Taft, William Howard. Popular Government: Its Essence, Its Permanence and Its Perils. (New Haven, Yale University Press, 1913. Pp. 283. $1.15.)
Vedder, Henry C. The Reformation in Germany. (N. Y. Macmillan, 1914. Pp. 466. $3.)
Washington State Bar Association. Proceedings of the Twenty-Fifth Annual Convention, 1913. (Olympia, Association, 1913. Pp. 204.)
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Course in Current Events
The Department of History in the University of Washington has begun a course on Contemporary History running the second semester. The course is given by various men on problems of historical import of the last decade. Among the questions handled are: The Monroe Doctrine; China as a Republic; the Mexican Situation; the Undoing of Ireland; The Balkan Question; the Growth of a Religion of Democracy; the Economic Interpretation of History; the Relation of Natural Science to History; German Imperialism; etc. The course is open to all classes except the freshman; about one hundred students have elected the course. While the public increased the audience to about two hundred persons at each lecture.
History Teachers' Club
On Saturday noon, March 21st, at the Good Eats Cafeteria, Seattle, twelve history teachers of the grades, high schools and University met and discussed the need and desirability of the formation of a History Club. Such a club has had a successful life of six years at San Francisco dealing with history in the different trades and professions—men from these walks give the history men the value of history to their lines of work. This idea was accepted by those present on Saturday; and another question was urged as a worthy and vital question for mutual discussion: the relation of the three parts of the public school system to history teaching on the basis of the belief that a better understanding among the three sets of teachers would result in good to the pupils. It was unanimously voted to attempt such a club to deal in the beginning with these two subjects. The question of time, place of meeting, organization, and the first program was left to Mr. Flemming, Seattle, and his committee of three. He hopes to have the first meeting early in May in Seattle. It was also the hope that the Club could serve the interests of the teachers in the grades and high schools of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and other cities about the Sound, and the University. Professor J. N. Bowman, of the University, was elected temporary chairman.