TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10865, 15 January 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

It is significant that Air The Dreams Hofmevr realises the use-

of the Afrikanders.

lessness of the proposed Afrikander mission to seek

better terms from Englaa.l. The wcrd of Mr J. H. Hofmeyr has been for many years law to the Afrikanders. He lias be_n the master spirit of that party; and ca such wielded inmi-nse power in South Africa. Moreover, it is the reality of power which he enjoys, without the trappings of office, for he has exercised his masterful inihienee without, ever having had to assume the responsibilities which other men in liks positions would have had to take up. ■Mv Hofmeyr was once the great friend of Mr Rhodes, whom he really placed in power, and kept there for four years. When the Raid came, this old friendship was rudely broken, and a feeling of mere estrangement finally turned into positive -hatred. It is six ye-ais since th. Afrikander leader retired from the C;vpe House of Assembly, on the ground of failing health, but since that time he has shown far more mental and physical vigour than many of the ostensible leaders who have remained. Not long ago he went to Europe for the sake of his health, and is now at Munich. What his position will be after the war is a subject of much speculation. He has declared that he will not again re-enter politics, but those who profess to know him best say that he will not be able to keep out of the game. According to one writer, Mr Hotmeyr lias a great defect—fear of being compromised. It is said that he is not strong in enforcing his opinions or impressing his views upon his followers, and is bound-, therefore, to fail as a leader. But he has certainly been strong -nough to attain almost unlimited power over the Dutch of South Africa- and in return he is loyal to the Afrikander people—so intensely so that his loyalty to the Queen takes a second place. It is this circumstance which gives his deliverance from Munich its peculiar f-ignificance. If Mr Hofmeyr saw the smallest prospect of obtaining the demands so strenuously voiced at the Afrikander Congress at Worcester, he would be the very last to send this discouraging message. When that good journalist, Noble Built Simms, invested in a new. chair by or an etching, having written an Books, article that paid for it, he pasted a printed copy on the back. Certain poets and novelists, carrying out the same principle, would be entitled to cause their writings to appear in all sorts of much more important places. A paper in the latest "Quiver" gives a very fair list of public institutions which may be counted, either directly or indirectly as having been "built by books." Miss Yonge, for instance, whose tastes,, are ecclesiastical, has, by means of story-books, erected missionary buildings in Melanesia and in New Zealand, as well as various village schoolrooms and other useful edifices in different parts of the Winchester district which is her home. Edna Lvall also

from her book receipts towards the repair or erection of church buildings. A peal of bells, in one Eastbourne parish contains three which liave been named irom the heroes of the novels which defrayed the cost—• "Donovan," "Eric," "Hugo." It sounds an ungracious comment, but we fear those bells will ring long after their literary namesakes are forgo ten. Hursley Church, again, has an interest for all who admire John Keble; not only because at Hursley it was he who ministered so long, but because the church, as it stands to-day, was built from the profits of his "Christian Year,"' only the beautiful windows of stained glass having been added from the contributions of readers in every quarter of the globe. "The church itself consists of a large nave, two aisles, and a chancel, with a fine pointed spire. To it come worshippers innumerable, pilgrims from all parts." A kindred example, on a larger Transatlantic scale, is that of the lata Mr D. L. Moody founding, and in a great part sustaining, his schools and colleges atNorthfield, in the United States, from tha proceeds of -Sacred Songs and Solos." Such are instances of things done by a direct application of literary profits to a particular object. A much wider field for investigation is given in the citation of books with a purpose, which, like General Booth's "In Darkest England," or Besant's "All Sorts and Conditions of Men," set society at large carrying out a suggested scheme. Over £100,000 was subscribed in this way to enrich Whitechapel with the People's Palace, which, after some doubtful phases, seems to have settled into doing such good work that, whether a copy of his book does or doe 3 not appear solemnly enshrined upon its walls, Bes-ant may regard the building

as bestowing npon him what has been called the -j-roaU'Si, happiness vouchsafed to man upon earth, "the realisation of his own ideal." while it gives the "Quiver" writer certainly tho most ini-eveytin:- e-rtmple on his list of things successfully built by books." Not many people outside finanThe cial circles in London knew Mr Inventor John Lawson Johnston. But of everybody has heard of Bovril. Bovril. of which he was the inventor. For the discovery of Bovril— or "Johnston's Fluid Extract of Beef," as it was first called—was the tide in his affairs which led him on to fortune. News which comes of Mr Johnston's death in November last on board his yacht, the White Ladye. in Cannes Harbour, recalls the circumstances under which the celebrated meat extract was produced. Having, early in life, studied dietetics, he was sent as a dietetic expert to Canada in 1874 by the French Government, who, in the war with the Prussians, had learned the necessity of a concentrated food supply. The task set him to accomplish was to provision the army and forts of France with a three years' supply of food. While in Canada he invented Bovril, and to bring it before the public established himself in the Ice Palace at Montreal with a gigantic urn, 10ft. high, and 12ft in circumference, from which steaming cups of his new beef extract were supplied. "In eight days," he said, describing the enterprise, "75,000 persons had tested my invention." Mr Johnston became a rich m_m_ and built himself hLs lordly pleasure-house, Kingswood, at Sydenham Hill. Here he collected many valuable curios, such as the marble bath of Mari-3 Antoinette, the marble fountain of the Palace of St. Cloud, and a famous fourposter which once belonged to King Charles. Mr Johnston was very fond of yachting in the beautiful White Ladye, which once belonged to Mrs Langrry. Failing health led him to the Riviera, where he died. At the time when Mr Hooley was at his zenith, carrying all before him in company-promo-tion matters, it was suggested to Mr Lawson Johnston that the financier might be induced to purchase the Bovril Company. Tho inventor laugh.d at tho idea; then, by way of a joke, suggested, "Let Hooley make an offer." Mr Hooley, hearing of this, took it seriously, and proposed a dinner, at which the subject might bs discussed. Mr Johnston, who could not attend the dinner, sent a youthful official of the Company, who, when he applied beforehand for insti-uctions was casually informed that he might "ask him for a million and a-half or so." After the dinner, which took place at Mr Hoo-ley's palatial rooms in the Midland Hotel, St. Pancras, the two got to business. The representative of the Bovril people was in the middle of a statement as to the position of his Company when the financier interposed—"Look here, I'll give you a million and a-half." The Bovril man, adroitly concealing his surprise at the coincidence of the offer with his instructions, affected to consider the figure named a paltry one, and replied: "H'm, let mc see. No, that's not enough. We couldn't think of accepting such a price." Then, after some bantering on both sides, Mr Hooley ran his bids up to a million and three-quarters, and finally agreed to give two millions and not another farthing. This ended the- matter, and the legal documents were drawn up for the purchase of the Bovril Company's business by Mr Hooley.