CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC SYS.

TEMS, by Professor Earl R. Sikes. HenryHolt if Cos., 1940, pp. 690, $3.00.

FOR MANY YEARS Professor Sikes has taught a very valuable course at Dartmouth, "Proposed Plans for Economic Re form." The volume under review is intended primarily as a text for this and for similar courses, but its appeal should ex tend far beyond the classroom. At times Professor Sikes takes for granted a knowl edge of elementary economic theory, but very little of the volume should prove too technical for the general reader.

The author has covered a wide field. The history of socialism in its many forms and in the leading countries is discussed likewise the more radical "isms"—anarch ism, syndicalism, guild socialism—and also the cooperative movement Nearly on half of the volume is devoted to an excel lent and thoroughly up-to-date account the political and economic organization of Soviet Russia, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Ger many. Early in the volume the author de scribes and criticizes briefly the capitalis system, and two very interesting chapter at the end analyze in considerable detar various recent proposals for economic plan ning under capitalism. Several important documents have been included as append ices—the Communist Manifesto, the Sovie Constitution, the Fascist Labor Charteir and the original Nazi Party program.

Students, reformers, statesmen, and business men will all find much to ponder it this book. For Professor Sikes is never con tent merely to describe or to trace. He al ways goes on to evaluate. All of our modern economic and social panaceas are impartant tially and even ruthlessly analyzed in the light of the fundamental economics of pioject duction and distribution, as well as in thet possible effects upon the fate of politication democracy. Professor Sikes is not, however averse to all reform, for he also criticize the abuses of capitalism. He is insisten that capitalism and democracy cannot 100 survive unless unregulated private mono) olies are curbed, and unless a greater dt gree of equality in economic wealth am power than now prevails can in some wa be attained