The record-union., 1899-10-22
IS ALL WAR
TALK AT LONDON,
Struggle Between the British and
Beers in South Africa
Almost the Only Topic Talked of at the Big
City Across the Atlantic.
The News of Yesterdays Battle in
Natal Caused a Big Sensation,
the Plucky Fighting of the
British Forces Greatly Stimu-
1ating the Enthusiasm of the
peoDle.

British Forces Greatly Stimu-
1ating the Enthusiasm of the
People.
copyrighted, 1899, by Associated Press)
LONDON, Oct. 21.-War talk reigns
everywhere in London London is teem-
ing with people notable socially, but
what cares London for society when
| troops are piling into transports and
when everybody, from her majesty
down, is saying Good by" God bless
you and Good luck to you
The newsboys are fairly reveling i'll
their 'orrible slaughters, and the or
dinarily pacific stock brokers talk in
cessantly of strategy and military tao
! tics. There is nothing of the traditional
| shopkeeper element visible in British
character since the first shot was fired.
A multitude of military details flood
! all classes of publications and almost
| everybody who has ever been in South
Africa takes the first opportunity to air
| his views as to the fighting capabilities
| of the Beers, the result being a mar
velous mass of conflicting theories.
| The news of yesterdays fighting in
Natal made tremendous sensation
and the pluck and dash of the Kings
Royal Rifles and the Dublin Fusileers
greatly stimulated the universal enthu-
siasre
The t.3tal British force at Camp Glen
coe, keco ding to reports Immediately
preceding tie announcement of the
i engagement, include the Eighteenth
| Hussars, the Natal Mounted Volun-
| teers the First Battalion of the Leices-
! tershire Regiment, the First Kings
Roya Rifles, the Second Dublin Fusi-
! leer the Devonshire Regiment, the
! DOrsetshire Regiment, several compa-
MES of mounted infantry and three field
| batteries, a total of about 4 4,O00 men,
opposed to a Boer force estimated at
twice that number and possibly reach
ing a higher figure This very dispar-
ity between the combatants gives an
additional element of fascination to the
history of the day
Probably no other officer in the Brit
ish army mas seen more fighting than
/ General Sir William Penn Symons, the
| commander of the Fourth Division un-
| der General Sir George Stewart White
| Certainly none has seen more in India,
and the campaigns in Burmah and Zu-
luland revealed his splendid qualities
in the most brilliant fashion
The forthcoming Parliamentary bye
election in Tower Hamlets, London. is
being fought strictly on Boer and anti
Boer lines The Liberal candidate. Har-
old Spencer, declares that the war was
brought about as much by the blunder-
ing of the Secretary of State for the
! Colonies, Joseph Chamberlain, as by
the obstinacy of the Transvaal Govern
ment. On the other hand, the Conserv-
ative candidate. William Guthrie. as
serts that the sGandalous arrogance of
the Beers was alone responsible for the
hostilities. Both join in a wish that
victory may attend the British arms,
but this does not deter the electors
from creating a little war of their own
One of the most curious features of
the mobiliza ton has been the inoculat-
ing of the troops against enteric fevers.
This was not made compulsory, but the
/ company commanders We're instructed
to urge the men to allow themselves to
! be inoculated, and most of them have
undergone the ordeal. Although medi-
cal men differ greatly as to the utility
of the virus, Tie percentage of enteric
fever in the British ranks will be eager
ly watched by foreign military experts
Should it turn out to be remarkably
small, it is more than likely that all the
European troops will be inoculated be-
fore going to countries infested by the
enteric germs.
/ The War Office continues to receive
offers for volunteer service from all
parts of the country. Colonel Sir
Charles Howard Vincent has officially
repeated his proposal to raise a thous-
and marksmen for service in South Af-
rica at his own expense. Colonel Vim
cent is the commandant of the Queens
Westminster Volunteers. one of the
crack regiments. and ever since his
offer was first published he has been
inundated with requests from those
anxious to serve. Many of the appli-
cants are of good social position in
Guiding several clergymen They hail
from all points as far apart as Bonn
bay, Halifax and San Francisco. A Ca
madam offered Colonel Vincent to bear
the entire expense of 100 men through
out the campaign
One of the problems left entirely to
General Sir Redvers Butler. in supreme
command, is the punishment of non
combatants who take part in the hostil-
tiles. The task of distinguishing their
status is very difficult, as comparative-
ly few Beers wear a uniform 1t is
said that the treatment he will admin
lister the German and Irish volunteers
under the Transvaal flag will not be
more merciful than were Won Moltke's
dealing with the Franco Tireurs.
: The bitter anti-British feeling that
exists in France is voiced in its ex
treme manifestation by the Echo de
Paris" which says: 1--WE shall Join in
the whispered prayer that out there
beyond the seas and beyond immense
Africa, General Joubert, a good old
: round shouldered General. whose an
| cestors We're Frenchmen, will give MS
| our revenge, our heroic revenge for
7 Fashoda."
Rumors of royal engagements and
: marriages multiply. 1t is now said
that the Czarewitch has fallen in love
with Princess Margaret of Connaught.
with whom he has been assocfating a
great deal in Scotland The announce
/ ment of the betrothal of the Austrian
? Archduchess Stephanie to Count Elmer
: Lonyay, former Secretary of the Aus
g trian Embassy in Rome, seems to be
correct. 1t is said that her sad expe-