"Its very appearance is inviting. A careful selection of paper and type and a judicious arrangement of the work have made it possible to combine the two parts in one handy volume for the sake of those who prefer a foreign dictionary in that form. All literary requirements of our time have been considered. Without injury to the etymological point of view, the meanings of a word are grouped according to their frequency in modern usage, so that obsolescent and obsolete meanings can be distinguished at a glance by their position at the end of the article. The new German orthography has been adopted with certain modifications which seem to settle the points hitherto open to discussion." This is not the book so long on the market, but a new vastly improved edition, and is certainly far and away the best of the moderate-priced German dictionaries. Current History The _Maine_ disaster is to the public almost as much of a mystery as ever. Little of absolutely reliable information has been made known, and until something is officially stated by the court of inquiry, judgment must be suspended. The court of inquiry began the investigation almost immediately after its arrival at Havana. The sittings were held on the lighthouse tender _Mangrove_, and lasted for a number of days; the court then adjourned to Key West. The investigation has been a secret one throughout, and though the numerous correspondents have done their best to obtain information, very few facts have been ascertained; and fact and fiction have been so mixed in the newspaper accounts that it is not safe to accept as final any of the statements. In some foreign papers it has been hinted that the disaster resulted from an accident due to lack of discipline on board the vessel. The utter falseness of this statement is shown by the facts. Just think of a crew, or what was left of it, mustering without confusion on the deck of a sinking, burning vessel, and this vessel likely to be blown to pieces at any moment! Could any better evidence of perfect discipline and heroism be given? Every man took his place without comment; each order was given quietly and coolly, and obeyed with precision. Is it possible that an accident could have happened on that ship through lack of discipline? Of course, many of the newspaper accounts have more or less foundation in fact, for no effort is spared by their correspondents to be the first to ascertain and report the truth. The general impression now seems to be that no explosion in the ship originated the disaster. One New York paper stated that the most important evidence was given by an officer of the _Fern_, who is said to have discovered that the keel and armor-plates of the _Maine_ had been driven upward, this proving in his opinion that the explosion must have occurred under the vessel.