New-York tribune., 1900-12-16
BRITISH LOSE HEAVILY.
LoNDoN's WORST FEARS CONFIRMED
BY KITCHENER.
BoERs CAPTURE EIGHTEEN OFFICERS AND
FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTT-FIVE MEN
DE WET ESCAPES AGAIN.


London. Dec. 15-Lora kitchener sends this
message to the War ONCE: a8
Pretoria. Dec. 14-Cements brought in ms
force TO Commando Mex unopposed TT,ed <
officers and OF other ranks; missing. 10 $50
and $50 OF other ranks These latter were IouI ,
companies OF the Northumberland FusIliers. VIZ
were stationed on the hIrl and some YeomanrS
and other details sent up 20 supposss 49,
Names and nature Of wounds are Oeine ''-0
graphed from Cape Town. -,
Broadwood's brigade took no part IN e"e ~ &
gagement The Beers suffered severely.
Knox drove De Wet north to the Tnana .Soons
Lady ybrand line, which held by our troop5- ts,
De Vets force. about three thousano snons, sss
made several attempts to get a rnrousn st.srstinS
the day. assisted by a force OF Boers oPsl P,i ass
from the north. These attacks were ullNer ullsr
back though some OF the Beers from the sou'n
were able TO get through the line
General Kitchener under date Of December
Is. also reports to the War Office from Pretoria
as follows:
Clements has come to me. he says s9e s
four companies of the Northumberlands heiu usI
on the hill as long ss their ammunition lastsd
The Boer force attacking the hill was Z,vog o
strong while another force OF 1,OOO attacheu
Clements's camp. BY $40 a. m. the hiii was car
rI6d. Reinforcenents OF one company or tne
Yorkshires failed to reach the top Clemens re-
tirement was carried out with regularly; 4ue ,1 S
many native drivers boltsd eonslderaDIe
amount of transportation was lost All the am
muntion not taken away was destroyed ne
Broadwood has gone TO Rustenberg and sup
ports Oliphant's Mex which has been reinforced
flag of truce which has come into Commanoo
Mex from the Beers says Jouhert's son was
killed and reports their losses as heavy
Telegraphing on December H. General Kitch-
ener reports that while passing the lines in the
neighborhood of Thaba Nchu De Vets force
lost considerably, The South African Light
Horse and Thorneycroft's Mounted Infantry
captured 15-pounder. taken at Dewetsdorp;
pompom. several wagons of ammunition, twenty
two prisoners and some horses and mules.
part of the enemy has not been able 10 pass
north.
\ General Kitchener's supplementary dispatch
referring to the disaster at the Magaliesberg
confirms yesterdays most pessim!stic fears and
demonstrates that the catastrophe is among the
worst of the war The matter was brought up
in the House Of Commons to-day. but the Secre-
tary for War Mr. Brodrick. had no information
TO add, except that the wounded numbered six
officers and forty-fve men.
The newspapers see prearrangement in the
recrudescence OF Boer activity everywhere, the
object being to strengthen Mr.. Rutgers hands,
while the fact that the news Of the fresh dis
aster comes OF the anniversary of the battle OF
CoIenso furnishes the editors. with an excuse to
demand the head of General Butler. THE St
James's Gazette" declares it has reason to credit
Butler after his first failure 20 drive the Beers
from the TugeIa. counselled General White TO
surrender Ladysmith. The ST. James's Ga
zette" holds Butler alone blarnable for the dis
asters of the TugeIa campaign, and says:
When comparable blunders occurred in the
navy a court-martial Immediately meted out
justice. Why therefore, should not the same
rule hold good in the army?
The public apparently. is little affected by the
fresh trouble. Soldiers are still eager to go to
South Africa. the news from the Magaliesberg
having resulted in offers from volunteer regi-
ments to proceed to the front.
In contrast with the apparent insunhciency OF
the troops TO master the situation in South
Africa comes a revelation of the military re-
sources at home still at the disposition Of the
Government in to-days announcement that
46 900 troops will be. sent from Aldershot to
London to participate in Lord Roberts's tri-
umphal entry on January B.