The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-07

rhsch is now almost Certain 20 be rein
forced b. the first arrivals Of the corps
from England, and 70 Is pressed forward
20 renew touch with him.
Gen. White Can Probably Hold Out.
Il IS generally assumed. however. that
tSen- " ate. vita the aid o. the MAYA
guns VIII be aba 70 cope wiki any bonn
h&rdrueat. and the :1ea thai The Beers
could taxa LaGysulth by assault is scout
&C az absurd TIE sa,ense thus depends
on tie uninterrupted working - the naval
guns Right here arises the important
cuestion--upon which the dispatches have
thrown no IiEht-whether the naval guns,
whica themselves only arrived az the last
moment, have with them sufficient anr1l1-
nitiou - reply % a 5oInbarGment lasting
possibly several weeks. II not Il Is hard
y likely that works exist ii small
town like La1ySrnith for casting the special
shell needed for the 81 gun; and more
over, there is TO mention OF stores q
lycd1te 90 LaGysmita for rachsrging these
shells.
beers May Mount More Guns.
Meanwhile vague remarks In the dis
patches point to the impending arrival OK
further big Beer guns from Johannesburg.
10 be mounted among the hills within
range % adysnith. Such considerations
explain TIE anxiety felt regarding Gen
" A-4A- 4uSfSlalclilS s23sC rqSiEiOI, AOL Olits
by the pablic bat in official circles.
The stand At Estcourt.
The British retirement to Estcourt has
given the impression that !, Is intended 20
make 4 stand there. Estcourt Is the last
important town between the Beers and the
capita! OF Iadyzmith. and II the Beers
sweep past EstCourt nothing can stop them
from laying siege 10 Pietermari.zburg,
which cannot te expected to make pro-
ga as r-rs -,
Tremendous blow to British prestige
throughout South Africa.
Trying to Enlist Cape Dutch.
Already the British retirement south Of
Coielso has given the Beers an opportuE-
fty to make Il bid for the support OF the
disafIecied Dutch in Natal, by proclaiming
the annexation of the upper Tugeia section.
Thus far the Dutch colonists seem TO have
confined their sympathy with the invading
Beers TO & platonic emotion. EXCEPT for
earreg titlous instances. there Is no evidence
that they have yet joined the Beers openly
In any appreciable numbers.
The reported British retirement from
Stormburg junction. however. will be fol-
lowed doubtless by similar Boer proclaim
alton annexing the portions OF Cape Colony
living directly south OF the Orange Free
State. These proclamations, as in the case
Of Bechuanaland, have been and viii be
proclamations. but TO the eyes OF the
Dutch farmers. the presence Of one Boer
commando is probably more impressive
than the expectation Of the arrival CT the
whole British army IL the more or less
distant future.
Transports May Not Arrive I'm Time
The BristSh newspapers publish list OF
the transports due 10 arrive q. Cape Town
from today. According 20 this some ~ oeD
81 .s,fA =
next week. but the admiralty Issued a
chilling warning last evening TO the effect
that no disappointment must ne felt by the
public II the transports should not arrive at
the oates mentioned. dates. which the war
Office says. are based in many cases, upon
too sarguine expectations"
Question Of Boer priwateera.
The French press has been cheerfu1ly
announcing the Issue OF letters of mnraue
by the Transvaal government and predicts
the havoc which priyateers may work
among British merchantmen ard even
transports. IN this Paris journalism finds
IN part an explanation for the mobilization
~ the British special service squadron.
The view taken hy the German press o.
The same matter IL interesting Berlin
Journalism treats the suggestion Of r-iva-
teering with skeptio.sm. The Vossische
Zeilung says:
Private ering is no longer recognized by
internatona. law and the Transvaal Is
rot In position to Issue letters Of r1arque
"a II possesses neither ports nor harbors
Attempts ct rriyateering mus. conse-
qnently, re regarded not only hy Great
Britain. but hy neutral powers. es urEaw-
ful warfare ana - be treated as common
piracy"
Free stnterS Moving StormburE
The Daily Mail hss received the follow
Ing .iso&tch from S,ormburg. dated last
FriSay evening:
An orange Free state force 700 strong
Is nov - Iswn's farm half way between
the Orange river and Burghersdo-f The
Roers are waiting there for the arrival OF
5000 rcintorcements from Rousxville and
B!oc'nfon'etn before moving or Storrnbu-t.
There IS q thtrj Free State force at Coles
burg. he signalling IN the RoAr rar1o
Vas p'ainiy visible from here las. nigh. -
Russian Designs ON Afshanfstan.
The - Petersburg correspondent az the
4}Ines telegTa{hs that various r,irnors are
siioat tSere regarding Russian designs ,Ip1n
Afgh3niStau
~ rYS