Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-13
Lord Salisbury and Others We're
Not Fully Informed by Him,
NOW RUSSIA Is MOVING, TOO
Gen, Gataere Had a Running Fight
TO Get Away British Military stan
Condemns Chamberlain.

New York. Dec IA dispatch 10 the
Tribune from London says
The Mail publishes this morning evil
deuoe Of Russian activity at Ceuta and
Tangier, and IN Central Asia and
Abysslnia, and urges It's readers to
watch the movements Of Russia,
France, and probably another power, In
the event Of any further reverse to
British troops In South Africa.
There are current rumors In high
circles that Lord Salisbury, Sir Michael
Hicks Beach, and other members Of the
cabinet, are now angry with Mr. Cham
berlain for not warning them Of the
magnitude Of what was before the gov
eminent They cannot justly hold him
responsible, when the ministry as a
body fell into a Dutch ambuscade, as
We'll as the war office, Whatever may
be the grievances Of the military stan
or Mr. Chamberlain's own colleagues,
the ministry now has the united coun-
try behind It In carrying on the war
to the bitter end,
The Stormberg reverse causes intense
humiliation, but there are no signs OF
ninohlng from the work which England
has undertaken.
The Dutch forces have not followed
up their Victory at Stormberg by at
tacklng General Gatacre at MOlteno,
and the British reverse has not inter-
rupted French's cautious advance to-
ward Coiesberg, skirmishing having
been renewed on Monday. Gen. Cat
acres secoAd report Of his disastrous
battle Is badly written and leaves the
mystery Of the capture OF portions OF
two battahons unsOlyed. The unfor-
tunate general has no sense OF humor,
or he would have avoided saying that
the policemen took the British army
round some miles and landed II in
an impossible position and that he
had sent the Irish rifles and the
recuperate. Pretoria certainly is not
an ideal conyalescents' home. While
he admits the distance was under
estimated, he acquits his guides Of in
territorial error and thereby Of dellber-
ate treaehery. While the report Is not
clear, It is evident from the belated
dispatches that, after finding himself
completely entrapped, he collected his
force and had a running fight from
ridge 10 ridge for nine miles In the re-
treat, losing two guns and that the ex-
cellent handling OF the field battelS
alone enabled the main body to escape.
The fuslliers and the Irish rifles We're
probably captured in small groups al
different points. and many Of them
were unable to join the column when
the retreat was begun. The number
of missing men from the fuslleers is in
creased by sixty In General Gatacre
report.
President steyn accounts for ASS prls-
oners in one dispatch and 6l2 In an
other.
Seldom have Englishmen had a more
unpleasant war story 10 read, and GER
tainly never one that was told SO badly
by the British general II remains true
that while Gatacre was unfortunate In
his selection of policeman who did
not know the first turning on the right,
he was compelled by his feebleness In
mounted and artillery forces to attack
by night II he were 10 have any hope
or success. HIS reverse points 10 tne
well-worn moral, that the Britist stan
was unprepared for the campaign, and
was very slow in sepdns out cavalry
and artillery.
Gatacre is not alone In being ambus-
caded by the Du-eh allies. The war Of
fee was taken (. surprise when the
war opened and an unsupported
strength Of the Dutch republics IN
Krupp and Creusot artillery and In
fighting force was disclosed. II has
been an open secret that the military
staff has condemned Mr. Chamberlain
for allowing the war to come on before
II was ready. II Is a fact not generally
known that Lord Wolseley urged Lord
Lansdowne TO mobilize an army corps
in July, but that the cabinet overruled
the suggestion. The military stan Is
likely to be sharply criticized for It's
conduct OF the war when Parliament
meets, but II was the ministry that
failed TO look ahead and prepare for
the campaign in good time, instead OF
allowing the grass 20 grow on the veldt
for the Dutch ponies.