There is no doubt that one of the greatest pieces of luck that has come the way of the Empire is LOUIS BOTHA. Mr. HAROLD SPENDER'S legitimately uncritical biography, _General Botha: The Career and the Man_ (CONSTABLE), fills in the details of the romance; and astonishing details they are. BOTHA, the anti-Krugerite, one of the seven in the Volksraad who voted against the fateful ultimatum in October, 1899, threw himself, when war was unavoidable, with all his energy into the task of his country's defence. Rapidly proving himself, he succeeded his sick chief, JOUBERT, with at first, and luckily for us, a mitigated authority. Here was no mere slim guerilla playing little disconcerting tricks on a clumsy enemy, but a general to respect, as BULLER found at Colenso and BENSON at Bakenlaagte. And his staff college was just his own occiput. When the inevitable end came, long delayed by his and his brother-generals' skill and courage, he laboured for a lasting peace, and took a line of steady fealty to the ideal of British citizenship, which he has unfalteringly pursued to this day. It is good, by the way, to recall the admirable and patient diplomacy, at and after Vereeniging, of Lord KITCHENER, who was the chief pleader for generous concessions to the gallant beaten enemy--an attitude BOTHA never forgot. BOTHA is indeed the pilot of modern South Africa--the first Premier of the Transvaal after the gift of responsible government, the first Premier of the Union after the federation of the four states. To him has fallen the honour (and the task) of crushing the rebellion, wherein he had the supreme wisdom to throw the burden upon the loyal Dutch in order not to risk reopening racial bitterness by using British elements against the rebels. He has entered Windhuk a conqueror. May his old luck follow him in the still difficult days of the youngest of the Dominions! I've forgotten Mr. SPENDER'S book. But of course this is all out of it. And there's plenty more good stuff in it. * * * * *