[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—Our disasters in Africa
which Mr. Massingham aspires to solve imply, presumably, accomplishments—and, under all the circumstances, rather brilliant ones—on the part of our friends the foe. It is commonly supposed that the Americans not only inflicted sad disasters to the Spanish arms in recent fighting, but scored uncommon triumphs too. Without inquiring how far these successes were, or were not, attri- butable to correct appreciations of Ibsen and of Maeterlincks or to other promiscuous intellectual acquirements, it will be, I think, conceded that both Americans and Boers are, as peoples, men of action rather than of study. We English may be, and I think we are, suffering now for want of as much thoroughness in work as in our play ; but were we offered in this emergency the most brain-developed head in all the German Army to assist as in South Africa, or a selec- tion from the less stereotyped and more original of army leaders in America, I for one would choose the latter. Never- theless, I think we will pull through by ourselves fairly well. Is it the superior and book-instructed brain power of some of our Colonials which seems just now so useful in helping
us avert disaster P—I am, Sir, &c., F. I. C.
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