BEN VILJOEN AS A LECTURER.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 688, 6 December 1902, Page 4

BEN VILJOEN AS A LECTURER.

General Hen Yiljocn, one of the Boer loaders in the late war, made his first appearance in London as a lecturer last month. Yiljoen’s attiiudo towards the British since the declaration of peace has been marked, to outward appearance at least, by frankness and geniality. Some of the newspapers, distrustful, seemingly, of all Boer Generals, have hinted at- a political object in this show of friendliness, but his actions, so far at any rate, do not appear to justify the insinuation. As the chairman at his opening lecture remarked, General Yiljoeu has not endeavored to have the terms of peace varied in any way ; he has sought no interview with the Colonial Secretary; ho is not oven dosirous of being received by tbo German Emperor. Tbo General lost everything in the war, audit was with the object of raising enough money to make a fresh start in South Africa that he blossomed out as a lecturer.

According to a report of his lecture,'Viljoon, who looks inoro like a French officer than a typical Boer Commandant, speaks perfect English. It was the first time, ho said, that he had endeavored to address an audience in English, and ho felt relieved to know there were so many exits to the .building. At least ho would bo certain of escapo 1 Coming to tho events of the war, Viljocn gavo an interesting 11 causerio,” brightened with frequent touches of humor.

Among tho Boor Generals who had led the greatest fights ho placed Louis Botha first, and next to him Delarey. De Wet's reputation, ho said, was due largely to the newspapers- More than once Do Wet had been reported by tho newspapers to he surrounded, and his capture certain, when, as a matter jof fact ho was all tho time a hundred miles away from the scene.

On tbo English side ho thought the luckiest of tho leaders was General French, who had gone through tho whole war without a mishap, “ and who was equally admired by Boer and Briton.” General Gatacro and Lord Metlieun lie cited as examples of unlucky Generals. Lord Kitchener was respected “ by all on tho Boer side as a strong tine soldier.” Tho Boers, it seems, praised him for always keeping his word. Tho only time Lord Kitchener departed from his word, said the lecturer with a touch of dry humor, was when lie withdrew the proclamation he had issued, by which General Viljocn was banished for life. Ho was very glad Lord Kitchener broke his word that time.

The lecturer commented on Tommy Atkins’s lack of initiative, hut praised-his patriotism and willing spirit, features in which he had certainly scored over the Boer. Speaking of the future of South Africa, General Yilijoen said tho Boers wore anxious for rest and peace. All the talk about another rising, or about dissatisfaction among the Boers, w>as nothing but a nightmare. If there was dissatisfaction to-day it was not, ho assured his hearers, among the Boers, but in Johannesburg.

Carnegie was a hard, brutal success in bis middle age; in his declining years be threatens to be a failure. His pile is going to found libraries where Mis Henry Wood and Marie Corelli will be poured on the rising generation ; and to universities of the old mouldering type, where they teach the bones and skeletons of dead languages, and the defunct gridirons and fowls and semaphores that used to be alphabets, end the dust of tho Greek particle, and tho old useless bog of the Latin conjunction. With (lie money ho has given away, he might have regenerated a country like Ireland or Portugal —ft country that wasn’t too large for one man . .*? handle, and whose people had possibilities. He might have cleaned o’'' t iw big landlords, created a peasant uroprietary, established schools of industry where trades, not old .metaphysics, would be taught, and I'Cen the founder of a new nation, find, instead, he had hc-iped to Increase the demand for spectacles, and many blear-eyed generations will pour over old times, and wipe their green goggles, and call him accursed,—Bulletin. M e understand (says the Westminster Gazette) that the Ping-Pong Association have etlected a radical alteration in the existing rules regarding the service. In future the server shall play the ball on to his own court, making it bounce once thereon, and thence over the net to the opponent's court. This, it is expected, will obviate all difficulties hitherto experienced by umpires in deciding whether a particular service was irregular, and will almost put a check to the extremely fast service.

In face of the Anglo-Japanese combination in the Pacific, Russia must concentrate her energies on quintupling the fighting strength of her present squadron in Chinese waters—Sviet, St Petersburg,