Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-12

trap any portion Of his force. Gen.
uatacre has shot his bolt and the best
that his admirers can say II that South
Africa has always been the graveyard
OF military reputation.
II Gen. uatncrc recoverp his prestige
\ VIII be because sympathy Is excited
by premature attacks like that made
by Lord Durham yesterday, who. In
the safe retirement OF fat stock sale
luncheon. described Gatacrc as man
UNIT TO command troop. In South Afri-
ca. Lord Durham ovcrshot the mark In
declaring the war Office was responsible
Tor the disaster at Stormbefg In ap
pointing Gen. uataers to the COM
mand " division when the opinions
81 officers who had served under him
were known.
a more practical lire Of criticism
would be TO ccnsure the war office for
not sending out a largcr force OF cav
airy ana artillery IN good time and not
Ia arining Gen. Gatacrc with adequate
facilities for scouting and gun prac-
tee, without forcing him to depend up
on ttehchcrouH spies as guides aud then
finding hiinFelf outclassed In guns. Gen.
founghusband and other military cx-
pcrts who were willing TO discuss the
question publicly yesterday. contented
themselves with laying stress upon tho
necessity OF having cavalry for scout
Ing, and with explaining Gatacrc's mo-
tive OF surprising an cntrcnchcd posi-
ton when he did not consider himself
strong enough to force II by frontal at
tack as sound one.
Later details of the retreat from
stormbefg DO not proven easier read
Inc FOR Engllshmen than Gntacrv's irst
bulletin. which was curtailed by tho
war Office and rendered unintclligiblc.
What hurts the Engllshmen's pride Is
the humillntlng fact that battalions
famous for lighting. as the nth and the
royal Irish rifles are. with historic rec
oris OF splendid service In peninsula
campaign In the Lucknow and In re-
cent campaigns down TO omdurman,
have been entrapped and forced to sur
render notwithstanding the warnings
from the Nlcholsons Mex and the Maju-
ba Hlll battles.
The temperature fell yesterday In
every London club and there was an
air OF pensivc melancholy pervadlng tho
whole body OF the civll service. The
war Office bcstirrcd itself with prepar-
ntlons for expcditing endorsements
and announced that the first battallons
OF the sixth. division would sail on SAT-
urday. There will be more strength In
the bow. even II one general after an
other goes wrong and shows incapaclty
for adapting himself to Dutch tactics.
The Dutch warriors. for their part.
display remarkable nexlblllty. While
continuing to fight In their own way
they have learned that the British open
battles with artillery fire. In order to
clear ground for front attack. and
they adap, themselves TO these tactics
by suspcndlng gun IRE and holding
back rifle volleys unll they can be most
destructive. They have also found out
that the British commanders attempt 10
surprise their positions by forced
marches at night and they get their
troops In well place ambuscades.
New York. Dee. i2.-Dlscusslng the
Anglo Boer situation, the London cor
respondent OF the Herald says;
Experts here would not BE- surprised
TO Ind that n considerable part OF the
Bocrs who were Investing Ladysmith
had been called on and hurried down
TO the southern part OF the FrcSS.aic
To bar the approach OF the British from
Northern Cape Colony. The extreme
mobility OF the Beers has always been
one OF their chief sources OF strength.
Gen. Butler yesterday held n review
Of the troops at Frere Camp. probably