14 MAY 1937, Page 20

" GREY STEEL" [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—May

I call attention to a small point in Mr. D. 0. Malcolm's review of Mr. H. C. Armstrong's book on General Smuts, Grey Steel?

He suggests that lack of knowledge of Afrikaans has led the author to make several errors in that language. Actually the words " takhare," " nagmaal " and " velskoene " are quite correct according to Afrikaans usage. Mr. Malcolm appears to be confusing Afrikaans with Dutch.—Yours