The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-11-04

ETY.. beyond QOuDt the DOtr retire
ment Monday was a ruse to draw Gen.
White into the billy country and
away from the British camp"
This last sentence is significant and
confirms the opinion of military eN-
perts here that Gen. White is allowing
himself to be out-generalled by Com
mandant-General Joubert.
A Repetition of Majuba Hill.
From the scanty advices received up,
to IL o'clock p. m. it seems tolerablv
certain that the disaster was a simple
repetition of the battle or Majuba
hill, though on a larger scale. The
two regiments were allowed to march
into a trap set for them by the Beers.
i. is simply a cas- of the Bore spider
and the guileless British fly. In fact
the whole engagement of Monday
seems to nave been broughton by Com
mapdant-General Joubert, who skill
fully conceived a gigantic trap, out of
which, the official dispatch shows, Sir
George White only escaped with diff
Guilty
Out.GeneraIe0 Dy
Gen. White advanced with the idea
OF driving the Beers from the hill sew
en- miles out which Gen. Joubert made
an ~ostentatious show of terrifying On
Sunday.
The Boer commander left a force
sufficient to draw Gen. White on, while
the mass of the Beers he moved
stealthily round the British right to.
deliver a flank attack and to. endeavor
to cut off Gen. White from Ladysmith.
The British commander succeeded in
beating off the attack, but only with
difficulty, and during the turning
movement his troops suffered from a,
fianking fire.
Harsh Criticism.
Harsh things are said in military cir
cles OF the British tactics, which have
maze possible the ambush of the
Eighteenth hussars at Glencoe and
now the loss of two fine regiments. II
is feared that Sir George White is no
match for the Beers in that cunning
by which the Beers tactics are cnn-
ceiyed, and it is pointed out that if the
British commanders continue % lad
their men into obvious traps further
disasters must be looked for.
An interview is published with d
British officer whose name is withheld.
but who is described as "a well-known
general with a distinguished record
during the Indian mutiny." in the
course of which he passes severe criti-
cism upon the conduct of the earn
paign.
Another Proof of laundering.
Mondays disaster" says the office.
lis only another proof of serious blum
dcrirg. Although Sir George White is
4 good regimental commander, he does
nor seem to excel in strategy or the
management of u big division. | re-
gard the Glencoe business a. another
example of laundering"
Proceeding TO discuss the engare
mcnt at Glencoe, the officer observes.
Some of the enemy's officers were III
lowed 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 Mondays casualty it seems mex
cusablc that the WI regiments should
have been allowed to separate them
selves from the main body. especially
with n considerable swarm of the enc
my against them. | know | am eT-
pressing the opinion of many militia
>4s..,- W. ,ro I,1 ,,I.I a.,
war office for having prematurciy al
lowed the issuance of glowing reports
Of victories without equal ~frankncss
and promptitude in disclosing the cir
cumstances discounting these re-
pcrts.-"
Gen. Whites Case.
Sir George Whites honest admission
of full responsibility and the terms uf
his dispatch are regarded i'll some cir
cles as virtually placing his ease in the
hands of the home authorities, and il
was even rumored late last evening
that the war office has already decided
to supersede him. The report. how
ever, is discredited in well informed
quarters.
ReinfoEceEients soon to Arrive.
About 5000 fresh troops will arrive
at Cape Town on Sunday next from
England and will be available to rein
force Sir George White. Troops VII
arrive there daily after Sunday until
by the end of next week $4,000 troops.
will have been landed in South Africa
These men are intended for Gen. Red
v~ers-liuller's army but they will an
doubtcdly be detached to Natal if the
there should become perilous.
The British army will eventually reach.
the huge total OF S9,634, of which Co.
63i will be regulars and the other &C.
OOo miscellaneous, but excellent CO.
lorjai troops.
Accept the Alleged Annexation.
London, Nov. 1.-The colonial Office
last evening a dispatch from
Alfred Miner, governor OF Cap.a
Colony, saying that he had issued a
proclamation in reply to the Boer proc
lamation annexing 4 portion of Cape
Colony, in the course of which he had
British subjects to diregard
all such annexation announcements.
Sir Alfred adds, however, that so FIR
rs re can discover the people north of
the Naal river accept the alleged an