Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-14

lucStItCu. llI says. Lulu hsppNA -
advance was splendidly executed. 1t
| is worthy to be placed with the Kanda-
har expedition. The situation is now
changed so greatly in favor of the Brit
| ish that the fate of the Transvaal
Beers is settled President Steyn's
movement eastward is interpreted as
confirming the rumors of chickering's be-
tween the Transvaalers and the Free
Staters.
| New York, May 13-Spencer Wilkin-
| son of London, in an article on HOW
! Long Will the Boer War Last? which
will appear in the forthcoming edition
| OF Leslie's Weekly, says: Il nave from
the beginning expected that the Beers
would make a desperate fight. Ac-
| cording to their view the cause Tor
which they are in arms is that of indie
! pendence or their national existence,
| and for that cause every community
will fight harder and longer than for
| any other.
Great Britain is fighting for the
, unity Of her empire and for the exist
encc of the British nation. 1t is
| cause which appeals less directly to
| the intelligence of the masses than that
| of independence and the disproportion
between the resources of the British
empire and those of the Boer republic
| is 50 great that neither the British
government nor the constituencies by
which it is accustomed to guide itself
| are able to realize the choice of ex-
treme exertions to bring the war
| speedily to an end.
I'm the present case the British gov
| eminent. the group of politicians in
| charge of the nations affairs is not yet
more than half awake; and if the pro-
vision hitherto made for the conduct
| of the war should prove insufficient
| there would be considerable delay be-
| fore fresh eXertions by way of prepa-
ration would produce a visible result.
There are now under the command
OF Roberts altogether 100000 men, and
even if the most liberal deductions be
made for casualties of all sorts. for
garrisons left on the communication
for invalids and for troops stationed
in the districts lately disaffected. and
if we allow that there may be in Ma
tai 10000 to supply field force of 30.
600, there is still abundant material
for Lord Roberts t. attack the Beers
with a force outnumbering their whole
army. On the lowest estimate Of what
the British commander of Natal can
do he must hold fast a respectable
fraction Of the Bocr forces. The re-
mainder cannot, without danger fight
n pitched battle against Lord Roberts
for in that case his attack will GER
tainly cnvclop them and involve them
| in disaster. At best they can delay
him and harass his communications.
1T is little more than months
march from Bloemfontein to Pretoria.
The Beers by the various expedients
open to them of rear guard actions
and Of raids on the communications.
may prolong this time by couple Of
months: but in the process, even
though they should escape crushing
defeat, their army would be used up
After that there is nothing left to
them but guerilla warfare. or the at
| tempt of wholesale trek to the north
| This appears to me to be the normal
! forecast, but | have NJ personal
/ knowledge either of the country or the
people and there are many unknown
| elements which conceal various posi-
bilities which l cannot guage.'
| Manchester. May 13.-John f. Red
mond, seasonal chairman Of the United
Irish Nationalist party. and John Dill
| Ion, former chairman of the then dom
inant wing Of the Irish parlamentar-
/ ians. appeared here, today. on the same
platform at the Irish demonstration in
Free Trade hall. Mr.. Redmond said
I the meeting celebrated the close of Il
disastrous chapter in Irish history
For the first time in q decade he had
the pleasure. he remarked, of standing
upon the same platform with Mr.
Dillon. whose presence proved the gen
uneness of the reunion.
Much remains to be done" said the
speaker, but the Irish parliamentary
party is determined to let the dead
past bury its dead. At the very mo-
ment. after the chivalrous reception to
the Queen in Ireland. when an oppor-
tunity presented itself to cement the
feeling between the two countries.
Lord Salisbury has misrepresented
Irish claims with cynical and brutal
frankness, offering an absolute non
possumus to the reasonable demands
of ireland.
His lordship spoke of dangers ahead
for the empire. If the forces he men
ltlOIleu were " udSIl Oh foT1tlSll S1cItS,
there is one spot where they would
Enot be received as enemies or invad
ers. He advocated the formation Of
rifle clubs: but he will not permit Ire
land to enlist volunteers or to bear
arms. His proposal. therefore, is an
insult to Ireland; and, so far as the
rest Of the empire is concerned, it is
puerile and absurd.
'1rishmen can now see more clearly
than ever the work they have to under
take. This task is again ito make it in
convenient and dangerous to Withhold
Irish rights. 1t is not by Cancellation
and appeals to loyalty that the griev
ances of Ireland will be remedied
Mr.. Dillon, who followed, referred to
the pleasure he felt in meeting Mr.
Redmond on common ground and said
that the real significance of the re
union would not be understood until
after the general elections.
The meeting adopted with enthusi-
asm resolutions congratulating the
party on reunion. pledgng loyal sup
port of the policy inaugurated by Par
i nell and calling upon the Irish people
: to support the United Irish League