The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-06-17
SITUATION IN LONDON.
Attention Concentrated on China and
War in South Africa.

Copyright. 1900, The Associated Press }
LONDON. June ls.-what with ex-
citing news from the war that was sup
posed to be over In South Africa. SEN
sational reports in regard to the war
that is said to be pending in China.
and alarming dispatches relative to the
rebellion against British rule in Ashan-
Ii, to say nothing OF the gay Ascot
meeting. the death OF Mrs. Gladstone
and the death OF the Duke Of yelling
ton. the week has been one Of consid-
cradle interest. In fact, so generally
absorbed has the nation become in its
own affairs that those of other coun-
tries fail to elicit the slightest COM
ment The war. as il is learned Cen
eral Kelly-Kenny said to General Tuck
er a few weeks ago. is ''the rummiest
ever saw. II we. referring to the di-
vision commander, DO things wrong
we are sent home in disgrace. II we
do them right Roberts gets all the
credit"
And the war is 'rummier" than ever
General Kelly Kenny had any idea Of.
The spectacle presented this week Of
a victorious British general. in CON-
mand Of the greatest army this country
ever put under one nan. shut of from
all communications with the outer
world. while units Of his force. of the
seven hundred men, were annihilated
by supposedly pacified enemy. whose
territory was annexed, stands almost
unique in military history. While Lord
Roberts is not blamed for these disast-
ers. there is strong feeling among the
leading South Africans in London that
he or some one blundered at Pretoria.
Those who know every inch around
the Transvaal capital say Lord Rob-
erts took the most arduous side to APP
proach it. whereas. with easier means
Of access. he might have gone east
ward and shut of all possibility Of
General Botha's retreat. AS it is. the
capture Of Pretoria was practically an
empty triumph except for its moral
effect. What old South African cam
paigners are asking is. Why did Rob-
erts not get Botha and his men and
take Pretoria afterwards. instead Of
occupying n deserted town and letting
the Beers calmly walk away under the
nose Of his overwhelming force? Yet,
while this question is frequently heard
there is such general admiration for
Lord Roberts. and belief in the eff
cacy Of his tactics. that even those who
ask are loath to criticise him until they
know the details.
The patent fallibilities OF the generals
fighting at the front have caused end
less criticism since the war began, but
scarcely any blunder in South Africa
has drawn upon it so much condem-
nation as the recent Aldershot maneu-
vers. when $4,000 troops engaged in a
sham battle on the hottest day Of the
year. The inquest upon four Of the en-
listed men who died from heat prostra-
tions records the fact that the troops !
started early in the morning without
an adequate meal, and that the forage
caps they wore were utterly insuffici-
ent to protect their heads from the
sun. A more damning indictment of
military equipment was scarcely ever
so quickly secured than by this simple
verdict Of a coroner's jury.
BESIDES the men VINO died some 400
had TO go to the hospitals. The result
is that the obnoxious forage caps are
likely to be done away with. The death
of the third Duke of Wellington re-
moves one Of the shyest and least
known persons in England. Once and
only once he made an attempt to speak