”--_Spectator._

=Lars Porsena=, or the Future of Swearing and Improper Language. By ROBERT GRAVES.