The Topeka state journal., 1899-11-18
A HEAVY DRAIN.
War In Africa Takes Many
Members of Families
Which Are ReckOned In the
Best Blood of England.
CALLING OF MILITIA.
Withdraws Many Distinguished
Men From Their Duties.
Criticism of the War Depart
ment Continues.

copyrighted, 1899, by Associated Press)
London, Nov. 1S.-The military fervor
which has seized the whole of the na-
ton shows no sign of abatement rms
is scarcely to be wondered at when II
is realized how many households OF all
degrees, throughout the United King
dom, are affected and how deeply the
iron of war has entered into the nap
piness of the people For instance
Mrs. PecheH had three sons, officers,
ordered to the Cape and two of them
are now dead. Sir Anthony Weldon OF
Kildare when the war commenced hao
four sons, three brothers and nNe
nephews, in the service. The hst Is
now one less, since Capt. W eldon was
killed at Dundee Lord George Hamll-
ton, the secretary of state for 1ndla,
has one son and thirteen nephews in the
field. The Duke of AthOl has three
sons in the war, including LORD l ulll-
bardine, his heir, While three DrOlueIS
of the Duchess of York, Prlnces Auoi- Aoi-
phus, Francis and Alexander OF Iech'
are all bound for or are in South A1rlca:
Thus it will be seen that the case OF
the widow of the Irish sergeant whose
seven sons are serving in the ranks at
the Cape which Queen Victoria has
recognized by a kindly letter and gilt:
has parallels in the highest circles OF
The calling of the militia also takes
many distinguished men from their reg
ular duties, including Mr. A. Akers-
| lain and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach also
[ lose a secretary apiece. Titled officers
| without end are now called upon 70 90
| home service.
! ARMORED TRAINS.
| The prominent part being played by
/ the armOred train in the war has set
/ the service critics at work surmislng
! its place in warfare of the future. The
/ Engineer. whose military critic is the
! well known Order-BrOwn, says; w e
/ look to see some form Of arTnOred tram
much more generally used in the ~
! ture than now. 1t may ma 1u4l HeIu
| in motor cars, or it may take the form
| of armOred screens, mounted on WheelS,
| which men can push before them we
/ feel that circumstances will eventually
! compel us to do on land, what mas long
/ been forced on us to do at sea, IN lhe
way of armOr and the present war may
be the starting point IN SplIe OA IIe
/ ridicule which fell on the bullet PROOF
| cuirass two or three years ago
Criticism of the intelligence depart
/ ment of the war office continues to ap-
| pear in publications Of all kinds Even
! the conservative Times makes it the
object Of scathing denunclatlonS' say
| ing: 1--WE hope the war office haVlhS
| learned by experience what might nave
been learned from cheaper sources VIII
not omit to provide our troops with
artillery heavier and with longer range
than our excellent field guns
LONG LOOK AHEAD.
| It apDears that Ladysmith was cho-
sen at least two years ago as an out
| ont that the OmmiSSiOn to provide 1t
with guns of equal calibre to those OF
| the Beers, cannot be charged to the un-
! certainty and political conditions WhICn
Immediately preceded the present hos
There is also considerable fear in
! British circles that the ammunition or
the naval guns at Ladysmith viii soon
give out, if it is not already exhausted
| only ten Lyddite shells per gun are
! carried on each cruiser and though II IS
| believed the sailors took an extra sup
pIy secured from other ships, it is felt
that they must husband their resources
| in order to enable them to make the
artillery effective until the place is re-
| lieVed. Though part of the small arm
nunitiOn reserved for the British vol
unteers has ben requisitiOned and sent
! ont for the use of the regulars in South
7 Africa there is little likelihood of any
serious scarcity of these weapons as the
manufacture OF such ammunlIoh Is
now being pushed forward at rate
which ensures an adequate supply.
BATTLESHIP GLORY.
The special preparations which are
{ | being made for fitting out the battle
! ship Glory now building at B1rkenhead
have given rise to the belief that the
: ! Duke of York will hoist his flag on her
= / for the special purpose of greeting the
l ! American squadron which is expected
= ! to visit Spithead next summer That
. ! such a naval visit will be paid is taker
= | for granted by the British naval Off
! | cials. Among the special preparations
+, / in connection with the Glory are paint
| ing the gig royal blue and careful ar
! rangements to prevent draughtS arounC
| the commander in chiefs bed.
:, There is considerable disappointment
| in Great Britain consequent upon tn,
Il / announcement that the Emperor viii
d be unable to attend the public func
s tfons projected in his honor and tina
$ the royal visit has now been curtaileC
l. to a visit to the queen at Windsor an
to the Prince of Wales at Sandring
. | ham. but this was not taken in order t.
: rob the visit of political significance.
n According to a dispatch to the Dali,
News from Berlin, Count on BuelOv
| brings with him PriVy Councillor Kleh
. J metz of the German foreign office, VIII
r. deals with eastern Asiatic affairs.
e CHOPIN'S REMAINS.
e The proposition to transfer the re
mains of Chopin from Paris to CracOv
for interment in the vault of the Pol
ish kings, has brought out contribution
= of 2 900 forms each from Frederic
d | Chopin and PaderewsBi. 1t is intende
5 | to make the re-interment the occasiO
s for a great Polish festival.
4. The cable accounts of Sir Henry Irv
= ing's American success are whettin
n the appetftes of the London actors VIII
re have future United States engage
ments. In the meantime the LOndO
l. theaters continue to pour out a. streaI
of gold into the lap of Mrs Tomm
le Atkins It is estimated that 5000 pei
l. sons heard the Kiphng poem read an
sung in London music halls nightly.