The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-12-04
Still No News of Modder
River Battle.
Appointment Of Consul Hay
PleaSes England.

London, December 4, 40 a. m.-Ths
weak opsred without word Of news
such as the British public IL so anxious
ly awaiting. With q larger army In TIE
fie.d than the country ever before mobil-
lied, it oan only be sad that the lose Of
torders have been crossed Is q serious
matter. ard while there is no feeling Of
despof dsnoy rs to the eventual result oi
the war. II Is regrentfully tduitt d on
all Sides that the strength of the Boel
resistance has been woefully urd,r rated
IL 10 now seen that the attempt to hold
q useless position at Mafskins was q ssri-
GUS tactical mistake. as was also the en-
dsavor to keep the large OWL population
at Kimberlsy.
Perhaps the brig htest spot for English
rerdsrs today Is the announcement that
President Mckinley had d ssIgnated the
son Of Secretary Hay TO succeed Mr.
Macrum In Pretoria. The Daily 1ele-
graph says:
"This appointment is a graceful ,onces.
sion on the part Of the United States
government TO British feeling. Our
countrymen's interests will be safe In the
hands Of the new consul"
South African news IL now six days In
arrears. The censorship does not yet per.
mit the dstails OF the Meddsr river
tassls to be transmitted Some vague
statements have been published In the
Capetown papers ard acooIdins to these,
the Beers NUN bersd su00 men and were
entrenchsd on both banks of the stream,
although mostly on the northern bank
The British, according to these accounts, i,
drove the enemy across tn 9 river, com-
psllin2 them to retreat, and tstablishs d
themselves on both banks. These details,
however, are too msagrs to enable an
accurate idsA of the engagement to he
formed.
A despatch has reached l. ondon an
nouncing that Lord Methuen is again In
the fled ard 1t is also said that Count
Glsichen, who was wound d in the
nghtingat Moddsr river, was struck By
bullet In the neck.
Serious news comes from the northern
sections Of Cape Colony. The whole bor
dsr district bewtesn Colesburg and Burg
hers1orp has declared for the Beers. In
Ventsrstad alone more than 200) ha ys
Joined the rebellion. The farmers have
formed Q communicating committee and
ak confidently OF q triumphant march
to Capstown. Gen. Bullsr's proclamation
has been torn down and tranpled upon
and the loyalIsts are bidden to hurry 70
Capetown to prepare coffee for the rete.s
The official list shows that a mo iiti-
cation has besn maize in the command
Of the sixth divisio n. Instead Of Lieut.
Gen. Sir Charles Mansf I'D Clarks the
commander will be Major Gen. Thomas
Kelly Kenny, inspector general Of anxil.
isry forces ami recruiting, with Major
Gen. Knox and Major Gen. Clements as
brigade commanders. Gen. Kelly Kenny
has had no South Africa experience.
With regard to Natal 1t 10 still doubtful
whether the brigade over the Tugsla at
Colenso has been destroyed.
There Is report tnat the Briti,h drove
the Eosrs on willis attempting to destroy
IL, but the probability is that the struo.
ture was mined and fired afterward.
According to dispatch from Pitters-
krsal, dated Tuesday, November 2s, the
Bcers were then attempting turnin 9
movements from Steynsburg and the dis
trlcts north OF Stsrk,strom In co-opsra-
tion with tbs rsbe Is by way of Marais-
burg and Taraksstad agains. Gen.
Gatacres' column.