The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-08
Blacklist and BlusSt Since Ssp0y
Rebellion News.
BOER SUCCESS ACKNOW LEGGED
Explanations are OffSrSd-GSn
erai White Out Unanswered
Talk OF Future.
Especial To the Advertiser from san
Francisco


NEW YORK. Nov. IA dispatch To
the Tribune from London says: The
forecast OF defeat over which keen OBJ
servers were brooding before midnight
Monday was officially confirmed before
l o'clock yesterday. II was the bluest
and blacklist day London has known
since the first tidings OF the Sepoy re-
bellion. The tidinss that the Beers
had completely oUt-maneuvered Cen
eral White. and. while Turing on the
British center and right. had ambus-
caded the left wing. cut two battalions
to pieces and forced it to surrender. to-
gether with a mountain battery, filled
the streets with d;>may and gloom.
John Bull is not accustomed to- being
beaten by anybody and he takes pun
lShment, when IL comes, with Door
grace and sense OF bewildermcnt. al
belt with complete self-Command. Dis
aster was writteL large in the every
newspaper placard during the day. but
the newsboys Wore surrounded with
grim swarms of purchasers. setting
teeth together and determined to- know
the worst, yet marv,lling how SO over
whelming defeat had been within the
range OF possibility in the Queens do
minions. Ii was not enough for Cen
eral White to declare that he alone had
Numbered, nor for the War Office to
| order out three additional battaIions
and mounted battery to- replace the
losses sustained Ut Glencoe and Lady
smith. What every Englishman knew
in his heart was the truth. that the
rustic Beers, whose strategy and
| training had been dCspised by the mil
| itary staff and nation had contriVed
! both at Glencoe and Ladysmith to- out
maneuver British generals and ensnaTe
| large bodies of the finest and most eN-
perienced soldiers into ambusCades
! from which there was no escape.
Illuminating to English pride as was
| this confession. there were no signs OF
/ flinching in any quarter. John Bulls
! heart was hardened, not softcncd. by
| unexpected disaster. The most ardent
peace advocate did not venture to- take
| up his parable yesterday. There was
! only one expression heard in the club
| houses, exchanges and streets. this
/ was that the war must go on To- the
| bitter end with rciouDled energy and
| overwhelming resources. and British
prestige to be restored for the honor
and safety OF the Empire.
What will the Natal field force do
now? is the question on every tongue.
IT is itself supplying an answer by
fighting with spirit and discipline
| When the Beers have renewed their
| attack. Will IL retreat or stand its
ground, remaining on the defensive and
lighting desperately. The latter alter
native is accepted by nearly all mill
tary writers since IL cannot find a bet
ter defensive position ut Colenso. and
a retreat to Pieter;uaritzburg and Dur
ban would involve long march of iSg
miles, with the Beers harassing the
rear column. Butler will now settle
: the question. not White. and he Is not
considered by military critics or fnti.
mate friends as likely to- begin n cam
paign by ordering an abandonment oI
Natal and enkindling a blaze OF disaf.
lection among the Dutch OF Cape Col.
ony. Yet the NEST candid military
men admit that the position at Lady
smith is very weak from defensive
point of view. the valley where the
town lies is sheltered by a circle oi
irregular hills. on the crests OF which
the garrison is :ntrenched. Outside
this circle is another concentric. one
with a similar circuit of hills. and be-
yond that there Is another. \ pIomi-
nent military man said to- me yester-
day: No defensive position can be
considered safe unless IL commands q
broad, level country, with no high
points for many miles. where guns can
be mounted against the intrenchments
Antwerp is the most defensible town In
Europe for this Ieason. Ladysmith Is
not defensible at all since the BoeI
guns can be mounted from the high
ground In three .oucentric circles and
. brought to bear against the British
camp. Neither Ladysmith nor Glencos
ought ever to- have been occupied. but
some position south of the Tugela oI
nearer the sea. In the same way mel.
Their Rhodesia nor Mafeking nor Kim
berley should have been defended but
a strong position taken south OF the
Orange river. In attempting to hold
or to too many points before adequate
Te-enforcements could arrive the Brit.
ish stan has exposed itself TO the IRISH
OF serious defeats. The best thing that
can be done now VIII be to- order out =
second army corps. Indeed. in my
opinion, a force of iJO. 900 men will De
required before the two republics car
, be conquered and held
This is so peSsimistiC an opinion that
/ am compelled - hold back the name
of the critic. although he Is one OF ths
pluckiest and most brilliant soldiers iu
! Europe.
y German noblsmIn with a name "a
: nous in military history. who knows
.. South Africa intimately. remarked that
, II was amazing To those familiar with
. the surrounding country that Lady
.. smith should have been defended al
. all. He also asserted that PistsrmaT'
: itzburg could not Le successfully de-
. Tended, either. although "a was nearer
the coast and fer safer than Lady
: smith. The only safe line OF defense
he added. was Burban. and the British
should either have abandoned Natal