The record-union., 1899-10-24

Weak to Hold the Position.
LONDON, Oct 24-No news yet re-
ceived tends to dispel the apprehension
caused by Lord Wolseley's brief sum-
mary of the situation. A Piettermar-
itzburg dispatch says that the censor
now permits no message to be sent
from the front Other dispatches rep
resent the Beers as boasting that Dun
dee is absolutely cut off, and assert
that despite the British victories, the
situation is still uncertain.
The Pretoria dispatch giving the re-
port of General Joubert to the Govern
ment evidently refers to the first bat
tie at Glencoe, and the reasons why
Commandant Erasmus failed to come
to the assistance of Commandant
Meyer cannot be fathomed. Had he
done so the British victory might have
been still more dearly bought. Prob
ably Commandant Meyer, having ar
rived at the rendezvous first, thought
to get all the glory of wiping out the
Britishers himself, and opened the at
tack without waiting for the others.
If so the Beers suffered badly because
of his hastiness.
1t appears, however that the bril-
liant victory at Glands Laagte was
productive of no effect for the relief of
Glencoe, and the very reticence and
brevity of Lord Wolseley's communica-
ton are only ominous. 1t seems TO be
Worded to prepare the public for bad
news and it is only too likely that
General Yule has been compelled to
abandon the wounded and prisoners al
Dundee because his force is too weak
to hold the four and half miles sep
arating Dundee from Glencoe.
Probably General Yule believes he can
better protect Dundee from an enemy
advancing from the northwest by con-
centrating all his available strength at
Glencoe, where there are now $500 men
and three batteries. In the meantime
efforts will be made to reopen the rail
way and to get reinforcements from
Ladysmith.
1t is expected that Commandant
Erasmus has by this time Joined Com
mandant General Joubert and that
their combined columns amounts to
some 10000 or II 900 men, whil& the
Free States Beers now threatening
Ladysmith from the east and a column
reported TO be coming through Zulu
land must also be reckoned with.
In short, General Sir George Stewart
White has been unable to follow ND his
successes, and is obliged to remain at
Ladysmith, without being able to re-
store railway communication, which IS
probably broken at other points beside
Glands Laagte. Thus the enemy. al
though their original plan, which was
supposed to have been that of Colonel
Schiel, failed, may fairly be credited
with having isolated General Yule's bri-
gade and divided the British forcas IN
Natal. General Yule may find himself
in a tight place, needing :all his expe-
rience in Indian and Burmese fight
ing to extricate himself.
1t is quite evident that the War Office
has news which has been withheld from
the public, and, if the situation as
here sketched, is confirmed, Boer di-
visions may be expected at other from
tier points.
Up to midnight the War Office was
besieged with inquiries. the heavy lists
of British losses causing much heart
burning. Said workingman who was
reading the list: IF this is the price
of suzerainty, good God but we are
paying in full"
1t is regarded as not impossible that
General White may yet be compelled
to concentrate all the Natal forces al
Ladysmith, and await the arrival OF
the army corps.
A dispatch to the Times from
Colesburg, Cape Colony. says: 1.-The
situation (Monday) is grave. The Beers
are $500 strong. and will be reinforced
from Driekop. The defense is only
possible. The town guard will retire
on Naauwpoort on the appearance OF
the enemy. The Driekop force is esti-
mated at 1,500 men. The fighting at
Glenco has been placarded at Bethulie
the frontier town on the east London
line, as a brilliant victory"
Interesting and gratifying accounts
are supplied by the war correspondents
of the battle of Glands Laagt, of which
the following are xtracts:
The Daily Telegraph" says: Gen
eral French commenced the action al
$50 a. m The enemy had only Just
finishd coffee when they We're surprised
and nearly all our prisoners were
caught in the vicinity of the captured
train. The mining and railway officials
escaped from the enemy and came in
to us to the number of thirty-seven
whites, besides many natives and cool
les Both of the latter class had been
robbed and compelled to work by the
Beers, the whites were treated fairly
well, though they were made to take
an oath to remain neutral, ETC. A Boer
Sergeant, a native of Cape Colony, hid
his rifle and came in with twenty of his
captives.
1.-THE Manchester Regiment, with the
characteristic hardihood of British in
fantry all marched straight back al
the enemy, too often careless of taking
cover, despite the rattling, kissing and
splitting of the Mauser bullets. Tommy
Atkins says in effect. What. what
hide from yokels? Let 'em shoot
Discipline has it's drawbacks as well
as it's advantages, and our soldiers who
have learned the Boer tactics are now
capable of readjusting the mistakes OF
the past. The panorama was colored