Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-29

trenches, many of them bomb-proof. Tram
way lines permit the shifting of guns with
astonishing rapidity. The main positions
are connected with the outlying positions BY
underground passages, and the forts prop
er bristle with machine guns, that COM
mand the approaches. Probably mines are
laid.
zone hears less nowadays about Boer
shells not bursting. Observers of the CO.
ienso fight say the Boer shell fire was very
effective. This Is due largely to the fact
that the, distances are marked off with
white paint.
1.-The enemy's discipline Is improving.
The trenches represent great manual labor,
for which the Beers have a keen dislike
and the way in which they restrained their
fire when our troops were advancing is
another proof of improved soldering"
British Prisoners Would Suffer.
LONDON, December 29.-The Transvaal
government, according to information sup
piled by Boer sympathizers, threatens to
reduce the rations of British prisoners II
Great Britain stops the entry Of food by
Delagoa bay"
The Standard says: Lord Salisbury
would be reluctant to bring pressure to
bear upon Portugal except in a case of
urgent necessity. Great Britain would pre-
Ter not TO place herself in the invidious po-
sition of using force toward another petty
country, and there Is no temptation to
raise any further international questions"
Inc Standard says that no credit should
De given to the rumor from Berlin of a
secret Anglo-GeIman-Portug treaty for
the partition of the colonies Of Portugal.
A correspondent at Laurence Marquee
says:
''Delagoa Bay is the residence Of Herr
Pott. Holander, who Is consul general
for the Transvaal. and consul for the Meth
er!ands. Pott is the principal medium be-
tween Pretoria and DIR. Leyds, in Europe.
He controls the Netherlands railway
he 1t~ar, Do1 or,I se no hoo 81
the Transvaal customs. He is also head of
the Dutch East Africa Company, and has
the ear of the Portuguese governor, as well
as the chief of each department.
1T Is openly asserted that Pott has a
private wire to the frontier, and knows
twentyfour hours before others what is
happening. About him gather all the other
consuls. the Portuguese officials and the
German forwarding agents.
IF Delagoa bay is closed the Beers will
retaliate by raiding Portuguese territory"
Views of Military Critics.
The German press continues to comment
upon the war in South Africa. The Militair-
Wochenbiatt of Berlin, the military organ,
contains a severe criticism by high officer,
in which the writer claims that hitherto
the Beers. both leaders and men, have
proved far more efficient in every way than
the British. The National Zeitung pub
fishes a similarly severe article. The Kreuz
Zeikung says editorially:
The best solution for Germany would be
peace guaranteeing the Beers their inde-
pendence and securing the future; that IS,
creating a state whose frontier touches the
sea, in order to enable it to adapt itself to
the new times upon which Africa is enter
ing.
THAT must be the policy of the Beers.
We do not desire the British to be wholly
expelled from Africa. but we DO not see the
necessity for making the entire African
contingent British The ideas of Cecil
Rhodes will split upon the rock of Boer
courage"