Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-08
GOSSIPFROM LONDON
War is Still the Uppermost Subject
Everywhere.
CHEERS FOR DEPARTING TROOPS
Patriotic Demonstration at the
Nelson Monument.
A RI AND LITE R. TUR RE
pecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

to actual reports from the front and to cut
out rumors and guesses. Most of the war
| correspondents have arrived in South At
| RIGA, and many are forwarding matter
| every day to their papers. The recent
| fighting in Natal has given scope to the
| correspondent. and England is anxiousIy
| awaiting further news from that terrible
| corner of the earth anxiety made
greater by the fact that Great Britain has
| not had a white war and met deter
| mined, well-armed foes since the Crimea.
| That she will win in the end very few
| doubt. but she is finding. meanwhile. that
| the Beers can shoot about as we'll as ever,
| and big butchers bill is the result of the
| first fierce battles. The Beers have made
| serious mistakes on their part and 1t is
| these mistakes that have given the British
| the victories undoubtedly.
| The promotion of Gen. Symons to the
| rank of major general was one of the most
| rapid ever made. Early on Saturday the
| secretary of war telegraphed to her maj
| esty recommending the promotion. The
| queens approval was at once given, and Il
| message was Immediately sent to the
| wounded officer announcing his promotion
| The affair was carried out so expeditiously
| in the hope that the information might
| reach Gen. SymOns while he was still liv-
ing. and happily this has been the case.
British Transport System.
! The excellent transport system of the
| British army cannot but call forth admira-
| ton from all sides, and especially from
| America, where the transport of our troops
| to Cuba a. the beginning of the war stands
| out in glaring contrast to what has been
| done here. The largest number of mer-
| chant steamers ever employed by any
| ton to carry troops and munitions of war
| have been prepared, and in most cases al
ready sent on their Journeys on a few
| GaVSf notice and this has haeD done with
| out sensible diminutiOn of the number of
steamers running in the regular mail
routes. When the SpanshAmerican war
broke out last year the four fast steamers
| of the American line between Southamp-
| ton and New York We're taken off for SER
| vice in our navy, and for six months
| swift boats of the American line ran on
| their usual routes. But now. though
| eral steamers, both of the Cunard end
| White Star lines. chartered by the gov
| eminent, the mail service by both lines he
| tween Queenstown and New York has been
! maintained Just before. The same is
| true of other great lines which have char
| tered their steamers to the government.
Though in some cases there may have been
| a little difficulty in finding al once steamers
| to take the place of those that are char
tered. yet in almost every case the thing
| has been done in such way that no one
| who is not aware of the fact could have
| imagined that merchant steamers capable
| of carrying over a. OGo troops have been
| taken from their usual routes within the
| last fortnight.
| on for the War.
| The Guards Brigade commenced to leave
| London for the seat of war at an carly
| hour on Saturday morning. Two of the
! battaiions are going from Gibraltar To
| each of these battalions reserves 10 the
| number of $50 went from London so as to
| bring each battalion to its war strength of
| about twelve hundred men. The men who
| left London, therefore, numbered about
| 3.0oo They had been inspected previously
| the Scots Guards by the Duke OF Con-
naught. the cOlOnel-in-chief, and by the
| Prince of Wales, and the Coldslreams by
| the Duke of Cambridge who is coloneI-in-
| chief of the Grenadiers. The Scots got
| away at Z o'clock and even at that early
hour vast, enthusiastic crowds assembled
| TO give them a send-off People marched
| side by side with the stalwart guardsnlen
| and insisted on carrying their rifles and
| packs Irregularities of this sort were
| winked at by the officers, who were not
| unwilling to have their men made sensible
| OF the intense love and sympathy that peo-
| pie have for the army. The troops went
| off in high spirits, and any pangs at part
| ing with wives sweethearts or BARNS were
| successfully disguised. From o'clock till
| !ht process of entraining went on.
various detachments being ACCOMPANIED nv
| trantically enthusiastic crowds
| Big Demonstration
While the people were cheering the de-
| parting guards, other Londoners were pa
| triotically demonstrating in Trafalgar
| Square, round the handsomely decorated
| Nelson monument. The enthusiasm was
| greater this year than have seen before
| The Navy League had, as usual. taken In
| hisnd the work of decoration. and most i'm
| posing did the monumental look From the
| platform on the top Of the column, where
the heroic figure of Nelson stands are hung
huge union Jacks white. red and blue
grounds. as used in the service under var
| conditions no
| top to bottom is twined an immense rope
| OF laurel leaves, and from the base four
| similar ropes of laurel reach to the four
| lions. while each lion holds in his mouth a
| great wreath contributed bv the NAVY
| League: The floral tributes exceed in num-
| Der and beauty anything | have seen. They
are ranged on the steps. which have been
| covered with scarlet cloth. One of the
| nest conspicuous is an exquisite model of
| her majesty's ship Sandpiper sent from
| Hong Song. The body of the ship Is in
| white flowers, and the tunnels and other
| prominent parts are marked out in violets
| ladies' newspaper sent one of the most
| imposing designs. composed of yellow
| ysanthemums. Frequent appreciation
| was expressed of a contribution BY a Lon
| don branch of the league. which assumed
| the form Of a shield of white flowers with
| Inc motto. Lest we forget" The famous
| picture, representing q group of navy
| youngsters gazing with reverential affection
| on the Nelson memorial in St Paurs. is a
| great attraction. Among others the sl1h-
| Eeutenants and middies of the Caesar have
| sent floral shield and there are also trib-
| utes from Miss La Penotiere, gran1daugh-
| Ter or capt La Penotiere, who brought
| home the dispatch from Trafalgar; from
| Miss Robins of Streatham. whose father
| capt. Robins. was a midshipman on the
| Victory at Trafalgar, and from S NJ Glib
| ney. the last surviving granddaughter Of
| Capt John Cook, who fell at TrafaIgar
| where he commanded the BellerophOn The
| column was Illuminated at night. when the
| crowds, which had been circulating round
| II all day, We're thicker and overlooked from
| the square into the neighboring thorough
| fares.
| 4 Great Work Completed
| The famous Church of the Sacred Hoori
| at Montmartre, Paris, has just received its
| finishing touch by the erection of the cross
on its DOME. The incident is triiing in it
| self, but it marks the completion of a work
| which Is intimately associated with the his
| tory OF Paris during the last thirty years
| hen, In 1870 the German army had
| crossed the frontiers of France starvation
was preying on the people of Paris, and
| the capital was in increasing danger of
| commandment. it occurred 10 NJ Iegentil
| that the misfortunes were nothing but a
| n of