Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-15
ENGLAND'S BIG ARMY
Over Eighty Thousand Men in South Africa
Fighting the Beers,
OTHERS SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD
Militia and Volunteers Are Yet Held in
Reserve for Emergencies,
EXPERTS NOW TALK OF FOREIGN ATTACK
Only Unsafe Point Thought to Be Russian
Frontier in India,
EXPERTS NOW TALK OF FOREIGN ATTACK
NAVY ABLE TO cH5CKANY DEMONSTRATION
No News from the Front Except an
Unconhrmcd Rcport that Butler
Enters Lndysmith aud Cnp-
lures Many Docrs.

Copyright, 1899. by Press Publishing COB
LONDON, Dec. 1i.--(New York World Ca
blegram-Speca Telegram,)-Ot the army
of Great Britain 75,500 men are now in
South Africa. This is exclusive of all the
colonial forces raised there and in Canada
and Australia, estimated to number 10000.
The fifth division, comprising 10000 men, is
now embarking or ready to embark. the
sixth division of 10000 men is mobilizing,
orders for the seventh division of 10000 20
be mobiized have just been issued. The
total reserve this year, according to par
liamentary estimates, is $1,000. When all
the above is at the front or modified, 10000
of the reserves will have been exhausted.
There remain of the British regular army
establishment l21 900 men. OF these $4,000
! are in Egypt, at Mediterranean points and
other British garrisons throughout the
| world.
! Beyond this War office figures show 1l2, 900
militia. These men have one months train
! ing each year with few regular army Of
fcers scattered through the regimental stafrs.
| Ten thousand of these have been called for
| home garrison duty Next follow 232, 900
volunteers, with some regular army officers
serving with them, but equal in all respects
| to the National guard of the United States.
Military experts all the papers agree
! that Great Britain is prepared in meas
ure for any foreign attack in this, that the
| only unsafe point is the Russian frontier in
| India. The regular force in India, exclusive
of all the above figures, was in July last
! 1852. or these only 5000 have been sent
to South Africa. India, experts declare, lie
safe, and Great Britans great navy II
ready, will be able to meet and check any
demonstration of any two foreign powers
| combined. even if it takes the form of an
attack in Egypt in the effort to partition
Morocco provide Russia with port in
the eastern Mediterranean.
Expert Opinion.
! Copyright. 1899. by Press Publishing Co)
LONDON, Dec. 14--- (New York World Ca
blegram.-Special Telegran1.) THE Posts
military expert says:
French reports successful skirmish
near Nauwpoort. The most interesting part
| of this report is the fact that this region
| is peculiarly suited for mounted troops. The
heavy losses of the Highlanders at Magers-
| fontein seem to have been brought about
! by the troops being brought within close
range of the enemy's rifles in too dense
| formation. The attack seems to have been
| hopeless from the moment the Highlanders
were caught. To anticipate Methuen's next
move is hardly possible for any one not
in his camp. There can hardly be at pres
! ent any possible reinforcement. The most
/ serious fact this moment is the spread of
the Dutch uprising in Cape Colony. For
| this state of things there is only one con-
| ceivable remedy, the defeat of the Beers.
! The next event expected is a decision in
Natal. Buffers advance may take place any
1 moment. Boer success has exhibited the
| British empire in very unfavorable light
! The British cause has no friends in Europe
Ought not the government in a crisis of this
kind commission every ship in the queens
navy? Foreign intervention is not expected,
but suppose it came?"
No News from the Front.
LONDON Dec. 14.-4:40 a. m-The War
! Office is still without news from Ladysmith
other than that already published.
| The general belief is that the large Boer
forces Lord Methuen encountered at Magers-
fontein were largely drawn from Natal and
that General Butler will strike blow before
these have time to return.
The newspapers are calling on the govern
ment to employ the Cunarders as well as the
White Star steamers as transports, seeing
the urgent necessity for getting more men
to the cape as speedily as possible. Forty
thousand men could be still sent from Eng
land without calling on the military for for
eign service
The Daily Chronicles Modder river dis
patch, which is at variance with all tho
| other reports, represents Lord Methuens
force as retiring on Tuesday on the camp
at Modder river as the result OF renewed ar
tlllery firing that day. The correspondent
says:
Tuesday forenoon the Beers brought
heavy guns into action. The British artil
lery replied but failed to silence them. Lord
Methuen thereupon withdrew his force out
of range and concentrated at Modder river"
FREERE CAMP, Dec. 13-Fring can be
heard this morning in the direction of Col
enso and an artillery duel is expected to-
day.
After Dead and Wounded.
MoDDER RIVER. Dec 13-Ambulances
started out yesterday under the flag of truce
to collect the wounded and bury the dead at
Magersfontein Brigader General Wauchope.
who led the Highland brigade, was found
dead near the trenches. shot through the
chest and thigh. Several wounded were near
the trenches. The side OF the Hill and the
immediate neighborhood of the Boer trenches
showed dead bodies all about. One wounded
Boer Informed the correspondent that their
loss was terrible. The whole Scandinavian
contingent was destroyed. Judging from
information CLEANED from the Boer wounded
the Boer loss must have been 700 The
destruction wrought by the naval guns was
enormous Word was passed along the Boer
line TO prepare to retreat at nightfall. All
confess that It was their greatest loss dur
ing the war, The British troops have re-
turned to Modder river owing TO the lack
of water on the position held yesterday.
LONDON, Dec. 14.-On the stock exchange
here today at 2 p. m. Rand mines suddenly
jumped up So on the rumors that General
Clery had entered Ladysmith and that Gen
eral Butler had captured 5000 Beers.
LONDON, Dec. IA, 3:55 p ma special
dispatch from Pietermaritzburg says Cen
erals Butler and Clery have entered Lady
smith and have captured 10000 Beers.
LONDON, Dec. A.-The British War Office
has heard nothing Of the story of the relief
OF Ladysmith The officials do not credit the
report as, they add, the relief of the place