25 NOVEMBER 1899, Page 3

Thanks to the generous contribution of £10,000 from an anonymous

Australian, the Mansion House War Fund ex- ceeded 2300,000 by Thursday evening. We understand that the War Office has accepted the offer of another anonymous benefactor to undertake, free of all cost, the distribution to the troops now in South Africa of the gifts now being for- warded to them by friends and relatives in this country. The Transvaal Refugees Fund has reached a total of nearly £170,000, and £20,000 has been collected for the American hospital-ship Maine.' We note also the Duke of Portland's great subscription of 210,000 to the Red Cross Society.