Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-30
LONDON LETTER
Holiday Week Was a Week
Of Mourning.
SERVE THEIR COUNTRY
The Rush to Enlist Continues Without
fAbatement-The Criticism of the
War Office-The Seizure Made in
Delag0a Bay.

London, Dec. 30.-(Copyrighted. 1899. bv
the Associated Press. 1.-The death of the
Duke of Westminster, combined with
the mourning already prevalent on ac-
count OF the war losses, left few OFF the
TITLED families of Great Britain free to
celebrate Christmas week with the usual
FESTIVITIES. The Grosvenor family has
SO many ralniications among the nobility
and such a large number of other titled
people have recently died that one would
almost think the court was in mourning.
10 this condition Of affairs a pathetic
paradox is found in the society news col
umns, which daily announce a long list
Of forthcoming marriages, in which a ma
Jorty are soldiers. 1t is a season of
short engagements and sudden deaths.
M~omentarily expecting orders to sail for
South Africa, the British officers have ap-
parently taken the opportunity ''of strik-
ing while the iron is not" and many a,
quiet marriage is now followed within a
few days by a farewell at Southampton.
For instance, Major Maxse, who took part
in the recent defeat of the khalifa, return
ed to England, married LORD Leconfield's
daughter and is now on his way to the
Cape.
The martial spirit and universal desire
to serve the country at the front shows
no signs of abatement. The action of
England's duke. the Duke CT Norfolk, who
is postmaster general and by no means
a young man Che was born in 1S47) volun-
teering for active service is the latest ex-
ample OFT the spirit which pervades all
classes. The Duke of Norfolk's position
in the cabinet and his tremendous bust
ness interests, to say nothing OF his power
as lay head of the Catholic church in
England. will probably prevent the ac-
ceptance of his offer.
4 The Duke of Gonna ught, whose ardent
Tp01laStS fn he y 11nN.a1 ia 90 r., South Af-
RIGA nave been refused, is mentioned as
likely to succeed General Roberts in
command of the British forces in Ireland.
No little has been caused by
the war Offices tardy recognition of the
engineers and artillery. Until Gem
eral Warren, of the engineers. was sent
out all of the general Ot44cers in the field
We're cavalrymen or inf%antrymen. The
country hoWled for General Warren's an
pointment and at last the mar who knows
South African topography better than
any other general received recognition.
Then followed in quick succession Gem
eral Roberts, an artilleryman, and Gem
erals Kitchener and Cherrnside, engineers,
chiefly directed By the hitherto neglected
"gunnerS and sappers.'
The impression continues to gain
ground that General Butler and mis- SUBJ
o~rdinates "a been instructed to UNDER
take no important movement until the ar
49, aNo'1A - 1tiAta N'b'-l 10 Will
allalgamate the guns under General Cat
acre, Warren and French, subsequently
marching upon Bloemfontein, to capture
that place and draw off the Beers from
L4aaysmith. To accomplish this, it is
believed that Kimberley and Mafaking
may be sacrificed. Whether General Bull
Ter will acqniescp in this arrangement is
seriously doubte by many who know
him and they are rather inclined to be-
lieye he will attempt to emulate General
I(YouJ-Oh who JIn1pn Stnoi13I. cirpll p,ct MOO
retrieved his reverses in India while Sir
Charles Napier was coming out to super
sede him.
The seizure fails to excite much popular
interest IN England. 1t Is generally looked
upon as a Tine point OF international law
lhat VIII De afnlcaolS settled. so tar
no oliieia! steps IA the matter nave peeh
taheh o"lla 70 Tue lo4.drilIal OIL Tue NJ
etssaiy papsis rom washington, me
~ an ~ 'uu,n,naa.oalnaa, "a" autnoli-
80 20 ~ .iia'.'iio"s ! ue,iaiiis
eaa nstua,n ahoe.u - ueeiaie
80 80 .,tHaa. ~ - ~
g SC -, l,,.
..E,,11v "a NO, o,,+ ~ o,, ra,7 aa,,a.
from Aynerica tha colonies ana nthar
countries We have ceased Ia mako a,y
effort TO rba s~alf-silnnorting ,rhis con.
dition constitutes a danger ONLY bearabla
because of our confidence in the strength
of the British navy and in the friendship
and self-interest of the United States. The
states may be counted on to fill our larier
ins both peace and war. but 50 essential
have American supplies become to our
safety that we must take no step likely
to lead to an Interruption OF the enormous
supply OF foodsturfs.
Our enemies on the continent would re-
Jolce II we Intercepted l'e Iooosluis now
passing INTO the liaiisNadi via DeidSoa
pay. uahseious piFIeusht "oulo aus
r. pT nois nd a. Nc drsf onnartnnitv" -"