The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-12-23

1HSAA -
Gen. Meuhuen's Communications.
Cut-Largc Force of nsone
Troops Will Leave India for
South Africa at Once Duke OF
C]onnaueht Anxious to Go to h e
Free Hand-Boers Have Unlimit-
ed Ammunition and Stores.
Inn,1on. Dec. 20. - The Daily Mail
hears from a hitherto reliable CORE
snoncent that Gen. Butler. after a
| fight, crossed the Tugela river. The
correspondent also states that Gen.
Methuen's communications a:e cut.
London. Dec. 20.-The war once has
been in communication With Gen. Sir
| William Lockwood, communicating
chief in India, with Il view oil ;scer.
tanning what troops can be spared
from his force. and it is understood
that as a result of these INQUIRIES a
force will almost Immediately leave
Bombay for Durham. consisting OF
four regiments of seasoned troops,
with a battery of artillery ana two
batteries of field artillery: 1T Is *
pected these troops will reinforce Gen.
Butler.
The duke of C%onnaught visited the
war office Yesterday and urged that
the question of rank no longer bars
him from going to the front. and as
he is anxious to go. it is only the
queens reluctance stands in the way.
1t is believed that that will be over
come. Lord Gresham, commanding
the Royal Buckinghamshire Ieoman-
Nv. has been authorized to organize a
force of 300 Yeomanry who will pro-
coed to the Cape.
1t is reported that the volunteers are
responding with the utmost activity
to the official call. Lord Lonsdale said
he expected only to need twenty yeo-
many from each yeoman regiment.
Free Hand for Roberts.
The Times says. editorially: Lord
Roberts will have absolutely Il free
hand and may be expected to resume
the original plan of campaign aban-
doned by Gen. Butler under the heces-
sity of relieving Ladysmith."
According to the dispatch from Cape
Town Gen. Sir Charles Warren and
his staff have started for DeAAr. This
seems to indicate that the Fifth di-
vision will be sent to reinforce Lord
Methuen, a decision which will meet
with general approval. as the opinion
is almost everywhere held that it will
be useless to waste any more time by
frittering away men between the vari-
GUS columns. The inquiries among
Liverpool shipowners show that trans
p%ortation for $4,000 men with horses
and equipment can be ready before
the men are prepared to start. =
J. B. Robinson. the South African
millionaire, writes to the Daily ChrOn.
icle reasserting that the Beers have
unlimited supply Of ammunition and
ample stores of food, and declaring
that all statements to the contrary
should be ignored.
No further news has been received
from Cape Town. but the Cape Argus
has a dispatch from a correspondent
describing the battle at Tugela river,
which says: Gen. Barton carried the
village Of Colenso at the point of the
bayonet and under a raking fire"
The few accounts of the battle that
ate idea, but the statement that Gen.
ClCIN COl1lllil1lNlSu OOSlAOyS lIC 1SS(t
that he was engaged in some turning
movement, and that the Tugela river
engagement was only a part of q
larger movement.
To Avoid Unplcasantness.
London, Dec. 20. - The Daily Mail
publishes the following dispatch from
ministers at The Hague have asked
,,1Nr,,iScin1, 70 ,sofipo fn Anfy.0rrN with
a view of avoiding personal unpleas-
antness during the anti-English atti-
tude Of the Dutch. There is 10 founda-
ton for the reports ON the continent
that the diplomatic relations between
Great Britain and The Netherlands
are strained"
More Troops From Canada.
ottawa, Ont, Dec. 2O.-The imperial
government has accepted the offer Of
the dominion government to send q
second contingent to the Transvaal.
The minister of militia in making the
announcement said that while it was
not specified in the cable what is re-
Quired, the contingent will largely be
made up of cavalry and artillery. The
contingent will be sent without delay.
Gen. Gatacre's Precautions.
SISIhSl1OAus NdpC SOAOAys 4JCS. SV.-
Gen. Gatacre has issued a proclama-
ton forbidding all persons living on
farms to move about the district or to
visit Sterkstrom, except ON Saturdays,
and then only with passes, under pain
Of summary arrest. 1t is understood
that the proclamation is directed par.
ticularly to prevent the conveying of
information as to British movements.
British Withdrew Under Fire.
London, Dec. 2O.-A dispatch from
Naauwpoort, Cape Colony, Dec. 16,
says: ''The Beers brought n big gun
to bear on the British near War Krop.
The British pieces were too small to
reach the enemy and after an inter-
mittent artillery duel, Gen. French
withdrew under fire. but without loss,
to Arundel"
Another Australian Contingent.
Melbourne. Dec. 2O.-An Australian
mounted contingent of n thousand men
will sail for South Africa before JAM.
10. An additional New South Wales
battery of artillery is to sail immedi-
ately.
FLAGM RIA MED