, 1899-12-21
RADICAL
British Government Rep aces Butler with
Roberts and Kitchener.

NoitEAN an
London. Dec. 1S.-Shortly before
midnight the following notice was post
ed mt the wal office:
AS the campaign in Natal, in the
opinion of her majesty's government.
is likely to require the presence and
undivided attention of General Sir Red
verS Butler. it has been decided to send
Baron Roberts of Cnndahar and Wat
erford AS commander-in-chief in South
Africa, with Lord Kitchener as chief
of staff
Upon the receipt of General Buffers
defeat at Colenso. the defense commit
tee of the cabinet met and decided on
the following measures to strengthen
the field force in South Africa:
The Seventh division, now moboliz-
ing, will proceed mt Onc to South AZ
RIGA. Heavy reinforccmcnts of artil-
lery, including three Howitzer batter
les, will he SEM out Immediately.
General Roberts has been authorized
to raise u local mounted corps in South
Africa, and II considerable mounted
force from home will be sent out. Nine
bnttalionS of militia, in addition to the
three which have already volunteered,
will be asked to volunteer for foreign.
A special force of volunteers from
the yeomnnry and volunteer regiments
WIN ~ ~ l'l SUM an q y
vice, and the offers of mounted men
from the colonies will be accepted.
These measures should give the Brit
ish 10000 more men for service against
II Beers. This, including the loyal
Cape n Natal forces, will give the
British 5000 additional troops. Thus,
the British strength in the field will be
almost doubled. The newer levieS will
br used mainly to guard the long lines
of communication, thus setting free
regular trained troops for the front.
Officers. men. arms. ammunition and
stores are to be poured across the
ocean in II volume unprecedented in
history. The work thus cntailcd Is to
be placed in new hands. and n new
plan of campaign will he evolved. 1t
is now known that Sir Michael Hisks-
Beach, chancellor of the rXcheQucr. de
clined To grant tho money necessary for
the first war preparations. II heavy
blame is being put on him now.
The appointment of Lord Roberts
and General Kitchener is the most pop
ulnr move the government could make
to give the public encouragement. They
are universally recognized as the most
able fighting generals in he British
army. and their records certainly justi-
fy the belief that they will be able to
- 'i- - W. W. vi ''i'f's 'Ai' -
Roberts is II fighter admired by every
Tommy Atkins. who Familiarity call
him Bob" Kitchener is n master
mind mt organization. and in the direc-
tion of troops they certainly ought to
make II fine team
II is said that nj the same time Lord
Roberts received notice of his appoint
mcnt as commandcr-in-rhirf in Africa,
message came saying that his only son
had died Of wounds received at Tu-
gcla river. Bowed with grief. the stern
old soldier, who now ives in Dublin,
rs commander of Ireland. began max
ing imemdiatc preparations to go to
thc front. General Kitchener Is in
Cairo. governor general of the Soudan,
but will resign from the Egyptian ser
vice nj once. General Butler will re
main in command of the Natal army.
1t was high time that something very
energetic was done. The British losses
in killed. wounded. prisoners and miss
ing, throughout the campaign, now
reach the enormous total of 1870.
General Butler reports to the war of
flee that his LOSSES in Fridays engage
ment We're: Killed. 50: wounded, 6GT;
missing, 34S; total, 1,po7.