The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-06
CATCHES BREATH.
Weight Lifted From Mind OF
British Public
By News That Ladysmfth Still
Holds Out.
NEW FEAR AROUSED
By Movement of Beers Into
Cape Colony.
NEW FEAR AROUSED
Can't Understand Where So
Many Dutch Come From.

London, Nov 6.-An immense weight
was lifted from the public mind by a
brief official dispatch published this
morning by which the continental
stories of disaster at Ladysmith were
proved to be false although the dis
patch itself revived the anxiety of the
more timid in another direction as 1t
indicated that Gen. White, instead OF
sitting tight and acting wholly on the
defensive, as it is held in many quar-
ters he ought to do, persists in making
sorties and risking another NichOlson'S s
Mex disaster. Generally, however, the
CHEEKY tone of the dispatch showing
that there is anxiety at Ladysmith
as regards the ability of the beleagured
garrison to hold its own, has had an
excellent effect on the country. From
the fact that Gen. White is able to
take the offensive and shell Boer
camp, it seems that Ladysmith is not
so closely besieged as was supposed.
Not much Importance, however, IS
attached to the shelling of the BOer
laager. as the war office has no con-
frmation of the story that the Orange
Free Staters camp at Besters has been
captured Were this true it might
have considerable effect on the future
attitude of the Orange Free State, which
IS not 50 QlTeClly COiICGIA4CO III liz 49,
fict as the Transvaal.
The movement of Beers into Cape
Colony is beginning to awaken British
fear that they have greatly undereStl-
mated the forces they will have to meet
and that even Gen Buffers task may
not be so easy as anticipated 1t IS
becoming apparent that all the British
calculations, based on the loyalty OF
population are hOpelessly at sea, or
there has been a very serious leakage
| of Dutch sympathizers from Natal and
i Cape Colony. Otherwise there is no ac-
| counting for the large forces of
| burghers reported from all directions
| The war office consequently is being
| urged to have more troops in readiness
| for all possible demands.
The evacuation of COlensO and the
| reported withdrawal of the British
! force from Stormberg are still unex-
| planned.
| The former may be due to either the
| BOer artillery, rendering the place un-
| tenable, to the fact that pressure
| elsewhere, possibly at Pfetermaritzburg
! has necessitated the concentration at
| troops. 1t is said that if the objective
| of the Beers traversing Zululand was
| Pietermaritzburg they ought shortly to
| be heard from. That the position is
I regarded as serious is apparent from
! the fact that British cruisers are hurry
! to the Cape station
| With regard to Storm berg it is
| claimed that if it turns out to be true
! that the place has been evacuated it
I may either be due to the impOssibility
| at present of providing adequate
| garrison to defend such important sup
| plies against the Boer raids, or to a
! change in Gen. Buffers plans whereby
! Gen. Methuen'S division will be landed
/ al Durham to relieve Gen. White. If the
| latter plan is decided on the nearest
! available stores are those at Stormberg
! and the quickest method of making the
! necessary provision for an advance will
| be to railroad these stores to East Lon
| don whence they would reach Durham
| before the first troopship.
A dispatch from Portland says that
! the special service squadron has been
| instructed to coal for voyage and that
| no one connected with the squadron is
| permitted to sleep outside the port
| Avices from Cape Town under date
| of November 8 say martial law has
! been proclaimed in the districts Occu-
! pied by the British troops between the
/ Orange river and De Aar. The premier,
/ Mr.. w. p. Schreiner, has sent a circu-
| lar to the magistrates and others warn
! ing all persons against statements to
! the effect that the parliamentary insti-
| tutions and constitutional government
| will be lost or detrimentally affected. He
| add that the proclamation of martial
law is only a matter of temporary ur-
gency in some districts and does not
| compel the burghers of the colony to
| participate in the deplOrable hostifi-
| ties
Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-
HOlStein, grandson of Queen Victoria
| and a captain in the Kings Royal Ri
| fies, and other officers have left Cape
Town for Ladysmith to replace the
| dead and wounded.
The Boer prisoners have been taken
| on board the British cruiser Penelope.
| They number nine officers and $50 men.
! The Dutch farmers of Aliwal Mort h
/ have passed a resolution making a
strong protest against the allegations
of the disloyalty of the Dutch in Cape
| Colony.
An official notice posted at the Ian
drost's office at Vryburg. October %.
referring to the bOmbardment of Ma
! feking, says:
''The big Pretoria gun wrought great
destruction but the enemy Obstinately
holds his own"
Other advices from Vryburg say the
British flag still floats over Kuruman,
but that a Boer force is about to pro-
ceed thither. The Dolariss command
has been reinforced by 5000 Beers and
has gone to Kimberley.