Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-21


public Depressed but Resolute-
.uethuen 10 Push NorthWard.
I..udou, Dec. 1.-THE partial list
an summary oil the totals OF casualties
III 14e 1ugela river engagement was
posed about Midnight. Inc war ofnce
processes not 70 nave any news from
the seat OIL war yesterday, while the
censorship evidently DOCKS other chan
neIs OF Information. Never within the
range OF the longest memory has Great
BrlLain met Win Cnree sucn military
reVerses IN single week, hence IL IS
not surprising Lndt notes or anxiety
should be heard. The radical view UL
the situation Wnlcn, however, has lew
open followers, Was ecnoed by sir VIII
fred Lawson III an address TO the I'D
erals OF Carlisle last evening. lie &C
cused the government atCer bringing
Tue country 10 the verge or war with
America, Russia, Germany and France
OF having plunged it into war in south
AIrIca through incompetent diplomacy,
lie thought the people should lLSlSt up
on the government STATING It's terms SO
that everybody might see what it was
fighting for. Sunday papers mostly
follow the lead Of yesterdays morning
and afternoon journals in their COM
ments on the situation. At the army,
navy and other clubs the general i'm
preston prevails that the check is but
temporary. The government view is
probably voiced by Right Hon. Walter
Long, president of the board of agri-
culture, who, speaking at the Ship
Brokers dinner in Liverpool, intimat-
ed that the cabinet committee on ma
tional defense had considered the adj
visibility of utilizing the militia vol
unteers for service abroad.
Urge Sending Out More Men.
London, Dec. 1.-THE public is JUS
beginning TO realize that with 100000
men in the field no progress is being
made in any direction. Kimberley anC
Ladysmith seem as far off as evel
from promised relief. While Gen
Buller's reverse was an unexpected
blow TO the public that had pinned
faith TO him, it would appear that thu
original plan Of the campaign, If ad
hered to, would have given better re
suits, for besieged towns have shown
themselves quite capable of holdin!
out. AS it is now, the British force
are split up, have been seriously re
pulsed, are unable to cooperate, AM
Iof the present are unable to reacl
their objectiyes. 1t was for this plal
That the central advance was sacrificed
even the relief of Ladysmith Cal
scarcely have great alleviating conse
duences 10 the campaign as a whole
unless its moral effect should quiet tn
growing disaffection in Cape Colon
Ind dishearten the beers. But, how
ever looked at, the British position i
most unenyiable. There is grea
cry for more troops. Lord London
derry urges the war office to send on
100000 more men, saying: We can
not conceive the effect on the empir
II Methuen should be forced to SUI
render"
Butler Loses Nearly 1,10C.
London, Dec. 11.-Gen. Butler report
TO the war office that his losses in Fri
days engagement were; killed 3.
wounded Co., missing 34S; a total c
l.09l.
Methuen to Push Northward.
Modder River, Dec. 17.-(Friday)-
The ninth brigade under Col. Pol
Carew of the grenadier guards made
reconnaissance this morning support
ed by howitZerS and naval twelve
Founders. While the brigade deploye
across the plain the howltzers shelle
the boer trenches and searched tn
ridges, the naval gun doing the same
The beers unmasked two guns, one o
which was dismantled by the nava
gun. All troops returned to the cam
without casualties. Gen. Methuen di
rected the operations from horSebacR
Mis- wound is almost well. He intend
to conduct operations from here t.
northward. The camp is fortified an
forms naturally an excellent base.
ChurchilI's Clever Escape
London, Dec. IA special iron
Pretoria says before his escape Win
ston Churchill wrote to the Transvaa
Mar office declaring that, as a CORES
pendent, he considered his detention
as war prisoner unjustifable but ex
pressed the highest appreciation of hi
treatment. His escape was cleverl,
executed, but there is little chance o
his being able to cross the border.