Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-09
ALL LONDON
INTERESTED
IN THE ORIENT ABB
soRB ATTENTION OF THE
ENGLISH PUBLIC.
THE BRITISH NAVY is
SEVERELY CRITICISED.
Are Deficient in Their Target Practice
Serious Condition Of Mrs. Glad
stone-To Govern Transvaal.

London. June 9.-(Special London Ca
Die Letter for Saturday Afternoon Pa
pers. Copyright, 1900, by the Associat-
ed Press. ITO all intents and purposes
the South African war, so far as the
average Britisher is concerned, is over.
With the exception of the possible cap
ture Of President Kruger and the ome-
coming Of Lord Roberts, his calendar of
probabilities contains nothing of vital
interest. Already China is becoming
keen rival of South Africa as the burn
Ing question of the day. The capture of
500 members Of the imperial Yeomanry,
which few months ago would have
thrown the nation into fit of despond-
ency, self analysis and furious abuse of
it's own officers, has passed compare tive
ly unnOticed. The work Of stamping out
! the disturbance, for such, according to
the British point of view, is the nature
of the opposition now encouraged, is too
prosaic and too common in the annals
of the British army to merit the alb
sorbing attention hitherto bestowed on
each detail of the sanguinary struggle.
What shall we do with it - is far more
the topic of the hour than speculation
regarding the expenditure in lives and
money that seem likely to ensue before
the pacification of the Beers is accom-
plished. Large numbers of inquiries are
daily made in London anent the pros
poets of the undeveloped crown lands Of
Natal, while the rich resources of the
4 i
the basis Of frequent articles. Before
many months have passed the steamship
companies plying to and from South AT
rica, the companies connected with the
development Of that portion OF the
globe and others equally interested and
well informed look for large and steady
, emigration of trained British agricul-
turists and others to fields on which the
blood Of Briton and Boer Is scarcely dry
All the letters from the front Indicate
an increasing desire on the part ot
large proportion of the irregular and
colonial forces to settle down in this
fertile land won with such cost to. them
selves The British high commissioner.
Sir Alfred Miner. II is learned. IS de-
voting his whole attention TO evolving
BE to the Orange River colony and the
| Transvaal and relying to no little extent
upon the influence OF the British SET
tiers to exercise 1t. The commissioner
is in constant communication with tne
secretary OF state for the colonies, Mr.
Joseph Chamberlain, who has also got
the forces Of the colonial office hard at
work on the problem, though the Keen
sighted officials believe the day IS sun
far distant when the military admins
trations will be able to hand over !ne ,
reins of government in safety to the civil
authorities. Providing the progress or
the victorious army in the Transvaal is
tolerably similar to its operations IN tne
Orange River colony. subsequent 10 the
capture of Bloemfontein the apathy to-
ward military happenings and interest
in civil and commercial possibilities IS
likely to gain such a quick hold that
soon the war will almost be fOrgotten.
The contingency of President Kruger
still undefea ted forces scoring any Sic-
tory of consequence over Lord Roberts
is generally regarded as SO remote as
to be scarcely worth mentioning. The
occupation of Pretoria. according TO the
man in the street. settled the "hole mat
| ter.
In view Of all the premature rejoicings