The record-union., 1899-11-01

never was the old saying, Bad news
travels quickly" better exemplifed here
than to-day. BY noon gloom and bit
ter sorrow prevailed throughout the
British metropolis.
An official Of the War Office said to a
representative of the Associated Press:
The disaster is more likely due to the
craze of our younger officers to distin-
guish themselves. obtain mention in
the dispatches and earn the Victoria
Cross than to the fault Of that splendid
Indian veteran, General White, in spite
of his avowal.''
AS the day wore on, the crowd
around the War Office swelled to enor-
NOUS proportions, and at Gloucester
the home of many of those engaged, the
widest excitement prevailed.
The throngs of visitors at ne War
Office remained all day. Anxious peo-
pie practically fought their way to the
notice board. Most affecting scenes
were witnessed. Many women were
heard to gasp: Thank God, he's alive
at any rate as they found the name
OF some beloved one on the list of
prisoners. The sidewalks We're packed
with solid masses awaiting their turn
to enter.
There was continuous stream of
callers at the War Office until a late
hour, everybody anxiously inquiring re-
garding yesterdays casualties, but the
War Office declared that nothing had
been received since Gen. Whites dis
patch communicating the news of the
capture of the Royal Irish Fusileers
and the Worcestershire regiments. This
delay in getting further intelligence is
attributed in part to the breakdown
or the East Coast cable, but it stands
to reason that the War Office must he
possessed of further news which it is
probably not thought advisable should
be published as yet.
: The disaster has caused a feeling
akin to CONSERVATION, and in Glouces-
tershire and the North of Ireland,
where the captured regiments were re-
cruited, the blacklist gloom prevails,
Families awaiting with beating heart,
the names Of the killed and wounded,
which are fully expected to reach a
high figure. Many homes are already
in mourning in consequence of. th-
losses sustained by these regiments in
previous engagements. Public anxiety v
was increased by a special dispatch
from Ladysmith published in the lat
editions of the London papers to tbs
effect that before darkness yesterda y
the Beers reoccupied the old position
held by their heavy artillery, whicr
General White had reported silence
by the guns of the naval brigade from
the Powerful, and had opened nre
again.
The dispatch further says:
The enemy are again closing in,
the situation is one of grave anxi
Beyond doubt the Boer movement ye .
terday (Monday) was a ruse to n v
General White into the hilly country
and away from the Britis,' camp"
This last sentence is significant, and
confirms the opinion of military experts
here that General White is allowing
himself to be out-generaled by Com
mandant General Joubert.
From the scant advices received no
to IL p. m. it seems tolerably certain
that the disaster was a simple repeti-
ton of the battle of Majuba Hill,
though on large scale. The two reg
iments were allowed to march into a
trap set for them by the Beers. 1t is
simply a case of the Boer spider and
the guileless British fly In fact. the
whole engagement Of Monday seems
to have been brought on by Command
ant General Joubert, who skillfully
conceived a gigantic trap, out Of which,
as the official dispatch shows. Sir
George White only escaped with diff
Guilty.
General White advanced with the
idea of driving the Beers from the hill
seven miles out, which General Joubert
made an ostentatious show of terrifying
on Sunday. The Boer commander left
a force sufficient to draw General
White, while the mass of she Beers Re
moved stealthily round the British
right to deliver a flank attack, and to
endeavor to cut off General White from
Ladysmith. The British commander
succeeded in beating off the attack,
but only with great difficulty, and dur
ing the turning movement, his troops
suffered from a fianking fire.
Harsh things are said in military cir
cles of the British tactics which have
made possible the ambush of the Eigh-
teenth Hussars at Glencoe and now the
loss of two fine regiments. 1t is feared
that Sir George White is no match for
the Beers in that cunning by which the
Beers are conceived, and it is pointed
out that if the British Commanders
continue to lead their men into obvious
traps further disasters must be looked
for
An interview is published with a.
British officer. whose name is with
held, but who is described as a "well
Known General with distinguished
record during the Indian mutiny." in
the course of which he passes severe
criticism upon the conduct of the cam
paign.
Yesterdays disaster" saws the on
Ger, lis only another proof of serious
laundering. Although Sir George White
Is good regimental commander, he
does not seem to excel in strategy or the
management of a big division. / re-
gard the Glencoe business as another
example of laundering"
proceeding to discuss the engagement
at Glencoe, the officer observes: Some
OF the enemy's officers were allowed to
occupy and plant guns on Talana Hill.
Nothing was done to stop this until
the Beers began to shell Glencoe on
the following morning. AS for yester-
days casualty, it seems inexcusa BILE
tnat the two regiments should have
peen allowed to separate themselves
from the main body. especially with a
considerable swarm of the enemy
against them. I know I aip expressing
the opinion OF many military officers