Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-11-09
NO OFFICIAL NEWS.
The Situation at Ladysmith Con-
tinues Critical.
AMMUNITION MAY Be EXHAUSTED,
n 40, Cnpliuintlon May Foiiow.-nrit~
IAh Prestige In south Africa In
Danger General White
Reported wounded.

London, November The war of
fee announced at midnight that no
dispatches had been received, beyond
those already made public. Thus not
solitary official item of news has
been posted for nearly twenty-four
hours. This has given rise to u crop
OF rumors that Ladysmith's ammuni-
ton is exhausted; that Sir George
Stewart White Is MORALLY wounded;
that both facts are being concealed,
and that other unlucliy happenings
have taken place. For all of these re-
ports there Is absolutely no founda-
ton. At the same time, the Britisher
has had little TO stimulate him within
the last twenty-four hours except the
news of the confident attitude OF the
Ladysmith garrison and its slight sue
cesses last Thursday and Friday.
Advices from other parts of South
Africa are distinctly unpalatable and
everything points to critical situa-
ton In Natal and the northern por-
tons OF Cape Colony, likely to grow
more acute until General White Ia
either relieved or decisively defeated.
Nobody dares TO think Of cNpitulation.
Rather than that, he is expected, in
last resort, il Ladysmith becomes un-
tenable, to make II desperate effort TO
cut his way through the Beers back
into lower Natal, and to join hands
with the garrison there, which is now
almost certain TO be reinforced by the
first arrivals OF the corps from Eng
land and to be pressed forward to
touch with him.
1t Is generally assumed, however,
that General White, with the aid OF
the naval guns, viii be able to cope
with any bombardment, and the idea
that the Beers could take Ladysmith
by assault Is secuted as absurd. The
defense thus depends on the uninter-
rupted working of the naval guns.
Right here arises the important ques-
tion-upon which the dispatches have
thrown no light--whcther the naval
guns, which themselves only arrived
at the last moment, have with them
sufficient ammunition TO reply to q
bombardment lasting possibly several
weeks. If not, it is hardly likely that
works exist in small town like
Ladysmith for casting the special
shell needed for the AZ gun; and,
moreover, there is no mention of
stores of lyddite at Ladysmith for re-
charging these shells.
Meanwhile, vague remarks in the
dispatches point TO the impending ar
rival of further big Boer guns from
Johannesburg, to be mounted among
the hills within range of Ladysmith.
Such considerations explain the anx-
iety felt regarding General Whites
movements and position, not only by
the public, but in official circles.
The British retirement to Estcourt
has given the impression lat it Is in
tended to make stand there. Est
court is the last important town be-
tween the Beers and the capital Of
Natal, and, If the Beers sweep past
Estcourt, nothing can stop them from
laying siege to Pietermaritzburg,
which cannot be expected to make a
protracted defense, while its fall
would be tremendous blow to Brit
ish prestige throughout South Africa,
Already the British retirement
south Of Colenso has given the Beers
an opportunity to make bid for the
active support of the disaffected Dutch
in Natal by proclaiming the annexa'
ton Of the upper Tugela section
Thus far the Dutch colonists seem IL
have confined their sympathy with
the invading Beers to platonic emo
ton. Except for surreptitious assist
ance, there is no evidence that they
have yet joined the Beers openly in
any appreciable numbers.
The reported British retirement
from Stromberg Junction, however,
will be followed doubtless by q similar
Boer proclamation anneXing the por'
tons Of Cape Colony lying directly
south of the Orange Free State. These
proclamations, as in the case OF
Bechuanaland, have been and will be
Immediately followed by British coun'
Ter proclamations, but to the eyes oil
the Dutch farmers the presence of one
Boer commando is probably more inn
pressive than the expectation of the
arrival of the whole British army in
the more or less distant future.
The British newspapers publish q
list of the transports due to arrive al
Cape Town from today. According to
this, some 10000 men should reach the
Cape by the end of next week, but the
admiralty issued chilling warning
last evening to the effect that no dis
appointment must be felt by the pub
lie if the transports should not arrive
at the dates mentioned, dates which
the war office says, are biased in
many cases upon too sanguine ex-
pectations."
The French press has been cheer.
fully announcing the issue of letters
of marque by the Transvaal govern
ment and predicts the havoc which
privateers may work among British
merchantmen and even transports.
In this, Paris journalism finds in part
an explane ton for the mobilization