The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The War in south Africn still II
Leading Tepic.i

Leading Tepic.i
LONDON. Feb. 23.-Every day the pa
pers tell us that De Vets career in South
Africa is just clospg He is either prac-
ticaIly captured or practically driven into
the Orange River or practically starved,
and Eorseless. but still the war goes on,
and the Government have had to admit
this week that not until the end Of March
can they hope to give General Kitchener
even 5.oeO OF those mounted re-enforce-
ments without which he seems powerless
to do more than keep the Beers on the
move.
After his speech in the House of Com
mons on Tuesday. no one can doubt the
oarncstness Of Mr. w st. John Brodrick,
The new Secretary of State for War the
simple truth is that Engiands military
system as nov conceived is hopelessly
ineiastic in the face of the situation pre-
Sented by rowing bands of 1000 armed
Beers. and needs a far stronger man than
Mr.. Brodrick or any other Minister ex-
cept perhaps MIR. Chamberlain. to over
ride the official routine and social preju-
dice by which this deficient system is but
tressed up. One day the public will wake
UP, and. finding the man. will make
pretty clean sweep of the whole army ad-
miristration
Meanwhile. the war continues and prom
lSeS to continue Indefinitely. because. the
concession of Boer Independence being ia
boced, General Kitchener is not granted
the means TO pursue a vigorous policy of
oheace at every rOint. You cannot do this
with driblets of half-trained yeomanry
IL the truth were known. it probably
would be found that the Chancellor of
'Vg Is IaY ~
TINS s!ackness in pushing the war to a
close. He confessed in the House of Com
mons last night that $500 500 600 had al
ready been spent on the war and that each
week added five to six million dollars. He
Is at his wits ends to keep pace with this
expenditure, let alone the increase which
a really vigorous prosecution of the war
would involve.
For besides the war there are other
large open accounts. Army reform is alb
solutely dependent upon increased pay of
the common soldier. whose paltry shilling
per day, subject as it is to all manner of
deductions, compares strangely with the
hTe shillings per day received by the colo
NAL trooper fighting side by side with him
in South Africa. The navy, which alone
stands between England and her European
enemies, has fallen behind in new con-
struction. The Spectator" which is not
Mediterranean and Channel fleets are sad
ly deficient in cruisers. Both are almost
devoid of fleet auxiliaries while the Med
iterranean fleet is most inadequately
equipped with destroyers. Increased ma
val expenditure cannot wait and how to
meet these and other pressing claims
without recourse to that forbidden thing
a protective tariff, is England's paramount
puzzle at the present moment. She will
solve it, of course. but not without heavy
sacrifices.
1t is a high tribute to the persistence
of the Irish Nationalist that. despite
these imperial prescriptions, they nave
managed to make Ireland the chief theme
of Parliamentary discussion this week.
For the moment. they have failed TO in-
duce the Government to- contemplate the
compulsory buying out of Irish landlords
at cost of $500. 900 ,00O but their stand
win compel the Government to ATTEMPT
some legislation to meet the antiland-
lord campaign, for which this debate has
provided a new starting point. Moreover,
they have secured the support of Mr..
Campbell Bannerman. a support which
will be turned to fell legislative account
when Liberalism comes into office.
Mr.. 0'DonneHs attempt to address the
Faise OF CoSlmons In Erse this week IL
giving impetus 10 the isisk language
movement. An agitation IL now on foot
for teaching Erse in the national schools
OF ireland as Welsh is taught in the
schools of Wales, as the medium for in
structing disappearing children in Eng
lsh. One ITiShman said last night: We
look forward to great renascence of
Erse which will attach Ireland more
deeply to her national customs and in
stitutions and prevent the growing ADgii-
cizing OF our country. which we all de-
plore. We look forward to the time when
ireland shall possess new drama and
literature. her own. in Erse. key which
also will open the glorious treasures of a
great literary past"
There is iuexplicable dizziness in the
publishing and booksellinR trade. II Is not
that books are not published for this week
at least thirty new books appeared. in
Guiding Lady HOdgson's Siege Of Kumas-
ST." a new novel by Lady Ridley, and the
new revised edition of IbSen's plays,
edited by William Archer; but the public
are not buying nobody knows quite why.
The spring season is in fact, practically
non-eXistent this year.
Much the same state of deafness affects
the stage There are new plays in plenty,
but Of an entirely secondary order, and
such Of the public as go to the theatres in
this time OF national mourning are for
the most part thrown back upon such re-
vivals as Patience" Peril" and Mr..
Bensons shakespearean representations.
The hubbub over An Engiishwoman'
Love Letters" continues. 1t is gener-
ally conceded that Laurence Housman Is
the author Now the secret is divulged
people will hardly believe it. for in all
the guesses and lists OF names given dur
ing the past two months Housman's name
never once was mentioned. What nobody
believes is that he will be able to follow
up the work with another anything like
as good.