Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1899-10-26
British Ministers Begin to Re-
aliZe They Made a
Mistake.
Vague Estimates of Boer
Losses a Cause for
Comment.
British Public ClamOrOuS fOl
Authentic South African
News,

ministers and their supporters are now
realizing that they plunged into the war
with reckless haste, and the queens
nessages-in which she speaks Of
"dearly bought victories" and "dread-
full loss of life," Indicate with plain
ness which she has never before per-
mitted herself to indulge in under like
circumstances. her disapproval of the
war. The British forces in Natal have
already lost in killed or wounded nearly
500 men in three days fighting.
The squadron of Hussars and the sec
tion of mounted infantry which pur-
sued the Beers after the first fight at
Glencoe Qast friday are still missing.
Prolongation of the war beyond their
expectation is VOW regarded as certain.
LONDON, Oct. 25.-The parliamentary
secretary for the war office, George
Wyndham, in the house of commons,
announced <hat Field Marshal Lord
Wolseley, the commander-in~chi of
the forces, sums mp the situation in
Natal as follows:
General Yule has fallen back to
effect junction with Sir George Stew
art White. He had camped Monday
evening about Is miles south of Dundee
without seeing anything of the enemy
during the march, and it has since been
reported that all is we'll on the Wasch-
bank river.' General White fought a
successful action with an Orange Free
State force on the road between Lady
smith and Newcastle. and should join
hands with General Yule this evening.
General Yule reports that his
wounded are doing we'll.
The Boer wounded on our hands are
treated Just as our own, and have
every reason to believe the Beers will
treat any of our wounded in their hands
in a similarly humane manner"
Mr.. Wyndham added: II may re-
mind the house that the Transvaal is a
party to the Geneva convention"
Lord Wolseley further says: II have
also received from General Walker, a:
Cape Town, the following:
1.-The last message from Kimberley,
Oct. 20, 2 a. m., reports all we'll
LONDON, Oct. 25.-The war Office here
has been attempting to explain the
summary of the situation in Natal fur
nished by the commander-in-chief of
the forces, Lord Wolseley, to the
house of commons on Monday. His
statement is now said to have created
unnecessary alarm, and it is asserted
that what the official note called Gen
| eral Yule's retirement would be more
accurately described as a "change of
position" for tactical reasons. and that
the alarm for the safety of the wounded
is not justified. 1t is further explained
that the wounded could not be moved,
but the fact that they had to be left to
their fate while the British forces made
q strategic movement to the rear shows
the suspense of the house at the ab-
sence of subsequent news is amply JUS
titled and that the heavy fighting on
Friday and perhaps Saturday is only a
prelude to still sterner work. In some
quarters, the view is taken that the Sec
ond attack of the Beers has actually oc-
Cured and was so successful that Gem
eral Yule's withdrawal was imperative
and urgent to the extent of compelling
of the Beers, while the more sanguine
express the opinion that General Yule,
far from retreating, has in reality ad-
vanced to meet the attack threatening
Glencoe, leaving Dundee behind, safely
sheltered from Boer assault.
Many Contradictory Rumors.
In the absence Of authentic news
there are a number of contradictory
runors afoat, but the most reasonable
Interpretation of the various reports
seems to indicate that there was some
artillery practice al Glencoe Saturday
and Sunday, but no fighting at close
quarters. AS, however, communica-
ton between Glencoe and Ladysmith.
which was thought to have been re-
stored by the British victory at Elands-
laagte has again been broken by the
destruction of the railroad at Wach-
bank, north of Ladysmith and between
Elandslaagte and Glencoe, the difficult
ties of the British commander in Natal,
General Sir George Stewart White, in
reinforcing Glencoe have been enor-
mously increased and until the British
forces at Ladysmith and Glencoe are
united and the main body of the Boer
force broken, the situation must remain
disquieting for the British.
NowspnPsr CRltioism.
The newspapers here sharply criticize
Lord Wolseley's summary of the Natal
situation. They say it has a distinct
resem blance to the statements of Span
ish ministry when preparing their
countrymen for news of the disaster at
Santiago. This, however, is probably
an overstrained view. There is no de-