Donald Macdonald.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6835, 27 October 1900, Page 2

Donald Macdonald.

On Wednesday night, tbe colonial war correspondent, Mr Donald Mcdonald, will deliver a lecture on the siege of Ladysmith, entitled "Tho Story of the Siege," which will be entirely new to his Palmerston hearers. Re_fe ir ing to his', series of lectures at Christchu'rch, the Lyttelton Times says :—" His ' piece do resistance,' however, was ' The Story of tho Siego,' with its supplement ' On Tugela Heights.' In the S e he lived his life over again in tho beloagured city, and gavo the public quite a kinernatographic vision of the historic siege. Assault and sortie, reokless courago and shell-funk, impromptu concerts and hospital excursions, ration biscuit and horse and mule flesh all couao into the_ leoturerer's interesting category." Those who have heard Mr Macdonald's terse, telling descriptions of what he was per: sonally an observer, will be pleased to get another opportunity of heating firsthand the details of one of the most famous incidents of war in the history of tho British nation, apart altogether from the very natural desire to pay a tribute to a man who has won tho reputation of being almost the forerr.ost figure in Australasian journalism. Mr Donald Macdonald's lectures were the means of dispelling several fallacies, and one of them was tho general idea the public had of Buller's operations on the Tugela. " His vindication of the Devon General's tatics," says a contemporary, " was extremely fine, and the scorn he heaped on the heads of the street-corner tacticians must havo made those gentlemen shift uneasily in their seats. Hew well wo remember the adverso criticisms that were heaped on Buller's head ; how he was old fashioned and out of dato; how he was too old and fat; and how he should make way for younger men. Whore aro those critics" now? Thoy have been silent since that short cable came through which said : — 'General Bullor's strategy .his . been amongst the best of the campaign.' And now we have that last army order received in London on the 17th of Ootobor from Lord Roberts, in which he" thanks Buller for his great services in Natal, ■and the Eastern Transvaal. * Mac' is a bit of a prophot, as well as a journalist and lecturer."