the men who have during the past few years had in their hands the
direction of the affairs of the United Kingdom and of the great British
Commonwealth must possess an assured interest for every intelligent
American.

The clever author of _The Mirrors of Downing Street_ has brought
together a series of critical and biographical studies, presented as
"reflections" from the mirror in the Imperial council chamber, of
thirteen typical Britons who have done noteworthy work during the years
of the war and who are now grappling with the problems of the peace. The
name of the author is not given, but he is evidently one who has had
intimate personal association with the statesmen and administrators
whose characters he presents. These analyses are not always sympathetic,
and we are not prepared to say that they will be accepted as final. They
are, however, based upon full knowledge of the conditions and a close
personal study of the men. Intelligent Americans will be interested in
the opinions held by a clear-headed, capable English writer of the
characters of leaders like Mr. Asquith, Lloyd George, Mr. Balfour, Lord
Robert Cecil, Winston Churchill, and others, and they will find in these
pages first-hand information and clever and incisive studies of
noteworthy men whose influence has counted, and is still to count, in
shaping the history of Britain and of the world.

G.H.P.

NEW YORK, December, 1920.