Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-18
Beginning to Realize the immensely
of the Undertaking.
FURTHER INCREASE OF THE ARMY
Political Effect of ChamberIains
Speech at Leicester.
NEWSPAPERS OF, LONDON
sl-..tsl c..----r.ou.Ience of The Evening Star.

LONDON. December 6. 1899
President Mckinley's message to Congress
* not received here with any great inter-
est The most notable point is thought to
H. III. reference to the unexamped pros
perity of the United States, and few
papers draw the moral that if, according
tn free trade theories, protective duties
Kill Country's export trade, British mer-
chants could do with some of the same
sort Of strangling of trade that has gone
uU in highprOteetion America. The Presi-
dents language as to Great Britain is cor
dial, but cautious. and there is an acknowl-
edgment Of the efforts of certain American
journalists to distinguish between the pol
icy Of ottawa and of London which will
hot have much response in this country.
The policy of Mr., Mckinley in relation to
the Philippines is naturally that which
the world in general looked for information,
and there is some surprise to find that
his language from the White House is
much less emphatic than that which he
used during the summer and autumn in his
speeches delivered in various parts of the
Union.
Called 1t Big Victory.
The more that Is known of the battle of
Aiodder river the more evident it becomes
that the salantry of the British troops
was beyond all question. On one point,
test was uttered. Newspaper correspond
eEts, writing with all the excitement of
battle upon them. may be pardoned for
using the language of exaggeration: but
those who remain at home and whose
blood Is not stirred to the same extent are
able To make more moderate estimate of
the Victory
Already we find Modder river compared
with Waterloo. Tall talk of that sort
simply makes the country look ridiculo,s
4 of q of
AT Waterloo the Duke of WELLINGTON had
24-HD men under him. Lord Methuen. at
the very outside, had not more than 1O.OOO.
Ills total casualties were under $40 Well
HnStOn. at Waterloo. had nearly 1000 of
his men killed or wounded. At Modder river
about one man in twenty was hit; at
Wsterln" every fourth man was down
W men one hnds language forced almost to
the point If exhaustion over an engage
lnent. Stubbornly contested, no doubt but
comparatively small. one may be pardoned
Tor wondering what some of the CORE
snondrnts would do if they had a real
Waterloo 10 describe.
4 Plea for Moderation.
The military critic of the Morning Post
colonel Butter, whose daily column of
comment and explanation is the best thing
81 IT. kind in London. says: Apart from
an intense satisfaction in every yalorous
circumstance Of our fight al Modder river
one IS constrained 10 speak word in aid
duCe there
W are not an hysterical people. and
20 nay reputation with our neighb0rs
Tor taking our winnings and our losses
tGIeI4E- since that Is about all in the way
OF repuIr which we possess in Eurone, II
Would De a pity to sacrifice it in exultation
over single battle.
W held our own at MOdder bridge. and
all praise is due 70 the men who stood
up u The fire Of enemy they could NOT
SLt; OIL We ought by now to be able TO do
WitH'ut the superiatfves which have weak
t''-h - many an account. There is moth
IS - tncouVlnctng as the wrong adjective
am hOtR4Hg more telling than the simple
The simplest fact about Modder river is
Ii.dt W. lost about 1 per cent Of the men
engaged AT lnkerman. out of about the
sam number in action the percentage was
~ and at Albuera Is. At Salamanca one
battalion lost so per cent OF lis officers snJ
81 per cent Of its men N
1t l. as well TO remember these figures
nor In the least to abate our enthusiasm
for new victories. but to control the terms
III which We record them"
Reason for Disappointment.
There are. no doubt, repinings that in
face Of the fact that $4,000 men have been
landed at Durham the relief of Ladysmith
has not yet been accomplished. Besides
four complete brigades OF regular tnfan
try. and battalion or two over, Sir Red
Ters Butler will by now have on the road
70 Colenso seven batteries of field artH-
IeFE' some naval guns, between 2 600 and
|,"n South African cavalry and one or
Two regiments OF regular cavalry.
IN view o. the numerical and artillery
strength Of the Beers their mobility "a
consisting mainly OF mounted infantry and
their daring as raiders. the general is we'll
advised 10 proceed cautiously. repairing
The railway and rebuilding bridges as H.
advances. in order to secure his eommuni-
cations
The situation will be mora correctly APP
preciated II l mention that it is now stated
on Credible authority that the Beers have
something like hundred thousand men in
the HeId. General J0ubert alone has be-
tween 5000 and 4o0J0. In his recent
plunge forward with the intention of rush-
Ing Maritzburg he had 10000 men and he
must have left from 10000 to 10000 round
1adysmith TO keep Sir George Whne in
check
The Rocr Forces.
" hera have the Beers recruited 100000
men? It Will be asked. The reply is that
they have obtained them from the Dutch
within the invaded colonies The fact can
no longer be disguised that the Dutch non
u!ation has risen almost en- nasse in the
districts invaded by the Beers. In Natal
mis- has been the case and from the Cane
mere are figures proving il. There is one
cninnindo. Tor instance. which crossed
from the Orange State 800 strong and in
a compare lively short time was Increased
by rebels % 5000. Moreover it has now
Deen ascertained that, although Cronje
mad HOOD men engaged in the battIs on
the Mndder river. YET none of the Beers en-
gaged at Belmont We're with him. and
CrOnjc< men had not even heard of the
battle ot Belmont. The Beers who were
defeated at Belmont were driven back into
the Orange Free State. II is, therefore, toll
erab'y clear that with the force besieeins
Kimberly with Crunie's army the force
hurled into the Orange Free State, and the
detached commanders which General CAT
acre Is taking care of. there must be about
5000 Beers in that part OF the country.
Seeing that the Cape Dutch have taken to
arms So readily, feeling is growing up
that the government ought to make stern
example OF those caught with arms in their