The sun., 1900-12-24
= VE7.
s1sslp Admiring
hqtr Leader,
tsst7ean Rivalry In Commerce Is
forryinK tIae Britlshers and Much
I'M 1ixed of--Iabor Union For Art
s-Troui,Ie over Bridge.

I&A NA@EF IN commerce 1a X ,
aorryimK tIae Britlshers and Much
M a1Ixed of--I.abor Union For Art
ists rroubie over bridge.
sgllaon, Dec 23 The capture of Gen
3|ll3 IJe Wet would be by far the most
&Ne 4fable 1Mristmas box to the average
lls1sdnaia though there seems little
elihood OF the wish being granted. The
l&a}1e for the suppression of this won
serft4l Boer leader, however, is accom-
8nietl BY generous admiration of his
afeSs feat ut would be unworthy of
ID British name" says The Times, .sto
afuse the credit that is due a feat of |
Kms so briilinnt as the unexpected dash
taeiward of De Wet and his men |
throfigh the British lines Other papers
aIe the same view, comparing the ride
u Springhaan's mex with the charge at
Balalxlava. In fact admiration for the
exfraordinary daring displayed by the
Beers ON this occasion almost predonli-
nntes over the chagrin at the failure of
the British officers to cope with their OPP
aooncnts.
There is splinging up philosophic in
difference to the incapablity of the gen
eYals in South Africa. Reverses have
hseome the expected. Last Christmas
#;ociety almost went crazy over plum
&@mddings and chocolate hampers sent to
he soldiers on the yeldt. This year they
hire not mentioned. In fact, the public is
#lnutterably weary of the long drawn on.
struggle whose only interesting features
Eare the sensational successes of DE Wet.
This in no way affects the government,
whose determination to fight it out to the
bitter end is evident from its decision to
re-enforce the already huge army.f in
South Africa Several members of the
cabinet. however, wonld be heartily
grateful were the Boer leaders to sue
for peace.
The Nicaragua canal still fails to
arouse any really deep interest here, as
1t is thoroughly understood that Great
Britain win take no action in the near
future. and the Chinese negotiations are
regarded more in the light of n monoi
onous farce than n serious problem.
thanks to the absurd misunderstanding
which have arisen between the powers
Themselves. The only quarter in London
where the performance is thoroughly en-
joyed is at the Chinese legation, in which
Sir Chih Chen Lo Feng Luh. the minis
ter Of China. mourning secludedly for
his brother. is reported to be in a state
of perpetual chuckle over the attitude Of
Christendom.
~
More the question of the day is Amer.
icas commercial rivalry which through
ont the week has been forming the basis
for long analytical articles in The Elk
press and The Daily Mail, written by engi
neering and other experts, which detail
the results of recent trips TO the United
aszates under the headlines, "Wake Up
Engf'tifstfl,,i !, ssWhy We Are Failing Be
hind" etc, reiterating that the Eng
lish manufacturers lack initiative ant
are absurd in their conservatism, whiel
is summed up in the following paragraph
in one of the articles:
IF the foregoing facts are unpaatahle
1t is better they should be known thai
that the nation should continue to dream
on in a FOOLS paradise until the mex
cycle OF bad trade, when we may fin
oue markets in the possession of Others >
That dilettante class, the artists, ar
&ioining the ranks of organized labor
zHeaded by Alma Tadema. group q
$well known artists, including PrinseI
II Dicksee, Stone and Fildes, are sendin
~ out circulars to their brethren urging tn
formation of professional union on line
similar to those of the Society of Al
thors They hope to get 700 members I
pay d guinea each. The especial objet
Of the organization will be watching I'll
business interests of struggling painter
The decision of the queens bench coul
declaring it to be illegal for the Londo
school board to spend the rate payer
money for teaching science and art
evening classes for adults has create
perturbation. Some 10000 pupils al
affected, and the whole of London's ed
cational system must be reversed if IL
house of lords upholds the verdict. I'll
Speaker declares it is the most seriol
disaster which has befallen education fl
some time. Columns of comment appe
on the subject in the dalies. Other lar,
cities are seriously concerned, as they 6
have classes similar to those of London
West Point EuIogized.
AT a conference of the head masters
the great schools last week one of Il
speakers severely arraigned the irratio
al educational methods the schools we
forced to employ in order to pass boys
officers into the army. A military corr
spondent of The Pail Mall Gazette, cri
cising the Sandhurst and Woolwi
methods, declares the British authoriti
admit that West Point is in advance
anything in England. He describes t
democratic and severely competitive S,
fem in vogue there, saying
Education at West Point is serio
thoroughness rather than an extension
attanments. Its principle is controlli
education together with the knowledge
how to make use of it. Like all exec
tionally good education it is enormous
costly, perhaps the most expensive in I
world. But in many ways it is said to
by far the best. An exhaustive compa
son of West Point with our own militia
colleges as educational mediums is to
disadvantage of our own Institutions I
principal industry in<the United States
Education. ESr years past the America
have 5'e-- eAfhestly engaged in the BIT
ue%,s-~ ttI disseminating knowledge.
Great Britain is to hold her own we IN
follow in the footsteps of the great
public or be content with second place
!. A sensation has been caused by one
y the foremost London clubs prohibit
aothe game of bridge within the precin
Vobf the club. The committee declares [
is the only course by which it can 4
serve harmony, disputes having beco
SO frequent over the question of rules.
is rumored that the rows have deyeloI
blows. Bridge is so new that its vary
rules create endless differences of opini
sresgsing more dissensions in clubland Il
MI pc over Mr.. Gladstone at the ii
n upon tale bill discussion, consid
~ a kind S by far the most po
n. the exper the day. 1t is pla.
1faIaI1Hz& 90 as far fltv and in almost