The times., 1900-12-30
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Renewed Interest in the south Afri-
can Army Scandals.

| LONDON, Dec. 29.-The passing of
| Christmastide has been marked in England
| by small sensation, In the absence of
news from the seat or war everybody here
is talking of the recall OF. Sir Henry Col
| vile. Coming as it does on top of Mr..
Brodrick's appointment OF an outside COM
mittee to consider the system of business
| at the War Office. the authorities action
/ in the matter is taken as clear evidence
| that the Government really means root
and branch reform of the army. The facts
| as to who was responsible for the Lindley
! disaster last May have not as yet been
made public but the War Departments re
quest that General Colvile should resign
practically fixes the responsibility. Lieu
| tenant Colonel Spragge, who commanded
| the Thirteenth Battalion. lost at Lindiey
and Lieutenant Woodhousc, OF the same
battalion, also resign.
The circumstances which have led up to
the present position of General Colvile
throw curious light on the War Office
regime. immediately after Lindley Cen
eraI Roberts held an enquiry. the result
being that General Colvile was sent home.
In spite of the implied censure by Gener-
al Roberts. and in spite of his previous
failures at Modder River and Sanna
Post, General Colvile was appointed to
the command of an infantry brigade at
Gibraltar, Lord Lansdowne evidently be-
ing afraid of the scandal which might
have followed a request for his resigna-
tion. At Gibraltar General -Colvile re-
manned until within day or two of Gen
eral Roberts arrival there. Now he Is at
home. and though he has refused to re-
sign. his career In the army is virtually
over. There is possibility of his speak
ing out, and in the circumstance that his
recall has to do with faults which were
officially condoned by his appointment 10
Gibraltar he is felt to have some sort of
case against the authorities. However,
Mr.. Brodrick and General Roberts seem
prepared to take the risks. and 1T Is evil
dent that they are bent on pursuing re-
form policy even at the sacrifice OF high
ly placed individuals.
TIE holidays now are practically over,
but in accordance with custom the usual
Christmas pantoTimes are in full blast at
Drury Lane and many suburban theatres.
Several of the Mid-London theatres, how
ever, make no change in programme For
example, Mrs. Danes Defence" is still
running at wyndham's Theatre. "Herod'
at Her Majesty's. and San Toy" at
Days. At the little Comedy Theatre the
German players continue their perform
ances OF plays in the vernacular. For the
first week in January Faust" is an
nounced, and to take the part of. Gretch-
en-. Fraulein Martha Elbrig. the bright.
particular star of the Hamburg Schau-
spielhaus, is to come to London. The Me-
phisto of the ecast will be Herr Behrend.
At the same theatre on alternate days
Mr.. Benson is presenting Shakespeare.
This week there was "The Merry
Wives of Windsor" and for next week
is promised "The Tanning OF the Shrew.'
Neither OF these plays Is at all familiar
on the boards. and Mr.. Benson is the only
manager who includes them in his re-
pertory.
Christmas, of course, has put momen-
tary stop to the publishing season, but
one book of importance has appeared dur
ing the lull, and thai is Mr. W. B. Yeats
new poem. The Shadowy Waters" Prop
erly speaking, 1t is a blank verse drama
in one act, and with four characters
The writing is very Celtic. and a trife
decorative, but there are passages of
great beauty. and the poem will GER
tainy count among the best things Mr.
Yeats has done.
The approach of the new century sets
the critics summarizing the literary per-
formances Of the last hundred years. One
well-known writer gives a list of the
greatest names Imaginative literature has
given to the world Earring that period
They are Byron. Goethe. Scott. Balzac,
and Turguenef, and, as the most impor-
tant books of the century he mentions
Byron's .Childe Harold Scott's ''Wav-
erley," Heine's "Buch der Leider," Bal
zac's "Pere Goriot," Carlyle's ''Sartor Re-
sartus." and Turgueneffs Virgin Soil
An attempt Is being made to establish
journal devoted exclusively to the pub
lication Of poetry. This is not exactly a
new experiment. but never before has a
journal of this kind been initiated under
such favorable auspices. The publication
is appropriately called The Thrush" and
the first number is to contain poems by
W E. Henley, Dr. Garrett, and others.
The venture is looked forward to with
much interest. and though probably
doomed to failure 'The Thrush will be
published monthly at fourpence.
The Imperial Council has not been mich
heard OF lately, but movement is afoot
to modify its constitution. The chief OBJ
ject OF the change Is to give the colonies
a voice in the control of imperial affairs.
Two principles are suggested: hrst, that
fair share OF imperial burdens should have
voice in the decision OF questions OF
common interest: second. that every part
of the Empire capable OF government
should manage its own affairs in its own
way which amounts to a proposal for a
Federal Imperial Parliament, in which the
ed by local legislatures for local affairs.
A letter on the question has been ad-
dressed to the Liberal associations
throughout the country and the idea is to
create among Liberals an opinion In favor
Of m axna pdad scone of council work