Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-01-27


claim to have a telegram from Pre-
toria saying that General Warren had
been enticed into Spion Kop, where the
Beers fell upon him and that seven
teen of his cannon had been captured
and Buffers hasty retreat over the
Tugela river alone can save him.
Berlin, Jan. 27-The alleged Pre-
toria telegram adds to the losses of
the British 500 men killed, 1900 woun-
ded The dispatch comes through
Brussels and does not receive much
credit in this city.
Berlin, Jan 27-It is said that the
German foreign Office has confrma-
ton of report that Warren's division
had been crushed.
Berlin, Jan. 27-The "Lokal An
zeiger" publishes an interview with DR..
Leyds in which he is quoted as saying
that his presence in Berlin has moth
ing to do with politics, but is due
merely to an invitation to diplomatic
dinner received from the imperial
chancellor. Regarding mediation,
Leyds said the Beers had no occasion
to appeal to anyone. AS to the con-
clusion of peace, his personal opinion
was that Great Britain would have to
return large portion of the territory
- 4
federal republics would of course OBJ
tain every guarantee that not hair
of the heads of their kinsmen would
suffer No words, he continued, need |
be wasted on the absolute independ- |
ence of the two republics. Lady
smith, Mafeking and Kimberley, Leyds |
added, were simply prisons with the
sole difference that the British had to
consume their own provisions.
London, Jan. 27-The war Office de-
cided to embody two additional mill.
tia battalions and another battery of
artillery.
Boer Camp, Modder Spruit, Upper
Tugela River, Jan. 2S-The British
are now endeavoring to force, with
10000 troops, the Spion Kop route to
Ladysmith. The firing on General
Botha's position yesterday was terrific
Grass was fired, rocks dislodged, and
trenches pierced, but the battle was
practically one-sided the federals
only firing thirty shots. A ball from
shell landed in General Bothas
pocket. The only Boer casualties
were some wounded horses. The fir
ing ceased at dark, but was resumed
this morning in the. vicinity of Lady
smith and here, but up to noon, it
lacked vigor.
Lorenzo Marques, Delagoa Bay,
Jan. 26-It is reported, on good Trans
vaal authority, that Mafeking was re-
lieved, Tuesday January 20.
London, Jan. 27-1:15 p. m.-The
trophe to General Buffers force, re-
ported from Berlin, and discredits the
story. Neither has the war office
any explanation, at least for publica--
tion,of the abandonment of Spion Kop
The evacuation today is regarded as
not so serious as at first thought.
Commentators are abusing the mill
tary authorities, both at the front and
at home, for publishing hasty accounts
of incomplete and misunderstood
operations.
London, Jan. 27-The war office an
nounces that the casualties reported
by General Butler yesterday, occurred
in battalions of General Lyttleton's
brigade, which as far as known, was
not engaged in the capture or the de
fense of Spion Kop. 1t appears there
fore that they are additional to the
considerable casualties Butler reported
as having occurred at Spion Kop.
Afternoon papers describe the gen.
erals dispatch as unpleasant reading
for the British people, intensely morti-
flying to national pride, damaging to the
country's prestige and they scathingly
denounce the gazetting of reports in
which the st. James Gazette display
academic frivolity, not uncommonly
found in combination with conceit,
practical incapacity and passing to
sneering. when they ought to rebuke
and are filled with the slang and
humor of Kipling's subalterns."
There are signs of important move
ments developing in North Cape Col
ony General French has succeeded
in getting in touch with General
Gatacres possibly presaging a combina
ton of the two columns and the com
mencement Of. concentration Of forces.