Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-12-30

London, Dec. 2S.-The Morning Post
has received the followir from Winston
$. Churchill, under date of Dec. 26, tole
graphed from Chievelcy camp, where he
has arrived:
"All ranks have complete confidence
in Sir Redvers Butler, and there is
stern determination to succeed next time
at all costs. A painful impression was
caused by the announcement of the
change of commander in chief, and the
soldiers here are resolved to vindicate
their trusted leader
The situation, nevertheless, is diff
i!cult, the Bocr position being one of
extraordinary strength, with high hills
tined tier ON tier with trenches and gal
leries, rising from an almost unfordable
river, and with a smooth plain in front.
The enemy have all the ranges
marked, and many powerful guns dom
mate the various points Of the river,
while the drifts are commanded by con-
verging musketry fire from probably
$1,000 Beers. There are Is miles of
wild, broken country before reaching
I.adysmith, which demands early re-
lief"
Competent military critics in London
regard the campaign as at complete
deadlock for the present owing to the
dispersal Of the British forces and the
lack of adequate transport. They be-
lieve it will be many weeks before Lord
Roberts is able to reorganize and to
make an effective move. The Boer
trench work is so good that it enables
the enemy to hold long line with very
few men and to travel great distances
under perfect cover, so as rapidly to re-
inforce any point attacked.
The Times, which comments editorial
ly upon the severe strain, says: Ut is
difficult to avoid the conclusion that our
troubles are due to the unreality of the
presumably practical lessons given in
the maneuvers at Aldershot.
The Cape Town correspondent of The
Times, under date Of Dec. %, says:
Anxiety regarding the attitude of the
colonial Dutch is steadily growing. They
make no fort to conceal their sympathy
with the two republics: and the only
question now is whether If the military
situation is not changed they will keep
from open rebellion. Even in districts
that have not been visited by the Beers
in the eastern part of the province the
Dutch farmers are riding about armed.
This Is the case also in districts only 20
miles from Cape Town. where seditious
movement is busily propagated. The
British forces are inadequate to guard
1000 miles of communications.
The Daily Chronicle publishes the fol-
lowing from Cape Town: Herr Schle-
singer. all agent of the New York
Equitable Assurance society, who has
just arrived from Pretoria, says the
Beers possess immense stores of food,
imported by SPECTATORS, under a
belief that mining would be allowed
during the war. He says, also. that
there were thousands Of spectators at
the Pretoria railway station when the
British. who were captured at Nichol-
sons Mex. arrived. The people were
ordered by the Boer commandant to bare
their heads, and they did so. The
British. astonished, returned the salute.
A dispatch from Chieveley Camp,
dated Dec. 25, says: Although the two
armies were in sight Of each other, with
the temperature 102 degrees in the
shade, the British today enjoyed Christ
mas cheer. Captains Gleenfell and
Kirkwood of the South African light
horse left here yesterday to inspect the
patrols along the eastern hills. Their
horses returned at night alone.