The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-29
1899 by Associated Press.

|
London, Oct. 2S.-The South African
war has now been in progress nearly
three weeks, and so far the British
arms have been consistently crowned
with momentary successes. But, though
| victory has fallen to Great Britain
whenever and wherever the Issues were
Of paramount Importance, General
whites position to-day Is scarcely
more reassuring than at the outbreak
Of the war. So far he has only shown
his ability to outwit by strategy the
Beers strategy. That, in its concep-
ton, meets with high praise from the
British military. Now he appears 20
have reached the limit of this game
OF war by which he was able to pre-
vent the massing of the Boer columns,
and must either meet the enemy's COM
bined forces or retreat. Many people
think General White should rest con-
tent with the success so far achieved
and fall back on Colenso, pointing out
that he appears to be fully able to move
his forces quickly and without deteri-
oration. 1t is scarcely probable that
he will follow this course, preferring
rather to hold Ladysmith though
against much superior numbers, until
|
| general intends to follow the latter
course that creates uneasiness, for vic
tories over Boer units are not believed
| TO. Indicate that the same result can
be achieved over the Beers when
| massed.
| Compared with this impending move
ment about Ladysmith, the fate Of
Kimberley and Mafeking and the prog
ress of the other independent opera
tions are almost Insignificant. The
rapidity Of the Boer advance and the
tenacfty of the endeavors of their col
| umns to concentrate on General White
! have proved clearly that the Beers
I plans were matureu long before hosti,i-
| ties displace negotiations, and, though
they may be unable to stand before the
brilliant charges Of the English troops
or serve their artillery with the skill
| of their opponents, they are a mobile
force and operate harmoniously under
a carefully prepared plan of campaign.
No one seems to have the faintest
! idea of what conditions will confront
| the British army corps upon it's ar
rival in South Africa. Will it be an
avenging force, whose duty it will be
to wipe out the defeat of General White
and the capture of Mafeking and Kim
berley, or will 1t be a walkover into
Pretoria dispensing Boer bands disn-
tegrated by the strain Of long cam
| pdlBu anu ulSCouidSeu ny COioldAk Ic-
| verses? These questions are upper
most in the minds of all connected with
the war Office. BY Nov. 4 the last
troop ship should have sailed, but the
army corps will scarcely take the field
until the end of December. There is
lull in the departure of the troops
forming the army corps owing to the
troops not being ready.
| The embarkat!On of p, 600 men, LOU
| horses and seven batteries of artillery.
with the wagons and equipment, be-
tween Oct. 20 and "a, is pointed to as
! being a splendid feat upon the part
Of the admiralty, not forgetting, how
| ever, to give credit to the army for
| having the men ready at the dock.
Lieutenant Commander Colwell, the
United States naval attache here, who
| closely watched the embarkation of the
| troops at southampton, said to a rep
resentative of the associated press:
1T was a splendid sight. Every
thing was done in good order On each
transport naval lieutenant was in
command and on the dock naval off,
Ger supervised the whole. The army
officers had their men lined up. and a
stair sergeant passed along the ranks
chopping is men off at a time, thus
forming messes. Marching on board,
| them." l+ts
Sir Charles Dixie, writing to The
speaker, draws attention to the gigan-
tic cost of the mobilization of COM
paratively small army. He says:
Though the war Office processes to
pc PLEASED with the result of the mobil-
ization, they took far longer to COM
plete arrangements than the maximum
period allowed by other powers"
Continuing, Sir Charles declared that
the present system is entirely wrong.
While the nation is enthralled by the
{Ir IaAf n~fI
with sympathy at the death of its sons.
especially that of gallant General Sy-
mons, parliament has come and gone,
scarcely noticed in the flood of more
exciting developments. 1t was the
shortest session but one in the history
of England and teemed with remark
able incidents.
Again this week Mr.. Chamberlain
continued the defense of his own char
| acter angrily taking up the slightest
insinuation. Michael Davitts dramat-
ic resignation is regretted on both sides
of the house, for the honesty of his
convictions was much appreciated.
Sir Michael Hicks-Beach's budget to
raise the supplies was so non-commit-
tai that it is scarcely open to much
criticism. Whether eli, 900 borrow
ed to carry on the war will be entirely
repaid by additional taxation, or
whether the Boer treasury will be
sapped to repay part or the whole,
is a matter upon which little light is
likely to be thrown until parliament
reassembles in February.
But the more important of the fea-
lures In the recent session is the
queens prorogation speech. For it
contains the assertion that the Trans
maal is already part of her empire
me phraseology passed by almost un-
noticed, but the sentence, II trust thtt
| olVine blessings will rest on the eff
iorts TO restore peace and good gov
ernment to that portion of my en-
| pre-, cannot be taken to mean any
thing but that Great Britain regards
the Transvaal reverted to her direct
sovereignty. Another interesting
point of the speech was that the Va r