Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-12-27

The war in South Africa has taken an
unexpected turn. Gems. Dewet and De-
larey have apparently outWitted Lord
Kitchener in movement as brilliantly
conceived as it was adroitly executed.
For several weeks Boer force has been
operating in a circumscribed territory,
partly in the Transvaal and in the Or
ange Free State. The British generals
sent in pursuit have lost heavily, their
forces narrowly escaping capture on sew
eral occasions But while Delarey and
Dewet were engaged in drawing the Brit
ish troops northward from the Vaal riv-
er, much larger force of Beers has
crossed the Orange river, invaded Cape
Colony and seized Colesburg, thus begin
ming lively campaign in the region i'll
which Gatacre and French were held at
bay year ago. The danger to British
interests in this new Boer invasion of
Cape Colony lies in the menace of ris-
ing of the Dutch colonies. The Dutch
outnumber the English residents in the
eastern part of the colony and if they
should decide to cast their fortunes with
the Beers they could add thousands Of
men to Dewet and Delarey's army, to
say nothing of the assistance they could
give in money and provisions. There
is in England, beyond question, a grow
ing sentiment favorable to the Beers.
Public meetings, called to express sympa-
thy with the burghers, are no longer in
terfered with, and men openly proclaim
their hope of seeing independence restor-
ed to the South African republics. More
troops are badly needed in South Africa,
but unless regiments of volunteers can
be raised the troops will not be forthcom-
ing in large numbers; and the English
citizen is slow to volunteer to fight a
war of which he has long been weary.
$50:
It is somewhat difficult to gain a COM
prehensiye view of English sentiment
relative to the amendments tosthe Hay
Panncefote treaty and the proposal of
the United States Senate to abrogate the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty. Newspapers like
the Times and the Standard declare that
England will not accept a mutilated
treaty. On the other hand, men like
Henry Labouchere, Sir Charles Dixie and
others noted for their independence Of
thought, declare that England has no rea-
son to oppose the idea of canal built
by American money, guarded By Ameri-
can guns and controlled by America. It
is entirely within the probabilities that
most of the English people are Indifferent
and that those who are interested are
divided in their opinions
-
The powers interested III China have
at last reached an agreement on the pre-
liminary terms to be demanded Of the
| Chinese government The noiuts tn the
agreement have been repeated so FREE
quently that the public is tolerably fa-
miiiar with them. China must pay in
demnity and furnish sufficient safeguards
for the future. The Importance of the
agreement lies in the fact that the pow
ers have been able to reach it at all. And
il it is carried out China will emerge
from the crisis without loss Of territory,
and with little loss of prestige. But it
will be years before the commerce lost
in the last seven months is regained.
There is trace Of poetic justice in.
the news that Count Esterhazy, the
French officer who, more than any other
one man, hanged the Dreyfus affair
around the neck of the French govern
ment, is starving in London. Esterhazy
proved himself everything that was VII
cious He condemned 4 man to exile on
forged evidence. He stirred the French
army to the verge Of mutiny, demoral-
lied the courts, and kept the government
iii Il turmoil for years. Ills present con-
dition is exciting little sympathy any
where ii the world.