Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-06
WORRIED BY DEWEI
Tho Repeated Successes Provi
Irritating TO the British,
MAKES THE SITUATION DANGEROUS,
Ills Guerrilla Warfare Carried In u Manner
That Tends 10 prolong hOstiliiies'
ono London Paper Now Advises
Consolidation.

London, Dee. l.--Souh Africa once
more mcnopollzeD aidentlon, The
I public Is against nt General DE VETS
recent success at Dewetsdrop, where
lac captured Nhe British garrison OF lOO
men and two guns, Us already cabled
TO the Associated Press In detail,
us this guerilla wnrlare?" the
Liberal lNpera ironically inquire,
"Why," Is asked On all sides, ARE
these troops coming home" The
oWronS TO the tictors strike even
those participating In them as hollow
compared with the events Transporting
ut the scNt OF wnr, Parliament not
being In session, the public II not
favored with any insight into the wan
Offices opinions and plans. But 1t Is
credited with varying IDEAS, from
phlosophic indifference TO acute
paalc,
"UndoubYedly the situation In
South Africa Is, serious said one OF
the responsible heads Of departments
"It resembles, in mNny respects
Americas trouble with the Fllipinos.
We cannot expect to crush out oppo-
sltion for some time Ito come. we
arc not Withdrawing troops indis-
cdmnaIlely, nor are We Indifferent to
the gravity of the problem. The
household cavalry has come because
heavy cavalry is practically useless.
"rhe infanItry. too, is of compara-
lively small service, We rely upon
rwo thlngs to bring about peace
First, the transformation, so far as
possible, of all the BrltDsh troops IN
Hhe disturbed district into mobile
cavalry and mounted infantry; second,
Through the establishment Of u police
force Unril che latter gets in work
ing order even the cavalry viii not be
able to accomplish much. The police
| force should be similar to the Irish
conFIabwlury. only all the men will bt
mounted. When thar body Is organ
lied believe Il change will quickly
come over the SITUATION
The Canadian officers, who returned
here from Souh Africa HIS week. eN-
pressed no surprise at the renewal OF
| the Eoer successes. They only won
dcred thaIt they had not been greater,
| The Canadians, however, are unani-
nous in expressing the belief that
General Kitchener Is the right man 10
deal with the form of opposition now
faced by the BRITISH In South Africa,
Hardly any Of the returning officers
| expressed criticism of Lord Roberts,
even i'm the face of the recent reyerses,
TIL general feeling toward the field
marshal is well put by the Sun of this
city, II says:
Lord Roberts Is brilliant, dash
Ing soldier and has displayed consum-
mate ABILITY But after all, we fear
he Is too much of humanitarian for
the work now to be done. Once
Kitchener gels to work ON the Beers
nothing will stop him."
The London Statist, % great fnan-
cial paper, proposes THAT the govern
ment should Begin negotiations with
| Commandment General Both0 and
General De Wet to bring the war to n
close. AS the Boer leaders might
misunderstood the motive of an over
ture from the military authorities, it
suggests that rhe highest civil author.
| ity In Cape Town should begin the
negotiations; if not Sir Alfred Milner,
then the chief Justice of Cape Colony,
or even j, II, IIofmeier.
The Suatlsl leads TO its proposal by
am analysis of the situation In South
Africa and says:
1--WE are losing in every way; losing
in prestige and losing In life. We are
seeing our South African possessions
| plunged into greater distress, and the
Opinion Is gaining ground abroad that
we are incapable of bringing the
struggle ia ii satisfactory termina-
| ClOm'
Military incompetence is alleged,
and the StutiSt says that military
hnrshness should be avoided and the
Beers be conclliated, saying:
"lf men Ike Bothn and De Wet
voluntarily surrender and bind them
selves not TO act against us i'm the
future, is there any good reason why
u promise should not be given not 10
send them out of the country? j. b.
Robinson suggests that Botha and De
| Wet should be invited to take sents In
the Legislative council that will be es-
| tabllshed. The suggestion is worthy
of approval. The Beers should not
be excluded, even from the beginning,
from anything which can safely be
given them"
Details OF the dislodgment of Com
mnndun lIerzogS forces at Luckoff
Y Settles column are more cheer
full reading for Bnglishmen than the
dismal story of De Wetstorp, when
the Beers took 400 British, since 1t is
n fresh proof that the British can
| fight the Beers in their own way. De
Vets exploit is not moderated, but it
is commented upon as an incident
which will revive Dutch courage and
prolong the period of hostllities in
definitely. by strange coincidence,
d. has occurred ON the eve Of Lord
Roberts departure from South Africa
and Lord INitchener'S assumption of
the chief command, and 1t also has
been timed for the retirement Of Lord
Wolseey from the headquarters Of the
British army. The grim irony Of the
situation has even keener edge when
the sorties of De Vets Rough
Riders" are conItrasted with the joy in
the smart sets over the return Of the