30 SEPTEMBER 1899, Page 3

We are glad to see that the Westminster Ga:ette is

extend- ing the hospitality of its columns to "Mr. Dooley," just as Punch welcomed the contributions of Artemus Ward in 1866. The paper in Monday's issue, entitled "At Close Quarters with the Dreyfus Case," is an admirable satire on the Court- Martial at Rennes. The opening address of the President is excellent. "'Prisoner,' said th' prisidint, th' eyes iv Fr-rance is upon us, th' honor iv th' naytion is at stake.

Incidentally ye ar-re bein' thried. But why dhrag in matthers of no importance ? ' " Next, he calls upon General Mercier to tell them the story of his life. General Mercier responds with alacrity. He describes how, being convinced that Dreyfus was a traitor, he put spies upon him and discovered—nothing. "I was paralysed. An officer iv th' Fr-rench army an' nawthin' suspicyous about him ! Damnable ! I was with diff'culty reathrained fr'm kiln' him." The authorship of the bordereau is clinched by the following train of argument :—" It was impossible, mon colonel, that this here letther cud have been written be Esterhazy. In th' first place he was in Paris at th' time ; in th' sicond place he was in London. Th' letther was not in his handwritin' but in th' handwritin' iv Col. Pat th' Clam. Thin again I wrote th' letther mesilf. Thin who cud 've written it ? It must 'ye been Cap. Dhreyfuss." It is pleasant to see that Mr. Dooley's visit to Europe has not blunted the edge of his intrepid humour.