of view. He aims not to set forth an interesting narrative
but to marshall his facts so as to make interesting his well-balanced
account of the various forces which have operated to make this country
what it is to-day. The smooth style, common sense, and thoroughness
with which he is now doing this task will doubtless make this the
standard history of the United States.

In reading this valuable work, however, one cannot but express regret
that Professor Channing did not see fit to spell the word "Negro"
with a capital letter and to say more about the people of color. In
the volumes to follow the treatment of this element of our population
will probably be more extensive in keeping with the increasing
importance of the Negro as a factor in history of the later period.
Professor Channing will hardly be so unfortunate as most writers of
American history, who in their voluminous works give space for
honorable mention of every race but the black, considering it
sufficient to mention it, merely as the cause of the great agitation
which finally rent the nation and the present cause of the race
problem in the United States. The bearing of worthy achievements of
the Negroes on the development of this country should be mentioned
along with the deeds of others who have helped to make the nation.

* * * * *

_The Early History of Cuba, 1492 to 1586_. By I. A. WRIGHT. The
MacMillan Company, New York, 1916. Pp. 390.

This book begins with the discovery of Cuba by Columbus and ends with
the raid of Sir Francis Drake in the West Indies in 1586, by which it
was demonstrated that Great Britain ruled the sea and that the
retention of the Spanish possessions in the New World required that
they be provided with means of local defence rather than be left in
the position of dependence on protection from Spain. With this change
is connected the subsequent economic development of Cuba and the
success of the Spanish colonial policy.

In writing this book the author had an advantage over most historians
in this field. It was compiled from documents now available at
Seville, Spain. Miss Wright, however, did not use the documents found
in other archives. What documents she had access to, however, are
considered sufficient as they contain "letters and reports of the
island's governors, of royal officials and lesser clergy, of municipal
and ecclesiastical councils, of distinguished and humble citizens."
This larg