The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-22
CAUSE OF ANXIETY
Is the Absence Of Definite News from
Lord Roberts.
HAS SENT SOME CASUALTIES.
But of Certain Commands He Mentions
Nothing.
The MOVEMENTS OF THREE DAYS
Are Not Included in His Advices and Little
Is Known.
Beers REPORT THAT CRONJE IS FIGHTING
And Holding His Own While Being
Reinforced from All sides-i'cd-
erals Are Leaving Natal.

London February %, a.m.--Lord Rob
erts list OF forty-nine killed and wounded
officers, including two generals in the
engagements up to Sunday evening. causes
anxiety, especially as in the officers list
neither the losses OF the Welsh and Essex
regiments, nor those of the mounted in
fantry, are included. This is about the
number that fell at Colenso. where the
non-commissioned officers and men
brought the total losses to 500 wounded.
1t is considered strange that when send
Ing these casualties Lord Roberts gives no
information as TO the result of the fight
ing. If he has sent such a report the war
office is Withholding it.
Moreover, nothing is known as to what
took place Tuesday and yesterday. This
absence Of details from Lord Roberts dis
patch, contrasted with his rather full mar
ratives during the first part Of his op ra-
lions. produces uneaslness among military
observers, All the comment in the morn
ing newspapers. both editorial and critical.
is threaded with the disturbing suggestion
that depsite hard fighting, General Cronjc
has been able to beat OFF his pursuers has
escaped and is being reinforced by troops
by rail from LadysmIth and by the forces
on foo, and horseback from northern Cape
Colony. as well as the late beleaguers Of
Kimberley. AS the correspondents with
Lord Roberts are silent the telegram from,
Boer sources receives some countenance
The latter AYERS that General Cronje, while
the British were endeavoring to surround
him between Paardeburg and Koodooes
Rand, received renforcements under
Dewet, and that together the Boer COM
manders fought the British TO a stlndstill.
However all this may be, public opinion
here will not be reassured until the war
Office issues explicit statements of sue
.cesses which OF course, would clear away
the gathering ubts respecting the unin-
corrupted success of Lord Roberts forward
movement No one doubts his ultimate
success, but there is a fear of temporary
disappointment and that a lot Of hard fight
ing is yet ahead OF the British.
The latest report regarding General Bull
Ter, criticised in the house of commons last
evening, was that an agent of the De
Beers company has received a cablegram
from Capetown which must have passed
the censor. to the effect that General Bar
tons Fuslleer brigade had reached the
hills commanding Ladysmith. Quite apart
from this, however, and from every other
rnrnor the early relief of the beleaguere1
garrison is thought inevitable.
Many distinguished persons on the way
home from the theaters and clubs called
al the war Office 10 inquire for news. The
ladies' lobby was open until midnight The
arrival at the war office of several promi-
nent officials after II o'clock gave sub
stane to a repda that important informa-
ton from Lord Roberts had been received.
but an announcement was soon fortheom-
ing that no further bulletins would be
posted during the night.