Book Reviews : British Government Since 1918. By SIR GILBERT CAMPION, D. N. CHESTER, W. J. M. MACKENZIE, WILLIAM A. ROBSON, SIR ARTHUR STREET, and J. H. WARREN, with an introduction by SIR JOHN ANDERSON. (New York: The Macmillan Company. 1951. Pp. 232. $3.75.)

• Author: Dell G. Hitchner
• Published date: 01 December 1951
• Date: 01 December 1951
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/106591295100400421
• Subject Matter: Articles

661

volume

also

carries

a

foreword

by

Max

Ascoli

and

a

postscript

by

Alvin

Johnson.

These

are

eulogistic

items

praising

unreservedly

the

intellectual

capacity

and

integrity,

the

adaptability,

the

unselfishness,

and

the

personal

charm

of

the author.

The

high

praise

here

accorded

Pekelis

finds

at

least

partial

justification

in

this

volume

of

essays.

The

essays

reveal

an

inquiring,

analytical,

and

constructive

intellect,

falling

somewhat

short

of

brilliance.

His

analysis

of

problems

and

his

selection

and

definition

of

issues

demonstrate

a

keen,

penetrating,

and

alert

mind,

and

a

sensitive

social

consciousness.

His

understanding

of

American

institutional

development,

his

analysis

of

complex

problems,

and

his

search

for

solutions

are

amazing

for

one

of

European

background

with

so

short

a

residence

in

the

United

States.

Even

so

he

would

have

profited

by

a

broader

view.

His

historical

and

institutional

interpretations

are

not

always

mature;

his

feel

for

relationships

is

not

always

sure.

Students

of

public

law

may

well

criticize

his

handling

of

court

opinions,

as

well

as

his

approach

to

case

law

development.

He

both

profited

and

suffered

from

a

certain

naivet6

in

both

style

and

thought.

Yet

the

essays

are

stimulating

and

reveal

a

quality

of

intellectual

cleverness

which

will

be

appealing

or

provoking,

depending

upon

the

reader’s

ta%te.

University

of

Michigan.

HAROLD

M.

DORR.

British

Government

Since

1918.

By

SIR

GILBERT

CAMPION,

D. N.

CHESTER,

W.

J.

M.

MACKENZIE,

WILLIAM

A.

ROBSON,

SIR

ARTHUR

STREET,

and

J.

H.

WARREN,

with

an

introduction

by

SIR

JOHN

ANDERSON.

(New

York:

The

Macmillan

Company.

1951.

Pp.

232.

$3.75.)

English

Regional

Government:

A

Study

of

the

North,West.

By

J.

W.

GROVE,

with

an

introduction

by

W.

J.

M.

MACKENZIE.

(London:

The

Institute

of

Public

Administration.

1950.

Pp.

vi,

111.

5s.

mimeo.)

The

first

volume

under

review

displays

not

only

the

high

competence

of

its

authors,

but

also

a

wealth

of

new

information

and

fresh

insights

which

raise

it

well

above

the

usual

level

of

contemporary

political

sur-

veying.

Each

essay

merits

consideration.

Sir

Gilbert

(now

Lord)

Campion,

examining

&dquo;Developments

in

the

Parliamentary

System

since

1918,&dquo;

notes

the

effects

of

the

war

years

upon

Parliament-&dquo;the

habituation

of

the

House

to

the

atmosphere

of

crisis

and

a

greater

readiness

to

defer

to

a

masterful

Government.&dquo;

In

a

period

largely

of

coalition

governments,

he

finds

that

the

function

of

the

opposi-

tion

has

been

ineffectively

performed

compared

with

pre-1914

standards.

Although

the

&dquo;parliamentary

spirit&dquo;

persists,

a

considerable

amount

of