Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-12-18
copyrighted by Associated Press.)

London, Dec. l0.-What with the
growing inclination to be skepti-
cal over glorious victories that
leave the beers able to fight just
as hard the next day and with the still
virulent storm of disapprOval raining
from all quarters on Joseph Chamber
lain because Of his remarkable alliance
speech and with the daWning realiZa-
ton of the difficulties which beset the
task of conQuering the beers, the posi-
ton of the British government at home
has by no means been strengthened.
That all is not right is feared even
among the governments staunchest
supporters. 1t appears the British for
ward movement is retarded more by
the political conditions prevailing
in the territory )through which
the lines Of communication pass
than by the beers who hang
like bulldogs on the advanced TANKS.
That Ladysmith will be relieved short
ly is now taken as matter of course
though it is admitted a decisive en-
gagement must be fought before this is
accomplished. Nothing has been more
prominently brought out during the
two months Of war than the fact that
| the beers never attack as General
Garcia said last year of the Cubans.
With their wonderful mobility they are
enabled to take up one after another
carefully selected positions in every
instance, daring the British generals
to attack them and retiring after in
1icting severe loss to other positions
equally good. If such tactics continue
it seems possible the relieving force
will reach Ladysmith so crippled that
an advance into the Transvaal will be
impossible in the near future. In fact
| the most optimistic see no chance of
the British forces making serious head
way for two or three months while
many who confidently prophesied that
Gen. Butler would take his Christmas
dinner in Pretoria are trying to find
excuses in the sloWness of transports
or the incapacity Of the war office.
Chamberlain shows no signs of re-
pentance or desire to recant his Lie
! cester speech. In the meanwhile S1lis-
bury has refrained from making any
public utterance to offset the colonial
secretary's remarks. The Saturday
Review says: ct is possible that a
certain situation might arise in regard
to China when England, Germany and
America having a common we'll defined
object in view might conclude a writ
ten treaty of combination but such an
event in our opinion is still far off,
The storm raised by Cham
! berlain's premature announcement
appears to have made a hitch in the
negotiations between the powers re-
garding the open door. All English
authorities agree in surmising that
President McKinley's reference to no
entangling alliances was slipped in as
a result of Chamberlain remarks
The message itself is regarded by
Weeklies as mono Ommittal. The Spec
tatOr describes it as an admirable in
stance of the art Of saying nothing by
allocuting great deal" While
Chamberlain was denouncing France
for villifying the queen and protesting
| friendship for Germany, he overlooked
the fact that caricatures almost equally
offensive to the British were appear
ing in Germany.
British Take Boer Position.
Boer head laager, Ladysmith, Dec.
S.-The British troops made sortie
between 1 and 2 o'clock this morning.
They crawled up the ravine and
stormed and carried Lombardskop,
which was held by the beers and out
on which were placed a creusot gun
and howitzer. These guns were de-
stroyed with dynamite. The British
captured a maxim gun and then re-
tired The lancers, hussars and guards
made a sortie west of Ladysmith at
daybreak under the cover Of heavy ar
tilIery fire, which the beers returned
briskly. The British afterWard re
turned to Ladysmith. The boer losses
are reported to have been slight. A
strong burgher column crossed the Tu-
pnIa river at CO1nnSO with the object