New-York tribune., 1901-06-01
THE VLAKFONTEIN FIGHT.
vt REKINDLES PUBLIC INTEREST IN
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
ANDREW CARNEGIE AS JOBS COMFORTER
LITERARY AND Personal NEWS.

ANDREW CARNEGIE AS JOBS COMFORTER
LITERARY AND Personal NEWS.
Coopyrigh-; 1901 BY The Nev-York Tribune)
lBT CABLE TO TIE T2IBrNEl
London. June /. l a m.-General Kitchener's
account of the battle Of Vlakfontein serves to
light up public interest once more in the Boer
war Two facts stand out: First the deter
mined nature Of the Boer assault upon an in
trenched position. fifty miles from johannes
barg; and, secondly. the heavy losses suffered
hy both sides This has been the first real en-
eagement which has been fought for many
months and il is decisive proof that the Beers
when led by cool and wary general like De-
larey can still offer strenuous resistance to
British arms. The details of this battle may
Indicate that General Dixons force was sur
prised and that the casualty list was run UP
20 IA in this way. But the Beers in any
event assailants. and were not repulsed
without severe losses. The Beers are also re-
ported 10 have ght with exceptional gal
lantry while in pursuit OF General PlumeT's
convoy
A British officer who is on furlough after
fighting from Coenso TO Lydenburg has been
nredicting that the closing skirmishes OF the
campaign would the line of the Dur
han-Johannesburg Railway in the vicinity Of
Heidelberg and Standerton. Both Of these af-
fairs were within the theatre Of defined by
This officer months ago the last Boer ditch.
The natural explanation Of the lighting is that
o,e mine after another is opening in the Rand
and the refugees are returning to Johannes
burg in small groups. and the Beers have oeeh
making desperate efforts 10 frighten them ano
70 prevent resumption Of industry in the gold
belt VlakfontRn was probably designed TO De
p loud warning to the refugees that the war
had not ended. and that johannesburg was sun
an unsafe place Of residence
Andrew Carnegie's Nineteenth Century strict
,res on British Pessimism" are still attracting
much attention. Mt. Carnegie is regarded as
one of Jobs comforters in analyzing and reouh-
ing the dependency prevailing in iron ana steer
circles here and especially in contendng that the
strongest proof of British financial credt Is the
f.c+ that II has not been destroyed by reckless
expenditures and by systematic policy Of pro-
xoking wars and antagonizng foreign countries
AS much comfort possible is got out oi ms
assertion that il is a grave mistake for Amer
scans 10 assume that England's commercial and
Industrial supremacy is at end. Mr.. Car
negie could afford TO be tolerant when his article
was appearing in the same magazine Whlch
published Frederic Harrisons optimistic I'M
pressions Of America.
The literary weeklies are dry this week owing
10 the dulness Of the book trade. Harry Furniss S
autobiography. with chapters describing the
Presidential election in America, and a novel by
Mrs de la Pasture entitled Catherine OF Ca
lais." are promised with another Toistoi book
by G. r. Perris.
There viii be a wonderful sale Of ancient man
1scripts and medieval bindings at Sotheby's
early in June. This is a collection made by
Paul Barrois and purchased by Lord Ashourn-
ham Many Of these treasures were stolen from
famous French libraries and were returned, nut
q n1atchless collection Of French and itallan
romances Of the thirteenth and fourteenth CEN
turies remains with bindings designed for kings
and ornamented with painted enamels' minla-
lures and gems. This collection is expected TO
rival the Hamilton sale thirteen years ago and
yield s750,oo0.
Speaking in the House Of Commons on May 70.
Sir Alferd Hickman accused the directors OF the
Indian railway companies in good round terms
Their contracts, he said, were made on no busl-
ness principle and We're entered into without
due regard to efficiency. public safety or real
economy He complained that American ioco-
motives used on the Burmese Railway lacked
strength. and endeavored to show that the
Gohreib Ytaduct. constructed by the Baldwin
COMPANY. was badly built To-day the reply of
the Secretary for India To the indictment is
published To make long story short, the case
is inst that of the Atbara Bridge over again
Mrs Humphry Ward was unable through a
violent attack of neuralgia TO read a paper on
''Preparation Of the Christian Ideal Amid Chang-
ing Forms" through the Unitarian CONFER
ence yesterday. Two American delegates have
attended the conference, the Rev. :. M Crothers'
OF Boston, reading paper. The full programme
OF the Methodist Ecumenical Conference shows
that many representative American Methodlsts
will be in London in September J. ~ r.
DELAREY'S DETERMINED ASSAULT
HEAVY LOSSES on BOTH SIDES MARK A
REAL BATTLE AT vLAKFoNTEIN
London. May 31.-Lord Kitchener reports 10
the War Once, under date of Pretoria. May 80
follows:
General Dixon's force at Vlakfontein was az az
tacked Yesterday by Delarey's forces, and theie @ :
was severe hehting. The enemy was eventudilg e q ~
driven off with heavy loss leaving tnlrly-ilN m e
dead I regret that casualties also W. w,
severe The killed and wounded NUMBERED III
-Four officers were killed
THE CRAMPVTCKERS DEAL.