The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-12-29
BRITISH WAR SPIRIT
IS FLAMING HIGH
CONTINUED from Page ID


A correspondent OF the Daily Ne, =,
teleRrnphing from Modder river last
Saturday. says: "The Boer position,
already formidable on December 18th.
has since been greatly strengthened,
extending for n distance Of twelve
miles. II Is intrenched according to the
most modern methods throughout its
entire length; wire fences have been
placed before all the trenches at every
point: guns have been put In position,
and there Is every evidence that the
Boers are well supplied with ammuni-
tion. Only powerful attacking force
can hope to make a successful attack
The Times, in an article from the pen
of a military expert, laments the dis
persion OF the British forces, quotes the
maxim of Napoleon in favor of con-
centration, and regrets that Lord Meth
uen did not retire to Orange river
week ago.
The latest dispatches received seem
to show that the British forces are
standing on the defensive at all points.
General Butler is ordering the troops
now arriving at Cape Town to proceed
TO Durham to reinforce the Natal col
umn. Absence of news from him has
led to a surmise that he is trying to
join General White by flank move
ment.
The appeals for yeomanry and vol
unteers are being responded to with
the greatest enthusiasm in all parts of
the country. Lord Wolseley proposes
that the force being raised by the Lord
Mayor of London be called "The City
of London Imperial Volunteers" The
Government expects the total of yeo-
manry and volunteers to reach 5000.
Baron Chesham will command, with
Lord Lonsdale as Adjutant General.
The papers are now generally join
ing in free criticism of the Govern
ment and the War Office as day by day
fresh proofs of unpreparedness come
TO light Special stress is laid upon
the failure to provide proper transport,
which compels the columns to, stick
tight to railways, and upon the inferi-
ority of the British artillery.
One of the results of the coal famine
in the Sheffield district indirectly aris-
ing out of the war is that several i'm
portant steel firms are not able to get
coal even from their own collierles
few miles distant. They will sue the
railway companies for non-delivery of
coal. One of the big armor-plate works
has shut down partially.
A. J. Balfour, in his unofficial ca
pacity, has written TO the Earl of Had
dington dwelling upon the Importance
OF the movement to raise enough mon
ey and volunteer forces for South
Africa, He suggests and offers to as
sist a public fund to augment the nee
essarily limited allowance made to the
men by the Government for equipment.
Queen Will Stay at Windsor.
LONDON, Dec 1S-The Court News
has issued the following announce
ment: "The arrangements made for
the Queens departure from Windsor
have been postponed until after Christ
mas, as owing to the present state Of
affairs in South Africa, the Queen is
unwilling to be at great distance from
London"
Not for years before has the Queen
decided to spend Christmas away from
Osborne. Her decision to remain at
Windsor, in touch with the Cabinet,
shows in a measure the gravity of the
crisis and of the anxiety Her Majesty
feels for the welfare of the country.
She is, nevertheless, in fair health
Saturday morning she took her usual
drive. and just before dinner that even
ing she received Lord Wolseley, who
with Major General Sir Henry Peter
Ewart, crown equerry to the Queen,
dined at Windsor.
The Queens graceful act in present !
ing n flag to the American hospital
ship Maine is highly appreciated by her
own people, as well as by the Ameri
cans in London. and the morning pa
pers express the hope that the incident
means something more than a pretty
ceremony.
BLACK week." as last week is now
universally called, has evidently
aroused the Government and the War
Office to full sense of their responsi
bility and of the magnitude of the
task before them. The papers unani-
mously applaud this awakening, de-
spite the fact that they recognize that
the heroic measures now decided upon
SAVIOR rather of weakness than of
strength. RumoT has it that the ques
tion of expense has really been AT the
bottom of the half-hearted measures
hitherto adopted. and it is not unlike
ly that Sir Michael Hicks-B Beach, Chan
cellor of the EXchequer, and other
members of the Cabinet, will resign.
II Is high time that something very
energetic was done. The British losses
In killed, wounded. prisoners and miss {
ing throughout the campaign now
reach the enormous total of 1880 The
general feeling foreshadows serious
for the Government when
the time comes. II
The Daily Chronicle hints that Cen
eral Sir William Butler. who was re-
called from the Cape command because
of his Boer sympathies. long ago ad-
vised the Government that the prose-
cution of Mr.. Chamberlain's policy
would make heavy reinforcements for
the Cane imperative.
The Daily News says: The Gov
ernments decision is either a council
Of panic or the confusion OF utter mis-
calculation"
Rising of Cape Dutch.
STERKSTRoOM, Dec. l5.-As n re-
suit OF the British reverses the whole
country northward is in rebellion. The
natives there, as well as those in Basu-
toland. are said to be much disturbed