New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-02
NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
LONDON.
GENERAL APATHY REGARDING THE
CHINESE QUESTION.

JAPAN AS GREAT MILITARY PowER-rHr
SOUTH AFRICAN cAMPAIGN-rwo
PHILOSOPHERS.
tCopyright 1900; By The New-York TribuneI
lBT CABLE THE TRIBUNEI
London, Sept. 1.-The unaccountabIe apathy
with which events in China are regarded bv the
British public continues. One might have sun
posed that the superb defence and brilliant res
cue Of the PeHing legations would have pro-
voked a fraction Of the popular congratuIation
produced by the relief OF Ladysmith but nothing
Of the sort has happened and the contrast be-
tween the manner in which the two episodes
were taken is extraordinary. In one case twelve
thousand Of the finest troops Of the British army
had barely continued to hold out against the
| farmers Of the TransvaaI and were saved from
surrender only after thirty thousand men had
been hammering at the besieging lines for four
months; at Peking few hundred marines and
civilians encumbered by women and children
held their own inside fimsy walls and irnpro-
vised ramparts of sandbags against Krupp
guns and thousands OF rifles pouring missiles
upon them at close quarters. Sir Claude Mac
donald certainly deserves credit for his skiIfuI
and successful defence, and it might be imagined
would have received some OF the applause Law
ished upon Butler and White in the early part
Ambassadors
| scarcely known 20 the multitude, and 1t ts rare
TO find a portrait OF him IN the shop windows:
Eor is there any sign that the striking and
| dramatic transactions in China OF the last few
weeks have aroused anything like the general
| interest that might reasonably have been ex-
pected.
Military men here continue to be profoundly
| impressed by the reports which arrive OF the
| conduct of the japanese in the recent opera
4
| nesses who saw them at Tien-Tsin is that they
We're the best of all the cont1ngents which
/ formed the allied force there and teIegraphic
4 accounts of their proceedings on the march to
. Peking confirm the opinion to their admirable
| qualities They marched as we'll as the Rus
| slams; they were doggedly persistent under
| fire as the American and British infantry; they
/ had the dash of the Indian cavalry, and nothing
| TO learn from the Germans in matters OF organi-
| cation and equipment. The Americans and
| most Of the European troops suffered severely
| from the fatgues of the rapid march IN terrific
weather. which told far less on the hardy Rus
/ sian peasants and least OF all the nimble lit
/ tie Japs whose scouting work throughout was
| also described as excellent.
| Lord Wolseley and Sir Evelyn Wood the
| Adjutant-GeneraI Of the British army, and Sir
| John Ardagh. chief Of the Intelligence Depart
ment have been paying close attention TO the
1
| cent little campaign; no doubt their opinion
| would not greatly differ from that expressed bv
| a distinguished retired officer once famous IN
| Indian warfare, who said: The world has got
| to reckon with another great military Power.
| Japan has larger population than France as
much disciplined intelligence as Cermanv and
at least as great natural aptitude for soldier
| ing among her people as any European nation
/ In science and knowledge her General Star IS
second 10 md in
contempt for death the rank and file Of her
army would certainly compare favorabIy with
| the conscript troops OF the Continent. Russia
might overwhelm her by sheer weight OF num-
bers. but in every other respect I look upon
the NIikado's potential military force as superior
/ to that Of the Cars"
The South African campaign has made dis
! tinct progress this week and there is a general
| belief that the end is at hand Some surprise
! was felt at the comparative weakness OF Botha's
resistance in the strong position he had selected
and fortified; it had been suggested that the
experience Of Magersfontein might be repeated,
and that the British would dash themselves IN
vain against tiers OF enfladed trenches, but
Roberts unlike Methuen on the Modder had
plenty OF mounted men. and. unlike Butler on
the TugeIa, he not bound to attack the
enemy from the least favorable side. With the
whole Of the Natal army available on the south.
he had FrenchS cavalry and TWO infantry Civf-
sions from Pretoria available against the north
ern and eastern fanks Of the Boer forces; con-
sequently. Botha had to retire as soon as a
simultaneous movement from both quarters was
developed. under pain OF being surrounded. and
having TO share the fate OF Cronje and PrinsloO.
So far. he has avoided the catastrophe; he has
saved his guns and transport wagons and lost
no prisoners to speak Of
II remains to be seen whether his army
an organized force will continue TO exist; most
Of the burghers are said TO have retired east
ward toward the BarbertOn mountains. Here.
IL they endeavor TO make stand. they should
be hemmed in by the British army which has
at least forty thousand troops available. and
compelled to surrender; but the probability Is
that the majority OF them Will disperse to their
own homes. perhaps with the hope OF again join
ing the commanders II they see a fair chance.
A minority OF the fighting burghers with
Kruger himself and Louis Botha. Lucas Meyer
and other officers. have gone to Lydenburg. and
in this wild and broken countrs,- resistance may
be prolonged for some time longer. Meanwhile
Boer bands are IN the field IN several other
portions Of the disputed territory. There has
| been lighting between Therons commando and
the British. TO the south OF Johannesburg but
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