The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-07
LESSON LEARNED.
The British Are PrOfiting by
Shafter's Experience
In Taking the United States
Army to Santiago.
SEVENTY BIG SHIPS
And a Number of Transports
Are Engaged
In Conveying Men and Supplies
to South Africa.

(Copyright. 1899, by Associated Press.)
London, Oct. THE scope of Great
Britain's military preparations can
scarcely be grasped by the mere read
ing of individual items as these ap-
pear from day to day. a fair notion OF
their immensity can be gained from the
semi official statement that for the
transport of the army corps about
seventy ships of from 1000 to 1000 tons
burden are required, not including d
score or more of transports already on
the way to the Cape. If these vessels
effectively disembark their cargoes or
men, horses and equipment within hVe<
weeks from their date of sailing the
programme will have fulfilled the fore
casts of the most optimistic British
military experts.
If all the troops are able to take their
places as component parts OF the army
corps by the end of November they VIII
have done, according to the best avail
able opinion, remarkably well.-The dis
embarking of Gen. Skaters army from
its 81 transports is not forgotten by
British officers. Although the vessels
to be employed in the Cape service are
of considerably larger average tonnage
than those which carried the Amer1-
cans to Santiago de Cuba, the admiral
ty, in accordance with the existing reg
ulations, is supplying them all, and
taking complete charge from waters
edge to waters edge. This means
tremendous outlay of capital.
Nor do the arrangements escape crit
IL
newspapers alleging favoritism and de-
claring that some of the transports are
rotten hulks." The recent break down
of two vessels with troops board is
cited as substantiating this charge, but
there does not seem to be any serious
ground for suppOsing that the admiral
ty is actuated by wrong motives.
Although the impending army corps
is a matter of pre-eminent military in
terest the troops already on the scene
of probable action constitute no insig
nificant body. The original Cape garri-
son was 5000 men and this has been in
creased by 4,500. There are 12.0UU men
at sea, on the way to the Cape and their
arrival will make the approximate total
of British troops in South Africa, prior
to the arrival Of the army corps, 25, 800
These troops do not include the irreg-
ular forces. the Cape mounted sentinels,
the Port Elizabeth and GERMANTOWN
volunteers, the Natal police, the Dur
ban light infantry, the Australian force
and the regular naval brigade.
The Cape squadron now includes ten
war ships, all heavily manned, and the
British first class protected cruisers
Terrible and Powerful will soon arrive,
enabling the navy to land a brigade of
about 1000 men. Against this array
are opposed the Transvaal and its ally,
the Orange Free State, with perhaps a
sprinkling of natives. This is about all
that can be said regarding the BOer
forces. They are virtually non-regulars
and attempts to estimate their fighting
strength are hopeless, although various
calculations appear daily IN the English
newspapers ranging from $4,000 to 1885,
600 the latter figure being obviously
very extravagant.
The whole question was. summed up
today for the Associated Press by an
influential member of the house of COM
mons, who said:
Before this is ended Great Britain
will have to face every Boer-man or
bOy-strOng enough to fire a gun for the
sake of his country"
The party which the foreigners who
are volunteering under the BOer stand
ard, especially Americans, will take in
the expected conflict prOvOkes much
supposition and comment. The CORE
spondent of the st. James Gazette at
Pietermaritzburg says:
american civil and mechanical engi-
neers have been engaged by the Beers
to dismantIe the Netherlands railway
in the event of a Boer retrograde move
ment upon Pretoria. They will GER
tainly not meet with too considerate
treatment if taken prisoners. Some
thing like g. dozen of these adventurous
Yankees are professional railroad
wreckers, now living in comparative
clover in Pretoria
The Boer ranks will certainly include
a number of Irishmen and former Off
GERS of the German army.
1t is said the Beers will adopt the
policy they adopted in 1881. when ten
sharpShooters were detailed out of each
company to pick off the British Off
GERS.
The Alaska negotiations proceed, al
though Sir Louis H. Davies, the Canad-
ian minister of marine and fisheries is
taking a short vacation in Scotland,
with Lord Strathcona and Mount
Royal. the Canadian high commission
er. The Associated Press learns that
there is a good prospect of a tentative
settlement within a fortnight, although
definite arrangement apparently can
not be reached until the joint high
commission ratifies the pending modus
vivendi.
The French navy is installing wireless
telegraph between the light houses
along the French coast. Judging from
the results of the preliminary expert
ments, the installation will prove of
great value to shipping.
Justin Mccarthy, the historian and
novelist, has just undergone the last of
a series of operations for the relief of
his eyes, and it is now expected that
his sight will be completely restored.
Charles Frohman will give the first
English production Of Hall Gaines play
The Christian, next Monday evening
at Liverpool.
The Cunard line steamship Etruria
will take Sir Henry Irving and Miss
Ellen Terry from Liverpool for New
York on October IA.
Nat Goodwin will sail for the United
States the same day.