New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-29

| and have thrown down the gage Of battle Rus
STA. Of course, is an unknown factor, but if II Is
| true. as stated. that she came some months ago
10 an understanding with Great Britain regard
| ing spheres Of influence in China. it 10 scarcely
/ likely that she will take this occasion 70 eX-
! hibt her cnmity. i'm spite Of the ragngs or hef
! press. If Russia makes any move II Is more
! than probable that her hand will he shown In
Servia. where Russla's feelings are clearly indl-
! Gated 10y the departure rom Belgrade Of her
! charge daffaires after his request for the par
/ don Of some Of the persons charged with being
! connected with the attempt upon former Kine
| Mnan's life was refused.
TALK OF PEACE TERMS ALREADY.
Talk Of peace and the terms are already rife
dispatch from Cape Town says Mr.. Hofmeyr
the AfrikanGer leader has made elaborate ar
rangeme1ts to approach the Beers the momen;
peace is in sight. He aims at securing the indie
! pendeace Of the Transyaal and the Orange Free
State, but. judging from the Queens Speech, II
Is doubtful If negotiations on these lines will be
considered.
Regarding European Intervention Great Brit
aims plans TO meet such an emergency con-
tinue. The journal de Geneve' publishes a
dispatch from COnstantinOple saying that Rus
STA intends handing the Porte note at an early
date demanding the opening Of the Bosporus
and Dardanelles Unless Great Britain is a
party 10 such a demand Russias action will
undoubtedly stir up a hornets nest compared
with which the Transvaal question viii be quite
insignificant.
Such reports have desperate effect on con-
sols and in spite Of the boom in South African
securities and pacific reasoning, there is con-
siderable uneasncss on the Stock Exchange re-
garding the future action Of Russia and France.
South African mine shares are no longer re-
ferred 70 as "Kaifrs" They are now called
British" while South Africa is Optimistically
described as a mineralized Egypt.
The large number Of British officers killed IN
the battles which have already taken place in
Natal has brought out strenuous protests from
many quarters against the ancient custom Of
British officers in refusing TO take cover when
under fire. From figures at Glencoe it is APP
parent that one out Of every four men killed
was an officer whereas the organization exists
upon the principle that TO every twenty-five
men there is officer. Ii is evident that II
the same ratio Of mortality is kept up the Brit
sh forces will become seriously underOfcered
| Among the enlisted men at Glencoe the proper
ton Of killed TO wounded was 30 TO 1J6. while
10 officers were killed to % officers wounded
The difference in the percentage leads 70 the
conclusion that many Of the officers were MT
more than once and kept on leading their men
after the first wound. Emperor Williams re-
cent criticism OF the British officers refusal to
take cover is now frequently quoted. The feeling
In the army itself Is that though the regulations
do not say the officers must not lie down, 1t IS
such an old established principle that It would
take A brave man 10 inauGurate n change and the
aGagc Of the British soldier. Follow wherever
an officer leads" is held still to be intensely true.
for though the officers believe the personnel OF
the army Is as good ever, II has been the
history Of Great Britain that they at the same
time maintain that Tommy Atkins" needs more
leading than any man in the world. go the spill
ing Of Great Britain's best blood is likely to
continue for the present
EXCEEDED THE LOSSES AT THE ALMA.
The proportion OF the casualties a whole
has caused thrill OF horror and sympathy
throughout Great Britain, for the people now
begin 10 realize what fight with a civilized
enemy means Old soldiers point out that at
the Alma, one Of the blOOdiest battles in Great
IVtf. ftfr bod
per cent. whereas In the recent BOer engage
ments they considerably exceed that figure.
General Whites strategy and the execution
OF his movements are warmly praised and II Is
said at the clubs that General Sir Redvers Bull
Ter will have 10 hurry up or General White will
get peerage urst General White represents
the Indian element in the British army and
those who have served in India have always
maintained that the commander there had a
more important post than the Commander-in-
Chief himself A General Lord Roberts was
considered too old for another campaign, Gen
erals White. Symons and Hunter were sent as a
sop 10 the Indian faction, for General Butler has
always been more or less antagonistlc TO Cen
eral Roberts and his partisans.
The temporary cessation Of news from the seat
Of war gives TIN newspapers here the oppor-
tunlty for retrospective f-congratulation, first,
on the success Of General Whites strategy in
the face Of greatly superior forces in puzzling
the Beers. preventing the junction Of the Orange
Free State and Transvaal armies. and. in a
word. gaining time and delaying the invasion Of
Natal until the arrival OF General Butler and
the army corps permits of real operations for
the invasion Of the two republics to begin. sec
ond the bravery and daring both Of the officers
and men Of the British army. which have as
founded not only their enemies but the Cont
mental neighbors Of Great Britain; third. the
readiness Of the Reservists 70 respond to the call
to arms and the smoothness, success. swift
precision and com pleteness Of the mobilizat ion
which have equally amazed the European critics
who, II they did not anticipate disastrous repe-
tition Of Crimean history, had not an idea Of the
immense improvement made in the organization
OF the commissarat and fighting machinery
THE Chronicle" raises wall over the word
ing Of the Queens speech. which. IL says clearly
regards the war Operations designed TO
bring revolted colonsts into submission" so
that the Dutch people, who were assured by
Mr. Chamberlain that we had no designs on
their independence. are informed that they are
already regarded as citizens of our empire" The
Chronicle" adds: These fatefu words
dragons teeth which Will produce abundant