SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Ceder this heculing us notice such Books of the utak as hare not boat raaarred for review in other forms.] We are glad to see a republication in a popular form of Rights a:-.d lircags of the Transvaal War, by E. T. Cook (Edward Arnold, 6s.) Mr. Cook has told the truth about the war and suffered for telling it. We hope that some day his countrymen will show themselves not ungrateful. To some persons, to Mr. Courtney, for instance, to Mr. John Morley, to Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, with his "methods of barbarism," and to the Pro-Boer Press, which has throughout been singularly reckless, he can hardly be a persona grata. He exposes, among other things, the famous " nine-tenths " fallacy. The British Government made many concessions; but it could not concede what it was necessary to keep "as a means of securing the rights of British subjects, and as a test of the sincerity and genuineness of the Boer proposals." But your Pro. Boer has a curious way of dealing with figures. What could be more significant than a leading statesman's turning "five million pounds" to "five million men " ? On another matter evidence has accumulated,—the Dutch South Africa scheme. "Our plan is," wrote a Member of the Cape Legislature, "with God's help to take all that is English in South Africa.
You can rely on us ; we will push through from sea to sea, and wave our flag over the whole of South Africa under one Afrikander Government." And yet a Pro-Boer journal, one, too, with a reputation for candour and moderation, declared that this African Empire scheme was invented by capitalists to justify the war ! Mr. Cook has revised his book and brought it up to date, and we commend it heartily to the attention of our readers.
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