The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-23
SIZE OF BoER ARMY.
It Is Estimated at From $4,000 to
10000 Men.

London, Jan. 23.-The correspondent
of the Times at Lorenzo Marquee tele-
graphing yesterday says:
News from the republics is exceed
ingly meagre, but it is reported that
Pretoria is much perturbed. This is
confirmed from different sources and to-
day it is even limited that the Beers are
about to sue for peace
This is improbable until they have
played their trump card in the shape Of
an appeal for intervention. It is an
undoubted fact that they are bitterly
disappointed at the apparent apathy of
the continental powers"
The Brussels correspondent of the
Daily Chronicle asserts that he has
learned from authentic sources that the
Beers have between $4,000 and 10000
men in the field.
General Butler has reported nothing
of his operations on Monday and Off
cial and press intelligence leaves the
British bivouacked Sunday night on the
ground they had won after two days
fighting. The war office turned every
body out of the lobbies at midnight.
Apparently Lord Lansdowne was as
much without news all yesterday as
other persons were.
Military men assume that fighting
must have taken place. and that it was
probably more severe than on the two
preceding days. General Butler would
not be likely to give the Beers leisure
to add to the elaborate entertainments,
to arrange their artillery and to con-
centrate their forces.
The special correspondents Sunday
night were allowed to send the an
nOuncement that the battle would be
almost certainly resumed the following
day and hence official and popular
anxiety is at high tension. The British
military experts all have the hopes of
their leaders, and as Spencer Wilkinson
points out they hesitate to say a word
that might be interpreted as unfavor-
able. Mr.. Wilkinson refers to the
cooler judgment of German and Aus
trian critics." which means that some
of the best judges look upon General
Buffers enterprise as a fOrlorn hope. as
merely a continual strain of fighting,
which may prove too much for the
physical energy of the troops engaged.
The Daily Chronicles military expert
says:
Even when a battle is won in a
single day, as rule pursuit is only
possible when fresh troops are availa-
BILE. But in this instance, it is not a
question of mere pursuit but of re-
newing an attack upon entrenched po-
sitions after a days hard fighting and
a night OF lying on the battlefield"
Reinforcements, aggregating 5000 or
more, have reached Cape Town during
the last three days 1t is uncertain
how these have been disposed, but pro-
baby most of them have been sent to
Natal, where it is believed Gen. Butler
needs them. The British in the other
districts in South Africa continue in
active. Lord Methuen's 1900 men are
behind their works. Gen. French's 4,0G0
at Densburg were reused on Sunday by
a general alarm that the Beers were at
lacking but it turned out that there
was no basis for this. Gen. Gatacre is
quiescent at Colesburg.
The discomfort of the colonial officers
and the agreements with the regu-
lars are being inquired into by Lord
Roberts, who asserts that he will give
the cape cOlonials equal opportunities.
At Ladysmith the deaths from enteric
and dysentery average ten a day. Some
fears are expressed that the garrison
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