The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-11-03
BRITISH PUBLIC PROTEST
OBJECT TO "DOCTORED" WAR
REPORTS
Feeling Directed Against Field Marshal
Lord Wolseley-Victories in South
Africa Not Just as Pictured


seey, has apparently now been convict
ed of "doctorng" official reports from
the front, and there is a strenuous de-
mand on all sides for a reversion to the
earlier practice, when the reports of
General Sir Stewart White, the British
commander in Natal. were given out
teXtually as soon as received. The
commander-in-ch summary, as
read in the House of Commons yester-
day, spoke of General White having
fought a successful action. whereas
General Whites own account puts an
entirely different complexion on the sit
uation, reduces the movement to its
proper proportions and shows that fur
ther exciting intelligence may be eX-
pected from the same quarter at any
moment 1t is quite evident that the
war in Natal has only commenced and
that the Beers are by no means dis
couraged at losing the first two battles.
Many experts are satisfied that General
Joubert is even now close to the heels
of the British and that decisive action
may be fought today or tomorrow
The main fact that the British were
forced to evacuate the Natal triangle,
which the Beers naturally and rightly
claim as a conspicuous success, and
which they even emphasize by a pro-
clamation anneXing Northern Natal, is
proving an unpalatable pill to the pub
! lie, whose appetite has been whetted by
| the previous successes, which had been
assumed to be greater than they really
were, as the determination and gallan-
| try of the Beers enabled them to quick
! ly reOrganize and achieve desired OBJ
! jects by other methods.
Later estimates of the Beers losses
! at Glands Laagte give 800 killed. Their
!
| judged from the fact that out of seven
| teen or eighteen officers with the half
! battalion of Gordon Highlanders, four
| were killed and thirteen were wounded,
while the casualties among the rank
| and file were q per cent during less
than three hours firing. Lieutenant
| Campbell of the Gordon HighlanderS
has since died from his wounds.
| A dispatch from Cape Town today
says that General White has engaged
| the Orange Free State Beers. who were
advancing on Ladysmith about seven
miles nOrthward and that it was be-
! lieVed the advance had been repelled.
| This is probably another version of yes
terdays fighting, as already known.
GENERAL YULE RETREATING.
LONDON, October 24-The latest dis
patches from South Africa are contra
! dictOry and, if anything, increase rath-
er than relieve the feeling of uneasi-
/ ness prevalent here. 1t is now certain
that General Yule has left his wounded
at Dundee and is making a forced
march to rejoin General Whites forces
at Ladysmith. A Cape Town dispatch
! says that the juncture has been effect
ed, but General White makes no men
ton of the arrival of General Yule i'm
his latest message, which was sent from
Ladysmith at p. m. last night Cen
eral White tells OF a successful Skrmish
~ tpt 70. tlt Il lNrg,f !,
In fact, the War Office dispatch seems
to realize the worst fears. General
Yule has abandoned not only Dundee
but Glencoe also and. so far as pres
ent officials news would indicate, he has
neither Joined General White nor reach
ed Ladysmith. General Whites sue
cessful action announced in Parlia-
ment by Mr.. Wyndham, seems to re-
solve itself into mere engaging of
the Free State troops while General
Yule is slipping southwark.
1t is evident from the official dis.
patches that both Communications
raj JOubert's column on the north anC
the Orange Free State troops on the
west now occupy strong positions, ant
that nothing hinders the Beers from
following up General Yule's retirement
and getting around Ladysmith from tn,
southeast. Until re-enforcements ar
rive it seems that General White is OBJ
.
/, is believed that the Government have
other dispatches that have not yet beer
published.
r NATAL ABANDONED.
A few more victories like Glencoe anc
Glands Laagte, however, would leav,
the British troops without officers
2 While the Beers have failed to take ad
vantage of their strategic position, Ow
: ing to the inCompetenCy or haste OF
]
for congratulatiOn over the results OF
the Natal operations. They have suffer
ed heavy losses in men, and their vic
tories have practically gone for no
thing, the whole of Northern Natal be
. ing now abandoned to the Beers.
, 1t would have been better to COncen
= trate on Ladysmith i'm the first instance
} but General White and General SymOn
, had to yield to political eXigencies anC
: to the local reluctance to abandon al
inch of territory more than was neces
sary.
~ SO far as known Kimberley and Ma
feking are still safe, although the BO
, ers are gathering about the former
, place i'm increasing numbers.
, PRICE FOR RHODES HEAD.
DEAAR JUNCTION (Monday). Octo
Der 23.-The price Kruger has set upor
Rhodes head, dead or alive, is a farm
of 300 acres, stocked with cattle and tn,
necessary hXings That is the new.
that comes to us from beleaguereC
Kimberley.
The information the rider brough
was that everybody in Kimberley wal
cheerful and confident. Rhodes moves
, about everywhere, says little, observe.
- everything, dresses like a simple Afrik
/ ander farmer, and, as the rider said Il
, me- makes a good-looking Boer."
No dispatch rider has yet come
through from Mafeking.
/ ANNENES BRITISH TERRITORY
, LONDON, October 2i.-The Colona
Office has received cablegram statiul
that President Steyn of the Oraug,
Free state has issued a proclamation
anneXing that part of the colony Whici
is north of Naal River This mean
= Griqualand west and Bechuanaland
: and is apparently in consequence of tn
Free state forces having seized TIN