The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-07
1t Is Either That or He Is Without Am.
munitiOn.
CAPllUlATlON is NOT THOUGHT or.
Imprisoned Commander with insufficient
Force and No Defense.
lie EXPECTED TO FIGHT HIS WAY OUT
England Has Left n soldier to Die
Either IN Defending n Garrison
or In Trying to Escape.

London. November 6.-The war office
| announced at midnight that no dispatches
had been received beyond those already
made public. Not an item of news has
been printed for twcntyfour hours. TINS
gives rise TO rumors that Sir George White
at Ladysmlth Is MORALLY wounded. and
that the garrison is without ammunition,
For all of these reports there Is abso
lutely no foundation. At the same time
the Brtlsher had little to stimulate him
within twenty four hours except the news
OF the confident attitude of the Ladysnlth
garrison and Its slight success last Thurs
day and Friday.
Advices from other parts OF South
Africa are distinctly unpalatable and
points TO critical situation in Natal and
the northern portions OF Cape Colony,
likely to grow moro acute unless General
White is either relieved or docisively
defeated. Nobody dares to think OF capt.
ulation. Rather than that. it is expected
that as last resort. If Ladysmith be-
comes untenable he is to make desperate
effort to cut his way through the Beers
back into lower Natal and to join hands
with the garrison there. which is now
almost certain to be reinforced by the
first section of the army corps from Eng.
land and pressed forward 10 renew touch
with him. 1t is generally assumed how
ever that General White. with the aid OF
the naval guns, viii be able to cope with
any bombardment and the idea that the
Beers could take Ladysmith by assault
is secuted as absurd
The defense thus depends upon the IN n.
terrupted working OF the naval gu.
Right here arises the important questions
upon which the dispatches have thrown
no light-whether the naval guns which
only arrived at the last nomenclature with
them sufficient ammunition to reply.t) a
lasting possibly several
weeks. II not, it is hardy likely TIA
WORKS exist in small town Ike LAZY
smith for castirg the special shell nee eli
for the Al gun and, moreover, there Is 10
mention CT stores OF lyadite AZ Ladysmith
for rocharging these she Is. Msanwh 10,
vague remarks In the dispatches point 10
the impending arrival of further big Boer
guns from johannesburg to be noun ell
among the hills within range OF LAT
smith. Such considerations show the
anxiety regarding General Whites move
mont and position, not only by the public,
but in official circles,
Tho British retirement TO Estcourt has
given the impression that 1t is intended
to make a stand there. Estcourt is the
last important town between the Beers
and the capital OF Natal, and il the Beers
sweep past Estcourt nothing can stop
them from laying siege to Pietermarita-
burg. which can not bc relied on 10 make !
n strong defense, Already the British re-
iircment south of Colenso has given the |
Beers an opportunity to make a bid for |
the support OF the disnifected Dutch in |
Natal by proclsiming the annexation OF |
tho upper Tugea section Thus far the |
Dutch oolonists seem to have confined |
their sympathy with the invading Beers TO .
II platonic emotion. Except for surrepti-
tious incidents there Is no evidence that
they have yet Joined the Beers openly ii
any nppreciable respect
The British retirement from Stormburg
junction. however. Will be followed doubt
less by similar Boer proclamation an
nexing the portions of Cape Colony lying
directly south of the Orange Free State.
These proclamatiops, as in the case OF
have been and Will be i'm
mediateiy followed by British counter
but to the eyes OF the
Dutch farmers the presence OF one Boer
is probably more impressive
han the expectation OF tho arrival OF The
whole British army in the more or lees
distant future.
The British newspapers publish list of
transports due TO arrive at Capetown from
To-Day, According to this estimate some
'0.ou0 should reach the Cape hy .hn end
Of next week; but the Admiralty issued a
chilling warning last evening TO tho Of.
feet that no disappointment must be fel,
by the public II the transports should moi
arrive at the dates mentioned, dates which
The war office says are based In MANY
cases upon too sangulno expectations"
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