When a central authority orders a local subordinate government to take a certain course of action under penalty, it is more than likely that the enforcement of the order will lead to difficulties, and it may even result in open defiance on the part of the local government. The effect is very different, however, when the central authority merely establishes a standard and promises to turn over cold cash to the local units which meet the standard. With governmental units as with individuals, rewards for work properly done are more likely to produce desirable results than punishment for failure to obey orders.

The “Economic and Social History of the World War,” sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and edited by Professor J. T. Shotwell, of Columbia University, is planned to contain several volumes which will be of interest to students of foreign and comparative government. A. B. Keith's War Government of the British Dominions has already appeared and was reviewed in this journal last November. Among other volumes having a direct political bearing may be mentioned: W. G. S. Adams, The War Government of Great Britain; E. M. H. Lloyd, The Mechanism of Certain State Controls [in Great Britain]; G. D. H. Cole, The British Labor Unions; A. Shadwell, Liquor Control in War Time; R. Picard, Syndicalism in France during the War; M. Hauser, Problems of Regionalism [in France]; A. Bernard, Economic and Social History of French Northern Africa; M. Delahache, Alsace-Lorraine; A. Girault, Economic and Social History of the French Colonies; J. Redlich, War Government in Austria-Hungary; Count A. Apponyi, The Effects of the War upon Government Administration and Public Opinion in Hungary; and H. Pirenne, Belgium and the World War. Numerous monographs remain to be arranged for, notably on Germany, Russia, and the Balkan states.

On June 11 of this year three amendments to the Swiss federal constitution, proposed by initiative, were voted upon. The most important was one regarding naturalization. By Article 44, section 2, of the constitution of 1874, this subject was left to federal legislation. The proposed amendment attempted to place the more essential details of the process of naturalization in the constitution. Consent of the Bundesrat to the grant of communal and cantonal citizenship was to be given only in case the foreigner during the fifteen years prior to his application had lived at least twelve years in Switzerland, including the two years immediately preceding his application.

To the student of comparative constitutional law the new Prussian constitution of November 30, 1920, is of scarcely less interest than that of the reconstituted German Empire itself. In sharp contrast to American state constitutions, the instrument is of moderate length, about four thousand words, and is limited to the bare outlines of a frame-work of government. All doctrinaire elements are lacking. There is even no bill of rights.