The age-herald., 1899-12-27
Joubert is Given Hearty Wel- come at Lourenzo Marques.
LONDON PAPERS VERY CRITICAL
More British Prisoners Have Been Sent to Pretoria, Including Col. Butler and Several Majors, Cap-
 tains and Lieutenants


 London, December 27.-4:5o a. m.-Dis- patches from South Africa are still greatly delayed; but they are arriving more freely, which shows that the censorship has been relaxed.
 There appears to be no great change in the situation. A dispatch from Lourenzo Marques, dated Thursday, December 21, gives the following from the Beer laaser, dated Tuesday, December 19
 '',nhe Britsa naval guns at Colenso have been cannonading Bulwer bridge over the Tugela river, witch view of smashing it.
 "The bombardment of Ladysmith is pro- ceeding slowly. General Joubert has ar rived here and been accorded a hearty welcome. He addressed the burghers on December 1S
 'More British prisoners have been sent to Pretoria including Colonel Butler, Ma jor Walters, Major BailNark. Major Eos ter, Captains Dick, Norton, Fitza1erbert, Ford, Hutchinson, Lieutsnants Bohham, Sdntthers, Thourne, O'Conneyghy, Kund- bald, Christian, Briggs, Birich, Hatfield and Jones'.
 A dispatch to the Daily News from Ladysmitf, dated Friday, December 15, by heliograph, says:
 Another sortie last night General Hun ter, with 500 volunteers, one six-inch Creo- sote gun, one howitzer and one maxim One Briton killed. The Boer gunners fled"
 Awaiting Roberts Arrival
 There is an idea in some quarters here that General Buffers destruction of the Tugela bridge heraqds an attempt to cut off the Boers now south of the river, but the general opinion is that the British will not make any serious move pending the arrival of Lord Roberts
 The newspapers continue actively to dis cuss and criticize the management or rath- CT mismanagement of the campaign. The advent of horse sickness throws increas- ed attention upon the question of trans ports and the want of wagons which may tie the British forces to the railways. The daily Chronicle says
 'Plenty of wagons could be obtained from the United States, but the govern- ment, with very indiscreet patriotism, has has refused to avail itself of the oppor- tunity. It would have been better if the authorities had followed Lord Kitchener's example at Atbara bridge"
 The Times editorially attacks the admin istration of the war office, calling atten- tion to correspondence disclosing "glaring defects" and declaring that the British army is being managed for the benefit of the war office and not of the nation.
 Dispatches from various points indicate the steady growth of the Dutch disaffec- tion The Capetown correspondent of the Daily Chronicle reports the discovery of plot to connive at the escape of Boer pris- ody etA of the disaffected Dutch colonists and the enforcement of the penalties of treason against persons and property.
 wnI Go from India
 The Sixteenth Lancers will go to South Africa from India at the special request of Lord Roberts, even after the govern ment had decided that more troops should be withdrawn from India. The war office has named Sir William Stokes as consulting surgeon to the South African forces. He will leave Dublin for the Cape in few days.
 Lord Somerset writes to the Times urging the seizure of Lourenzo MarQuez and its retention If necessary until the end of the war, in order to prevent the landing of war material for the Boers.
 The transport Tantallon Castle has ar rived at Capetown with number of howit- gers and quick firers, which General Butler urgently needs.
 The government has chartered the Lake Erie, of the new Elder-Dempler line which was built for the Canadian mail service. She is a vessel of 2,000 tons. The recruit ing of British colonists in Cape Colony is actively proceeding. Thirty thousand are already under arms and several thousand more will be added.
 Dispatches from Modder river dated Thursday. December 21, report that inter mittent firing was continuing on both sides, although the Boer shells fell short. A num- Der of Free State burghers had surrender ed There is an unconirmed report that a Canadian picket was cut off near Belmont It is also asserted that fever Is raging \ among the Boers.
 Lord Metheun Will Hold Out
 London, December 26.--The Capetown cor