The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-12-06
BRITISH COLUMNS At 4 STANDST|LL.
STRONG BoER OPPOSITION.
English Must Cross TugaIa River Before They
Can Relieve Ladysmith-Ioubert Mas
an Immense Advantage.

! the Cape Dutch refer to it as affecting
| only the younger members OF the COM
munity, but it is certain the COM
mandoes restraining British advance
| on Queenstown and Naauwpoort must
draw their strength principally from
this source
From Natal the report of the most
| importance is the blowing up OF CO.
| lenso bridge. II that be so it is evil
dence that the last OF the Bocr army
is across the Tugela river and that Gen
eral Joubert intends to oppose the cross
| ing OF the British from the northern
side. His mobility will give him an
immense advantage.
Since the Indian mutiny no war
Britain ever waged has involved so wide
range OF interest and many OF the
former campaigns only cost what they
are now losing in a single battle. The
silence which General Methuen is inn
posing on himself and all the CORE
| spondents is difficult TO explain.
Advices from Ladysmith report that
all the British in camp and town are
well and also cheerful But, having
been closely besegcd since October 80,
they are naturally anxious to hear from
the outside world.
The reconnaissance made Sunday by
General Hildyard and Lord Dun
| donald's command gave an excellent
| opportunity for studying the country.
| On approaching Colenso the British
| found on every side scenes OF devasta-
ton that testified to the thoroughness
OF Boer lootng. The Williams farm
and others had been ransacked from
end to end In some cases the contents
of every room OF the farm houses had
been destroyed. The Beers had evil
IDENTIFY burned what they could not carry
off. The prosperity OF the Boer COM
missariat was testified to by the corn
| husks that were to be seen about the
| deserted camp fires OF the enemy. The
wreck OF the armorcd train, still visible,
| showed that a Boer shell had broken
an axle, which had obviously caused
the accident to one car that lay on its
side. The other car was upright, but
both were completely riddled by the
enemy's bullets and artillery fire. Two
graves nearby bore the inscription, TO
fallen soldiers" The main Boer force
is now gradually getting near Chieveley
| station.
The London war office publishes the
following dispatch from Cape Town:
"The transport Ismore is ashore on
the rocks of St. Helena bay. The
troops have been safely landed, but the
horses are still on board II. NJ. S.
Doris and Niobe, with the transport
| Columbian, have gone to her assistance.
Commandant Delarey has reported to
President Kruger that the burghers, in
spite OF their determined defense at
Gras Pan, November IS, were COM
pletely surrounded by the British and
were compelled to retire.
The Boer commander on the western
border reports that IL burghers were
killed and 40 wounded in the fighting
at Belmont.
Commandant Dutoit sends the follow
ing report to the council OF war from
| Kimberley:
Early Sunday the British made a
sortie, supported by cannon and
Maxims. Under cover OF darkness
they advanced in the direction OF
Bloemhof. Two hundred burghers en-
countered them, and | brought up an
killed and II wounded. The British
left two on the ground, but an ambu-
lance removed these"
Arthur ]. Baliour government leader
in the house of commons, addressing
the National Conservative conference
at Dewsbury recently, repelled the
charge that the governments motive
| in the war in South Africa was the
acquisition Of the gold fields. British
ers were now sacrificing the lives OF
those dearest to them, he asserted, for
the sake OF the security and honor OF
the empire. The first acts OF the drama
were being played in Cape Colony and
| Natal; but the dcnoument would be
| played, he trusted, in dominions not
now subject to the crown.
General Methuen's British troops
| fought bloody battle at the Modder
river on the way to the relief OF KIM
bcrley last Thursday. The battle was
| indecisive.
81 have now come to the conclusion"
he said, that the declaration OF war by
the Transvaal and the Free State was
not any dcspairing struggle for liberty,
but bold bid for empire; bid to make
themselves the nucleus OF a Dutch
speaking, paramount power in South
Africa. These people have risked their
all upon the stake OF war, and it is in
credible that such risk would be run
merely to prevent the Outlander getting
a vote.
Last but not least, may we not on
| tnlS occasion tNpTtsS our BIdtlluuc u
our American friends, who have done
all that is possible in a case like this,
namely, have provided and equipped
the Maine, not only in the interests OF
humanity, but, as / we'll believe, out
of sympathy for those engaged in this
great fight"
The list of the total casualties at
Modder river, Tuesday, is as follows:
Killed, 70; wounded, 1914; missing, 7,
The war Office promulgated an order
Saturday calling out further portion
OF the army reserve.
General Methuen, stationed at Mod
der river, is enabled to communicate
with Kimberley by means of search
| light
| Aguinado's youngest child, who was
recently christened at Tarlas with great
ceremony, died and was buried at Day
amban in Aguinaldo's fight.
At THE NATIONAL CAPITAL,