Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-12-18
ROBERTSTO COMMAND.
To Have Charge Of British
Forces in South Africa.
KITCHENER HIS CHIEF OF STAFF.
Butler to Command Only In NataI--Lord
Roberts Son Died Of wound-More
Troops to BE Sent and volunteers to
BE Selected For Service.


LONDON, Dec. 18.-Baron Roberts of
Kandahar and Waterford commander
of the forces in Ireland, has been APP
pointed to the chief command in Sonth
Africa with General Lord Kitchener of
Khartoum as his chief of staff.
A notice was posted at the war Office,
containing the following:
GAS the campaign in Natal, IN the
opinion of her majesty's government,
is likely to require the presence and un-
divided attention of General Sir Red
yers Butler, it has been decided 20 send
Baron Roberts of Kandahar and Water
ford as commander in chief in South At
RIGA, with Lord Kitchener as chief of staff,
TO proceed to South Africa without delay.
The commander in chief in South Africa
has been authorized to continue TO raise
at his discretion local troops mounted.
Lieutenant The Hon. f. III. S. Roberts.
son of Baron Roberts of Kandahar and
Waterford, land who was wounded
in the engagement at Tugela river. is
dead.
The war office issued the following
announcement:
"Acting upon the advice of the mill
tary authorities her majesty's govern
ment has approved the following meas
ure:
"sAll the remaining portions of the
army reserve, including section ID, are
called out The Seventh division. which
is being modified, will proceed to South
Africa without delay.
ssNine battalions of militia, in addi-
ton to two battalions which have al
ready volunteered for service at Malta
and one for service in the channel
islands. will be allowed to volunteer for
service outside of the united kingdom;
and an equivalent number of militia
battalhons will be embodied for service
ct home.
GA strong force of volunteers, Sc
lected from Ye0manry regiments will
be formed for service in South Africa
." Arrangements are being made, and
will shortly be announced, for the en-
ploymeut in South Africa of strong
contingent of carefully selected volun-
teers. The patriotic offers which are
being received from the colonies will, SO
far as possible, be accepted, preference
being given to offers of mounted contin.
gents.
General Butler reported to the war
office that his losses in Fridays engage
ments were: Killed, 81; wounded, 667;
missing, 348 a total of l 097.
The revised list of the British casual
ties at the battle of Magersfontein shows
the total to be 963, of which number 70
We're officers.
The Black Watch We're the heaviee1
sufferers. OF the rank and file AZ were
killed, 1872 were wounded and Ill are
missing.
PRETORIA, Dec. 13.-An official dis.
patch from the Modder river says: "The
Beers captured great quantity of loot,
including 200 Lee Metfords, cases of
cartridges and hundreds of bayonets.
Great numbers of the British have re.
tired from Two Rivers, in the direction
of Belmont The loss of the British was
very great There were heaps of dead
on the field. The wounded are being
attended TO temporarily at Bissel's farm.
The sappers and miners must have suf-
fered severely. The Beers suffered
heavy losses in horses. l cannot other.
wise describe the battlefield than as q
sad and terrible slaughter. Monday was
for us brilliant victory. 1t has infused
new spirit into our men and will enable
thsm to achieve greater deeds. F"
The war office received a dispatch
dated Dec. II from General Forester
Walker at Cape Town, containing the
following: "Methuen reports that Lieu
teaant Chandos- Pole-G Gall was taken prisss
oner last Thursday morning while going
to meet flag of truce. He was waving
his handkerchief in response and was
unarmed.
'Gatacre has removed his troops and
stores to Sterkstroom from Putter's
krall. F'rench has established head
quarters at Arundel.
"Vandermerwe, with a commando,
is reported moving south from Jacobs
DIAL f"
The queens graceful act i'll present
ing flag to the American hospital ship
Maine Is highly appreciated by her own
people as well as by the Americans in
London, and the morning papers express
the hope that the incident means some
thing more than pretty ceremony.
"Black week, F" as last week is now
universally called, has evidently aroused
the government and the war office to
full sense of their responsibility and of
the magnitude of the task before them.
The papers unanimously applaud this
awakening, despite the fact that they
recognize that the heroic measures now
decided upon SAVIOR rather of weakness
than of strength.
Rumor has it that the question of ex-
pense has really been at the bottom of
the half-nearted measures hitherto
adopted, and it is not unlikely that Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach, chancellor of the
exchequer, and other members of the
cabinet will resign.
1t is 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 1850.