(eno OUR cones PoxDENT.)
Brussels, 16th December.
The paid pens of the sophistical Dr. Leyds are very busy this we The shrieking frenzy of their jubilation over the reported reverses of British arms in South Africa is exceeded only by the filthy nature of the abuse which they lavish on England and the English. To mention by name the journals which have stepped the farthest beyond the bounds of decency and reason would be to bestow on them undue honour, They ate unknown outside the streets of Brussels, and carry no weight with the educated and travelled classes. A Belgian gentleman remarked to me to-day: Whenever by chance T touch one of those papers I always feel that T want to go and wash my hand: The Press here is conducted on the French plan. Few of the journals are self-supporting, and most of them are subsidised from some source or other—political or financial. Even a paper of credit and responsibility like Lo Soir has to be given away to get a Inge circulation. You can have a copy delivered free to your house every evening if you pay the cost of delivery: viz., 30 centimes, or 3d. a month. This may, reach the million, and its articles may influence the unthinking, but few of the papere here, have, infiyence in official circles.
The utterances of the majority of them are beneath notice, and beneath contempt.
It is a pity that the text for several of the sermons of these wretched papers has been supplied to them by liman. The correspondent of the Daily Chronicle claims to be an Englishman, but above his name in the columns of a paper published in Brussels he lately wrote of *'the Jingo fever from which a large section of the British Press is now suffering. This epi domic," he said, appears concurrently with every war-scare or Continental complication. During the Americ Timse_was conspicuous for its den tion of the cause w ich triumphed in the abolition of slavery. In 1877 and 1884 the music-halls were ringing with ditties fulsome in their patriotic clap-trap... More than century ago we lost America by departing from our traditional policy jo century hence Ireland and the Transvaal will rank as similar instances.... And for the supposition that the Boers were secretly arming to proclaim a Republic in South Africa, is not this fiction dangerously near to that of the famous untold syndicate and its untold millions?" Yet, if Dr. Leyds told him the truth at the admitted five terview he would have known, as Mr. Yves Guyot knows, that the sole object of Dr. Leyds coming to Europe was to get arms secretly into the Transvaal to prepare for this war. T cannot resist one more quotation from this article by an Englishman, which naturally finds an echo in th Brussels newspapers. At first sight," he explains, President Kriiger's ultimatum appears to be responsible for the outbreak of hostilities. I can only express my wonder that the ultimatum was so long delayed. Terms practically accepted had been brusquely withdrawn and an entirely fresh set of conditions was announced. But before issuing these, the stronger power was mobilising its strength with feverish haste, so as gnforee them at the point of the bayonet. The point of the bayonet, by the by, seems to be a sore point with the Boers and their friends! But this was written while Mr. Massingham was in power. Can it be that the Brussels correspondent has changed. his views with the editorial change in London? For_in the last number of the Belgian Times und News I find another letter above the signature of this same correspondent, which concludes as follows:—' Opinions may differ as to the necessity of this or that war, but we all agree that British rule means increased security and happiness to those brought under its influence. And now that England has taken up arms, no one wishes more than myself to see her able to dictate the terms of an honourable peace." What a difference is here T note that surprise is expressed in London at Dr. Leyds being still able to hold direct communication with Pretoria. The fact that he was doing so was evident before the publication of his letter in Berlin few days ago. It is certain he had news of the Gutacre disaster before it reached Brussels through the ordinary channels. The Transvaal has an agent in London who gets all the communications issued by the War Office, and they are telegraphed at once to Dr. Leyds, but [have known him te have details that have not come through London: and he has given information about events round Ladysmith long before appeared in the London papers.
eral instances, too, reports which were at first put down'as Leyds' inventions have turned out to be true. Itis stated here that Leyds has the privilege of using the wire-cipher of one of the European Gover ments. I give the statement for what it is worth, as it is difficult to get it confirmed, but surely s code of this kind could only be used through Government channels, and if one of the European Powers is forwarding; and receiving messages on Leyds' behalf, it isa matter that demands the immediate attention of the Foreign "Office. certain that the Doctor is in his and a very confident mood just now. brass plates have been polished up, and he is very lavish in his use of "Legation" stationery, notsrithstanding the order to retrench. He is very indignant at the statements that the shells he bought for the Boer Army have proved ineffective.
certs that all these shells were supplied by either the Creusot establish ment in France or by Krupp in Germany, ard he has the assurance of both these houses that everything supplied was after the latest patterns and of the highest character. He has been sending artillery and) war material into the "Transvaal since 1895, and is very proud of the work he has done for his country. He admits making one or two mistakes, and considers that he was misled as to the ing in England. He was given to believe that the country was divided on the question of war that he ied on our preparations being blocked by the Liberal party. Even now he professes to disbelieve in the unity of England on the Transvaal question. He is also disappointed at the attitude taken up by Germany, for he assured President Rriiger that Germany would give him at least moral support. One of his favourite dodges now is to throw discredit on England in every possible way, and to his office I think we safely attribute the following advertisement which I read in Lo Soir to-day Enyagement pour UAngleterse.—Les personnes qui désirent prendre wu engagement dans Varmée Anglaise sent prides de se faire inserive de suite din. E. F. dv., Brucelles."
Such anadvertisementcan only be inserted with the object of causing mischief, and in published interview with a Belgian, who is said to have accepted an engagement from the English agent, it is stated that he first offered his services to the Boers, bat Dr. Leyds, their Minister in Brussels," told him that he did not make such engagements. The inspiration is very clear. We shall probably hear niore of this inattor.-~ The Globe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.