The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-01
FEARS FOR THE SAFETY
OF THE PRISONERS
Absence of News Causes the Great
est Anxiety In England.

London, Nov. IAN ominous curtain
has again descended upon affairs in Ma
tai No dispatch, except the official
kilograms Of General Sir George Stew
art White, has thus far been permit
ted to mention the disaster, and no tele
gram from Ladysmith has been receiv-
ed in London since the advices from the
British commander. This gives rise to
a belief that communications have al
ready been cut, in which event some
time must elapse before details regard
ing British losses are received.
If the war office officials have re-
ceived information on this point, they
have refrained from publishing il. Cen
eral Whites estimate that the British
losses were about ninety is evidently
quite separate from the probable loss
in killed and wounded in the captured
battalions.
On this point there is the greatest
suspense among relatives of the pris-
oners. 1t is supposed that the stamped
ing OF the mules meant the carving
away of the reserves of ammunition
and that the troops capitulated after
flring the rounds each man carried.
Speculate On Disaster.
In the absence of news the morning
papers are reduced to speculation as to
opinion is that the misuse of the cav
airy was the real reason for the fan
into the Boer trap. Apparently there
was no cavalry to watch over the safe
~, of the missing column. The Morning
Post, pointing out how near the Brit
ish were TO "a still greater disaster
says:
In capturing the column the Beers
also had the Devonshire regiment prac-
tically at their mercy, and a little more
daring would have made a bad bust
ness much worse, and seeing that a
force strong enough to SCOOP up a
couple of infantry battalions could have
putlftself practically between Sir George
White and his camp, we may be very
thankful that things today are not more
serious than they are. The lesson has
been a severe one. 1t is humiliating
10 find nation of farmers beating SOL.
dlers at their own game. but the soon
er proper respect is had for Boer
strategy and tactics, the better for our
fortunes in Natal"
This SOLDERING note is struck by all
the morning papers today, together
with the expressions of determination
to carry the matter through at what
ever cost The Daily Chronicle, refer
ring editorially to the situation. says:
Humiliation of the Army.
AiteT the patent failure OF the cam
paisn and the terrible humiliation of
the British army, we can only vaguely
hope that Sir George White, in the hard
days that lie before him, may be able
TO hold Ladysmith. Retreat would be
an undertaking which the Imagination
fails to grasp. If this war is to be a
war of vengeance We shall have to wipe
cut a disaster before which the memory
of Majuba fades away. The empire is
face to face with a repulse comparable
only to the surrender of Burgoyne to
the embattled farmers of our American
colonies. If the catastrophe calls forth |
something better than music hall pa
triotism, we may come TO reckon il as
a timely lesson well earned for the
good of our souls
The Daily News says: IF it is found |
possible to move the stores, Sir George |
White will probably be ordered 10 with |
draw upon Colenso. II the order is not |
given, il will be because a removal of |
the stores would be too risky"
The Morning Post calls attention TO |
Sir George Whites use of the word "ca- |
pitulation." remarking that it suspects |
the word was used carelessly. 1t saws:
We prefer to assume that the coll |
umn fought untS il was cut TO pieces |
and all the ammunition was gone. Ca |
pitulation Is a word of shame Troops |
in the field cannot capitulate without |
disgrace, and disaster is not necessarily |
dishoaor.'