FOR an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the coming Saar plebiscite, scheduled for Sunday, January 13, Mr. Florinsky's book is timely and valuable. Though written before the recent agreement reached by France and Germany concerning the disposal of the Saar mines, "The Saar Struggle" is yet of service to anyone desirous of appreciating the enormous difficulties to be settled before this threat to the peace of Europe can be considered removed.

Beginning with an historical portrayal of the background of this tiny, yet much sought-after district, Mr. Florinsky proceeds to discuss its present economic status, and the factors necessary to its future well-being. He makes it evident that prior to the advent of Hitler as Reichsfuehrer, there was no question as to which of the three alternatives Saarlanders would choose in the coming plebiscite: union with Germany, France, or continuation of the status quo, i.e., control by the League of Nations. Every indication pointed to an overwhelming vote in favor of return to Germany. But on the chaos now reigning in the Reich, Saarlanders look askance; the district is predominantly Catholic, and relations between Berlin and the Vatican leave a great deal to be desired. The current feeling in the Saar is, according to Mr. Florinsky, that tradition and common language make the Saar German, but there is a strong tendency to regard Hitler's Reich as a perversion of modern society, and he expects to see the status quo advocated to an extent that would two years ago have been inconceivable. There is no chance whatever of a vote in favor of France, as M. Laval has consistently pointed out.

The thorniest problem of all must wait for solution until after the plebiscite. From 1871 until 1914, when both the Saar and Alsace-Lorraine were German, an agreement was reached between the two districts as to the joint consumption of coal and iron, the respective product of each. Neither district, Mr. Florinsky feels, could have flourished without the cooperation of the other, which is to his mind proved by the fact that it was not long after the World War that the old agreement was revived, despite France's receiving Alsace-Lorraine, and the Saar's being controlled by the League. But in the event that the vote at the plebiscite goes to Germany, which seems inevitable, will the two Great Powers be able to forget their selfish interests to the extent of keeping alive the agreement between their two mutually dependent districts?

Possibly the most interesting aspect of Mr. Florinsky's book, from the point of view of the political scientist, is the account of this first experiment in international government. He is convinced it has failed miserably, whether or no because of the fact that for years France controlled the League's Governing Commission. Suffice it to say that under the League's control, the Saar has suffered economically more than at any other stage in her history. The Saarlanders have clearly resented a government with no knowledge of their culture and traditions. "The Saar Struggle" may be said to be an admirable testimonial of the fallacy, in this nationalistic era, of the impersonal, unsympathetic, inefficient government by the League of Nations of a people intensely proud, industrious, and devoted to the Fatherland they knew in the past.