The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-28

| COnceaIing the Facts - PROLONGED
| Session of the Defense Committee
| of the Cabinet Strengthens This
Opinion-Mafeking Said to Have
| Been Relieved.
| NEW YORK, Jan. 27.-Most sensation
al news Of British reverses comes from
Berlin. special dispatch bearing Ber-
| lin date. says:
There is no doubt that the forces
under Gen. Warren have suffered Sc
we're reverse at the hands of the Beers.
| The foreign office Is in receipt of in.
| formation conf1rmatory of the statement,
which Is said to have also come to DR.,
Leyds, the Transvaal representative, who
| is now here"
ENTICED HIM IN
BERLIN, Jan. 2.-Some of the papers
here claim to have a telegram from Pre-
toria saying that Gen. Warren was en-
ticed into Spion Kop, where the Beers
fell upon him, that seventeen of his can
non were captured and that Buffers
hasty retreat over the Tugela river alone
can save him.
The alleged Pretoria telegram adds that
the British losses were 800 men killed and
1,5Oo wounded. The dispatch comes
through Brussels and does not receive
much credit in this city
LONDON DOUBTS IT.
LONDON, jan 27-The war office has
| no news Of the catastrophe to Gen. Bull
le1's force reported from Berlin, and dis
| credits the story. Neither has the war
Office any explanation, at least for pubIi-
cation. Of the abandonment of Spion Kop,
| and there are nc advices in this connec.
| ton from independent sources The dis
position today is to regard the evacuation
| as not so serious as at first thought
WAR OFFICE SILENT.
| The only news issued by the war office
during the night is dispatch from Lord
i, Roberts, dated yesterday Saturday,
| stating that the situation is unchanged,
and that Gen. French made a recon-
naissance of the enemy's position or
! Thursday, when he found the Beers
strongly posted at Pietfontein. The
maps do not show any such place In the
region Of Gen. Frenchs operations, and
| 1t is probable that Reitfontein, ten
miles north of Colerberg, is the place al
| luded to. s;s,
special dispatch from Colenso, dated
| Wednesday, Jan. "a, says that Com
mandant Lucas Meyers commando sur
prised and surrounded strong body OF
Gen. Methuen's infantry. killing and
/ wounding twenty-three and capturing ff-
! teen.
| The absence of Eews from the front
| is causing public attention to turn to
the approaching. opening of parliament,
| and specula ton as to how the govern
ment will meet the attacks on it with
regard to the cause and conduct of the
war,a forecaste of which has already been
given in the speeches of Mr.. John Morley
and others, during the past week. The
governments defense is, perhaps, fore
| shadowed by the speeches made at Bir-
mingham last evening by Mr.. Jesse Col
| lings and Mr. j. Austen Chamberlain.
GRAVE NEWS CONCEALED
! In connection with the meeting of the
the rumor was reiterated that the war
Office is concealing the gravest kind of
news from the upper Tugela liver The
reports even go so far as to say the
forces of Gen. Butler are in full retreat.
1t is impossible to confirm or deny the
reports as the officials maintain silence
as to the rumors. They say they nave
nothing for publication 1t is evident,
however, from the war office announce
monts that the casualties reported by
Gen. Butler occurred in Gen. Lyttleton's
| brigade which apparently was not en-
gagged at Spior Kop, and that there has
been severe fighting not yet reported.
| Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, the chancel-
lor of the eXcheQuer, came to London
| p1rposely to attend the defense com
| mittee meeting and Joseph Chamberlain
| the secretary of state for the colonies,
| gave up other engagements Tor the same
reason Lord Wolseley, the commander
| in-chief of the forces, was also present
| at the meeting of the committee.
| The war office has decided to embody
| two additional militia battalons and an
| other battery of artillery.
There is no mention here of the re-
ports circulated in the United States that
Gen. Clery has been defeated by the
Roers The last heard of Gen. Clery
was that he was participating III Gen.
Warren's movements.
GOVERNMENT DEFENDED.
Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain, who expected
to attend the banquet of the Birmingham
Jewellers and slversmiths this evening,
was unable to be present. on account OF
the holding of a meeting of the defense
committee His place was taken by Ht.
Hon. Jesse Ceilings, under secretary or
state for the home office and Mr.. j. Aus
ten Chamberlain, civil lord Of the admir-
ralty. The former, replying to toast to
Her Majesty's Minister'S" deplortd the
attitude of the press in regard TO the
war in South Africa. He said there had
been no muddle In its conduct, and the
facts. when known would show there
had been no war in which mora foresight,
skill and knowledge of details were dis
played by the government than the pres
ent one The reverses. he. declared, only
increased the determination 10 prosecute
the war to the end. Great Britain would
maintain her position or sink into an in
significant third-rate power.
LORD ROBERTS PLAN.
There are signs of important move
ments developing in the north OF cape
Colony Gen. French has succeeded In
getting In touch with Gen. Gatacre, pos
sibly presaging a combination of the two
| columns, and the commencement OF q
concentration of the forces. which is be-