Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-20
WAR OFFICE DEMANDS SECRECY
Military Authorities Anxious tc

Military Authorities Anxious to
Keep News from the Enemy.
London, Oct 20.-The New York Tri-
pune correspondent cables: The days
OF the war correspondent are num-
bered. He has always been threatened,
but threatened men live long. In South
Africa the sword of Damocles has
fallen.
There was serious fighting In Natal
"Wednesday, when a British cavalry
patrol came into contact with the en-
emy. The Beers opened fire with artil-
lery, but the entire Fifth Lancers adj
vanced, and the Beers retreated In the
afternoon there We're shots exchanged
between British outposts and the Bo-
ers. For the first time in his career
Bennett Burleigh, the great war eagle
of kipiing's Light That Failed" has
been excluded from going to the front
along with his brother correspondents
Whatever the issue of the serious
battle which MIR. Burleigh and others
4 have anticipated in their latest tele-
grams, the vivid descriptions of other
years will be wanting. The newspapers
can not complain. The military au-
| thorities warned them before President
| kruger's ultimatum was dispatched.
| The war office communicated with the
leading London newspapers, expressing
a strong feeling that the latitude of
Correspondents should be curtailed 1t
pointed out that detailed statements as
1 TO the number of British soldiers or the
amount of supplies available in any
given spot, once published in the En-
glish papers, would be cabled out to the
/ Transyaal and used as q guide to the
4 l3oer commanders. The war Office sug-
Igested that a conference of the leading
| editors with the secretary of state for
| war might be advisable. The editors
reply ON being thus approached was
sympathetic, but practical difficulties
We're indicated, which caused the war
4 office, on the direct advice of one ed-
\ tor, TO make up its mind that strong
i censorship at the scene of operations
4 was the only remedy. That this is now
put into eifect every Journalist must
perceive who cables from Natal to give
lus details OF British movements.
| What is known is that the Beers in
tend simultaneous attack from the
north and from the east. and fighting
on large scale is hourly expected.
Persistent reports seem to confirm
the news of a Bosr repulse at Mafcking
and state that Maj Hore led sortie of
Col. Baden Powells force on the 14th
and that Mafeking was safe on the
| 18th. 1t is rumored also that an ar
mored train, reconnoitering to the
north, engaged 500 Beers and inflicted
loss. But one must bear in mind that
all this is unccnfirmed, since communi-
cation is cut and the position of Ma
feking, slenderly defended and heavily
, Iassailed, is precarious in the extreme.
Kimberley seems safer, in spite of the
reported price on Mr.. Rhodes head. 1t
is amply defended Col. Harris, the To-
cal commander, with his volunteers, is
regarded as a notable addition to the
imperial troops.
The campaign has gone far enough
expert opinion that the Beers are
/. weaker in maneuvering power than
they We're during the first war with
, England. They lack mobility and nc
: longer mass forces rapidly. Their artil-
. lery is unequal to that of Gen. Whites
field force; they are seeking to make
, use of the guns without having the
, training required in operating them
Their guns deprive them of the old
:, time advantage of Irregular warfare or
the guerrilla system, without bases be-
hind them or lines of communication t.
: keep open. They now move slowly
, mass their forces instead of scattering
s, them, and are attempting scientific
, warfare with mechanism which re.
! quires reserves.