The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-07

Runners That Their Ammunition Is Exhausted and
That Gen. White Has Been MOrtally Wounded.
Beers Get More Big Guns From johannesburg Serious
Situation of the BeSeged at Kimberley.

ty-four hours except the news of the
confident attitude of the I4adysmith
garrison, and its slight success last
Thursday and Friday
AdivceS from other parts of South
Africa are distinctly unpalatable and
everything points TO a critical situa-
ton in Natal and the northern por-
tionS of Cape Colony, likely to grow
more acute until General White is
either relieved or decisively defeated
Cut His Way Out.
Nobody dares to think of capitula-
ton. Rather than that, he is expect
ed as a last resort, if Ladysmith be-
comes untenable-& to make q desperate
effort to cut his way through the
Beers back into lower Natal and 10
join hands with the garrison there,
inforced by the first arrivals of the
corps from England. and to be pressed
forward TO renew touch with him.
1t is generally assumed, however.
that General White, with the aid of the
naval guns. will be able to cope with
any bombardment and the idea that the
Beers. could take Ladysmith by assault
is secuted as absurd The defence thus
depends on the uninterrupted working
of the naval guns
Right here arises the important
question-upon<wh the dispatches
have thrown no light-whether the
naval guns. which themselves only ar
rived at the last moment, ha.ue with
them sufficient ammunition to reply to
a bombardment lasting possibly sew
eral weeks. If not, it is hardly likely
that works exist in a small town like
LaG5Smith for casting the special
shell needed for the Al gun; and. more
over, there is no mention of stores of
1yddite at Ladys1nith for re-chargins
these shells
Meanwhile vague; remarks in the dis
patches point TO the impending ar
rival of further big Boer guns from
johannesburg, to be mounted among
the hills within range of LadysInith.
Such considerations explain the arlx-
iety felt regarding General Whites
movements and position. not only by
the public. but in official circles
British May Make Stand
The British retirement TO Estccuri
has given the impression that it IS IN
tended TO make stand there Est
court is the last important town be-
tween the Beers and the capital OF
Ladysmith, and if the Boers sweep past
Estcourt nothing can stop them from
laying siege to Pietermaritzburg, which
cannot be expected to make protract-s'
ed defense, while its fall would be ire
mendous blow to British prestige
throughout South Africa
Already the British retirement south
of Colenso has given the Beers an op-
portunity to make bid for the active
support of the disaffected Dutch in Ma
tai by proclaiming the annexation of
the upper Tugela section. Thus far the
Dutch colonists seem to have confined
their sympathy with the invading Beers
to a platonic emotion. Except for sur
reptitiouS assistance there is no evl-
dence that they have vet Joined the
Beers openly in any appreciable num- 4
bers.
The reported British retirement from
Stormberg Junction. however. Will be
doubtless by a similar Boer
annexing the portions of
Cape Colony lying directly south of the
Orange Free State These prOclama-
tions. as in the case of Bechuanaland.
have been and will be Immediately fol-
lowed by British approximations.
but to the eyes of the Dutch farmer the
presence of one Boer commando is prob
ably more impressive than the expecta-
ton of the arrival of the whole British
army in the more or less distant future.
Transports to Arrive.
The British newspapers publish a
list of the transports due to arrive ar
Cape Town from today. According TO
Cape by the end of next week, but the
issued a chilling warning last
evening TO the effect that no disappoint-
ment must be felt by the public if the
transports should not arrive at the
dates mentioned. dates which. the war
office says, are biased in many cases
upon too sanguine expectations
The French press has been cheer
fully announcing the issue of letters OF
marque by the Transvaal governments
and predicts the havoc which privateera
may work among British merchantmen
and even transports In this Paris
journalism finds in part an explanation
for the mobilization of the British spe-
cial service squadron. The view taken
ter is interesting. Berlin journalism
treats the suggestion of privateering
with skepticism. The Vossische Zeitung
says:
''Privateering is no longer recognized
by international law. and the Trans
vaal is not in a position to issue letters
Of marque, as it possesses neither ports
nor harbOrs.
Attempts at priv9teering must. con-
sequently. be regarded. not only by
as unlawful warfare. and TO De treat
ed as common piracy.
Last evening her majesty wired in
reply to a telegram from the Crlmea
veterans banquet at Portsmouth.
THE queen vividly recalls your cam
paign, and feels sure that the Crimean