The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-22

from All sections of the Empire-The
British Forces Steadily
Nearer Pretoria.
London, May 1914 a. m.-London's
millions spent half the night in the
street and wen at 4 o'clock this morn
IN troops of young men are premenad-
ing, singing and cheering and there
are crowds in front of the Mansion
house, Marlboro house, the clubs and
Pail Mall and the war office and in
parliament square, waving flags and
joining in the national airs.
This sustained believing and uproar
of hundreds of thousands amazes the
Englishman who ase for a moment
to be an actor n becomes merely an
observer. Nothing has quite equaled
tOnight's hundred square miles of al
most furious demonstration. Smart
women in broughams waved Union
Jacks out of the windows. From
every bus in London futtered a Union
Jack. Conventional family parties
stopped at street corners to take part
in singing God Save the Queen" and
Soldiers of the Queen" Everywhere
were a band, good feeling and a roar
of human voices.
II was all brought about by a twenty
word telegram from Pretoria that Ma
feking had been relieved.
Mr.. Arthur J.. Balfour, government
leader in the house Of commons, speak
ing from the government bench last
evening said: THE only news l ave
is through the courtesy of the press.
We have no information at the war
office. 1 need hardly say that We all
trust and we have good eas to think
that il is probably true"
Mr.. George Wyndham, parliament
tary under secretary for war, replying
to Serveral members of the house who
had privately interrOgated him, said:
Although the government has moth
ing, / am disposed to believe the Boer
bulletin. 1t may be tomorrow even
Monday, before the government would
get dispatches from u military COM
manders, even if the siege were raised
some lays ago, as the news would need
to be conveyed Over a very long dis
tance by message on horseback.
whereas the enemy would probably be
able TO avail themselves of Geographic
communication"
Colonel Baden-Powelrs brother in
London has received a telegram from
" D0LSLL 1CA1u LII ooy ING NAALN
Mafeking has been relieved.
The performers In the London music
halls and theatres last evening had
little use for stage business or for the
lines of their pieces Occupants of
stalls, boxes and galleries sang in
chorus The Absent-Minded Beggar."
and Soldiers of the Queen" between
acts.
At the music halls no one pretended
interest in anything not having mill
tary color.
At Carlton hotel, which is filled with
Americans, the bands played March
ing Through Georgia." which has been
recently adopted to an English song
entitled Marching to Pretoria"
Dixie" and other American airs were
played.
Ten thousand people too in front
of Mrs Baden-PowelPs house In st
Georges palace, cheering and singing
The lord mayor sent the following to
Colonel Baden-Powell. THE citizens OF
London are relieved. They rejoice in
the good news received. Your gallant
defence will long live in British annals.
Cable me what money is wanted for
the needs of the garrison and inhabi-
tants after long privations."
In unreStrained jubilation the pro-
yinces were not behind the metropolis.
From all parts of the empire comes
the same story. Bombay, Hong Kong,
Colombo and the Australian cities are
rejoicing. Continental cities, as the
press kilograms abundantly testify,
received the news sadly.
Pretoria, May 1S.-It was officially
announced today that when the laa-
gers and forts around Mafeking had
been severely bombarded the siege
was abandoned, a British force from
the south taking possession OF the
place.
london. May 1S.-10:15 a. m.-From
the mention of the laagerS in the Pre-
toria dispatch it is understood here
that prior to the raising of h siege of
Mafeking, the Boer laagers around
that place were vigorously
by the British relief column and that
the burghers were practically com
PEELED to abandon the siege.
The dispatch of the Associated Press
announcing the relief of Mafeking was
posted outside the Mansion house and
the news rapidly spread. A large
crowd collected n at this hour all
the streets in the n~eighborhood are al
ready resounding with cheers.
The war office at 9 o'clock had an
bounced that no news had been re-
ceiyed. but at $40 the lord mayor. Mr..
A. J.. Newton, in his official robes of
office. announced the joyful news to
the crowd outside. The lord mayor was
accompanied by the lady mayoreSS to
the front of the Mansion house, where
an immense portrait of Colonel Baden
Powell was displayed, bearing the in
%scription:
"MAFEKING RELIEVED"
While the attendants were waving
Union Jacks the lord mayor briefly adj
dressed the assemblage, saying: Il
wish your cheers could reach MAIZE
king
Here the speech was interrupted by
redoubled cheering and the singing of
.Rule Britannia" after which the lord
mayor remarked: W never doubted
what the end would be or that British
pluck and courage would conquer at
last" The lord mayor then led the
. crowd in singing God save the
Queen" and Soldiers Of the Queen"
and with renewed cheering and the
waving of flags by the assembled null
titude. and the singing of For He's a
InIIu Good Fellow" the mayor and his