The St. Louis Republic., 1900-08-12
Even the Premier's Organ Prints 3
Wall of WEAKNESS and
Disappointment.
END OF 1T NOT YET IN SIGHT.
Englishmen Beginning to Feel
That They Have Struggle Like
the Philippines Warfare
on Their Hands.

SPECIAL BY CABLE.
London, Aug. n.-(Copyright. 1900, by W.
r. Hearst.)-The South African war is
going on in very unsatisfactory manner
for England. Already loud grumhlings
have been heard from unexpected home
quarters. The people are beginning to
think that the campaign is becoming a
repetition of the American war in the phil
ippines. Since the occupation OF Pretoria.
the British have been fighting a losing
game, and are not so far advanced as two
months ago General Sir Redvers Buffers
prophecy about eating his last Christmas
dinner at Pretoria has its counterpart in
the declaration made by Mr.. Wyndham.
the Undersecretary of War. in the House
of Commons, some time ago, that the war
would be ended in three weeks. An orpo-
sition member remarked at the time that
II would probably mean three years The
hospital scandals. the daily death lists from
disease. the urgent need OF troops lot
China. ant, above all. the enormous oiiis
are rapidly making the Transvaal war un-
popular In England
F,ugIishmen are notoriously the most
cheerful winners and the worst losers on
earth, and now that things are not gong
their way In South Africa. the signs or dis
content are increasing. The British casual
ties. comprising the killed. the wounded
! and the prisoners. mostly the latter. since
| the occupation of Pretoria. amount to 3'ooo
| This does not include the huge list OF those
dead or placed hors du combat by disease
while Boer successes are reported with un-
| pleasant frequency.
Lord Roberts. with over 10000. is unaoie
| 10 capture President Kruger's 1o,OO0
The latest Boer success is the clever
escape of De Vets small army from Lori
Kitchener's net in the Orange Free state.
| He is now marching northward. and has
| crossed the Vaal River on his way to join
| General Botha in the Transvaal.
| Even Lord Salsbury's own organ. the
] London Standard. joins in the wall OF els
| appointment at the wearisome length OF the
war. which is being indefinitely protracted
| 1t says:
DAY follows day and still! the collapse OF
| the enemy, prophesied weeks and even
| months ago, Is deferred. Our great army
remains In the field, enduring all the hard-
ships of active service and. so far from pe-
| ing able 20 spare troops which may oe ur-
! gently needed at any moment in anotner
| quarter of the world. 1t stands In need OF
constant re-enforcements to supply the
| losses caused Dy eplQeullceS oI lypioiu- uS .
entery and pneumonia. which are ravishins
| our camps.
| "The casualties in pitched battles are now
reduced to very small figures. but the era
| of untoward incidents and regrettable oc-
! currences is not yet over. 1t illustrates the
very precarious hold we have on the Trans
! vaal outside the main lines of communlca-
| ton The burghers are reported acrye
south of johannesburg. showing themselves
not more than eight miles from Pretoria r.
| self. The war is now concentrated In the
| territories of the Transvaal t
| Ito produce this result it has taken ten
| months of fighting and caused loss through
| disease. wounded. sickness and captivity OF
some 10000 British soldiers.
| THE worst symptom of all Is the fact
| the diseases which accompany armies are
| fastening on our devoted regiments so that
| Lord Roberts's great host becomes weaker
| by some 10000 men for every month II Keeps
| in the field We must go on. of course. until
| the TransvaaI is fairly mastered and both
| Botha and De Wet have shared the tate OF
| Cronie and Prinsloo. TIL that consumma-
ton is reached, the war will not be finished
| and no substantial number Of our troops are
| likely to be recalled"