Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-28
The Great Military Prep
arationS Going On.
BRAVERY OF OFFICERS
Is Attested by the Percentage of the
Killed In the Battle of Glencoe
American Jockeys Again Riding
In True Form,

London, Oct. 2S.-(Copyright, 1899, by
the Associated Press.)-The large numbe,
of British officers killed in the battles
which have already taken place in Natal
has brought out strenuou protests from
many quarters against the ancient Gus
tom of British officers in refusing to take
cover under fire. From figures at Glencoe
it is apparent that n out of every four
men killed was an officer, whereas, the
organization exists upon the principle
that to every 25 men there is one officer.
1t is evident that if the same ratio Of
mortality is kept up the British forces
will become seriously under-officered.
Among the enlisted men at Glencoe the
proportion of killed to wounded was so to
1876. While 10 officers We're killed to % OFF,
GERS wounded. The differences in the
percentages lead to the conclusion that
many of the officers We're hit more han
once and kept on leading their men after
the first wound.
Emperor Williams recent criticism Of
the British officers refusal to take cover
is now frequently quoted. The feeling in
the army itslf is that though the regula-
tons do not say the officers must not lie
down, it is such an old established prln-
ciple that it would take a brave man to
inaugurate a change and the adage of
the British soldier, Follow wherever an
officer leads is held still to be intense
ly true. for though the officers believe the
personnel of the army is as good as ever,
1t has been the history of Great Britain
that they at the same time maintain that
Tommy Atkins lHAads more leading
than any man in the world. so the splitting
of Great Britain's best blood is likely to
continue for the present.
The proportion of the casualties as a
whole has caused a thrill of horror and
sympathy throughout Great Britain, for
the people now begin to realize what a
fight with a civilized enemy means. Old
soldiers point out that at the Alma. one
of the bloodiest battles in Great Britain's
annals, the casualties total only six per
cent, whereas. in the recent BOer engage
ments, they considerably exceeded that
figure.
General Whites strategy and the ex-
ecution of his movements are warmly
praised and it is said at the clubs that
General Sir Redvers Butler will have to
hurry up or General White will get a
peerage first. General White represents
the ndian element in the British army
and those who have served In India nave
always maintained that the commander
there had a more important post than
the commander in chief himself. AS
General Lord Roberts was considered too
old for another campaign, Generals
White, Symons and Hunter We're sent
as a sop to the Indian faction for General
Butler has always been more or less an
~tagonistic to General Roberts and his
partisanS.
Regarding European intervention,
Great Britain's plans to meet such an
emergency continue. The Journal Geneve
publishes a dispatch from Co%nstantinople
saying that Russia intends handing the
porte a note at an early date demanding
the opening of the Bosphorus and OAR
danelles. Unless Great Britain is a party
TO such a demand. Russia's action will
undoubtedly stir up a hornets nest. COM
pared with which the Transvaal question
will be quite insignificant. Such reports
AVE a depressing effect upon consols in
spite of the boom of South African secur-
tiles. There is considerable uneasiness OH
hes stock exchange regarding the future
action of Russia and France. South At
Iican mine shares are no longer referred
TO as Kaf1ifs. They are now called Brit
ish, While South Africa is enthusiastically
described as a mineraiized Egypt.
Russia is reported to be e~ndeavoring to
raise a loan of eco. 900. 900 in Paris, but
50 far she has been unsuccessful
The conditions of labor in England
have not baen i improved by the war.
About 1000 Welsh miners are likely to be
Ia wv - " u WY / ~ - -
ened strike of the surface engineers and
other mechanics. who are claiming
shorter hours. The negotiation on the
subject have failed and the surface men
that The strike will BEGIN on
the date mentioned. It will then be
practically impossible for the miners to
continue under ground.
Mr.. Joseph Choate the United States
ambassador. is enjoying a holiday at the
Duke of Sutherlands, Trentham hall.
Society is busy. In London there has
been q series of dinners and luncheons.
The Bradley Martins and Marlborough
frequently figure on the lists of guests.
Lady Dixie has just published a criti-
que on French painters and the Duches
OF Sutherland also appears as the author
of a book dealing with the life of a fac
tory girl. a subject she seems remark
ably we'll acquainted with.
The Robert Peel silver plate. consist
ing of valuable heirlooms was sold at
auction this week. fetching 5000 pounds.
Miss klumpke of San Francisco, to
whom Rosa Bonheur left all her large
fortune. has decided to share half of it
with the deceased painters relatives, who
were disinherited. All the paintings and
other vaiuabies left by Rosa Bonheur
will consequently be sold.
The marriage of Princess Margl,erite
of Orleans to her cousin, Prince Jean of
Orleans. Oct. 80. at Kingston, will bring
together several royalties, among them
Princess Waldemar Of Denmark. the
htidegroOr2's sister, and, perhaps. the
Prince of Joinville. the grandfather of
the bride. who is 81 years old. It is re-