The sun., 1900-02-02
THE WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA
Reported That General BalIer
Has Rcersssed the
Tugela River.
FIGHTING GOES on ALI DAY
Boer Dispatch Says That the Death
From Fever fn Ladysmith Mast
be Enormous, as Maay Burials
Occur Daily in the Be-
sie&ed Town.

| uSsin fifGt NJ tAIfe pEActS All kAl
fighting has been proceeding all day long
| A dispatch frem Cape Town, dated
Jan, 81, says:
| "A British force with artillery is re
| ported to have occupied Prieska and il
now encamped there. Prisska Is ON ths
Orange river, 100 miles below Orange
River station and west of Kimberley"
! A dispatch from Hoof laager, neal
I.adysmith, dated Jan. 30, says
"All is quiet here. The Long Toms
| occasionally fire on Ladysmith The
! deaths in Ladysmith from fever and 9th.
er causes must be enormous, as we can
clearly see them burying corpses daily
General Joubert went to the upper Tuge-
la yesterday"
A dispatch from Lourenco Marques
says the Beers have decided to try and
drown out Ladysmth by dnmming the
Kip river some miles below the besieged
town, and thus driving its waters back OH
the flats whore I.adysmith lies.
Huge quantities of timber and train
loads of sand bags, it is said, are being
rushed to the Buer camp from Pretoria
and Johannesburg to be used in tre-
mendous dam over the river. Boer engi-
neers are said to be already at work be-
Ill.
The story adds that hundreds of Kaffirs
are employed throwing up immense
earthwolks ON either bank of the river,
which will rconfine the water when the
river itself has been scientifically choked.
British Public pisgusted.
During the absence of exciting war
news the nation and the newspapers
have had time to discover the utter lack
Of relation existing between the feeling
or the people and the temper of the gov
ernment. as demonstrated in parliament,
where, instead OF relieving the grave
anxiety of the country by the declaration
OF measures which it is proposed to take
In behalf of the national safety, the min
listers continue to demonstrate their in
ability to grasp the situation by beating
the air with reerilninations and bicker-
ings as to the degree of responsibility
attachable to the respective departments
of the government. The disgust, almost
despair, noticeable on all sides is voiced
by the ultra ministerial organ, The Globe.
which says.
'The heart of the empire seems par
alyzed, while its extremities are in full
vigor. Thus far only one Statesman in
the front rank has struck the right note,
and that is Lord Rosebery."
The announcement that Il firm Of Car
diff coal shippers has contracted to sup
ply foreign agents with 400 600 tons of
steam coal for shipment abroad has oc-
casioned genuine uiicasiness. The deSti-
nation 0t the fuel is not mentioned, but
rs coal at present is exceptionally scarce
in Germany. France ANA Russia it is
probably going to one of these three
countries. Frame is alfeady replacing
her home deficiency by buying iii the
United States, hut tile American ship
ments are intended solely for railroad
locomotives aiIdlwill not be used iii the
navy.
England vitality Interested,
The vital interest which the gaestion
has for Great Britain will be understood
when it is realized that Natal is depend
ing on Wales for coal for the numerous
transports that have gone to Durham.
because the colonial coalfields have been
closed by the war. 1t is pointed out that
it would be good political move on the
part of the Beers to drain the fuel re-
sources of Great Britain in this manner,
and in the event of sudden demands the
British navy would be perlously crippled
by the loss Of SO much coal. Some of the
newspapers advocate the governments
placing an embargo on such transactions
in wartime.
General Ruler maintains silence as to
his future movements, but it is generally
supposed he is maturing another attempt
to reach Ladysmith.
A letter appears from a Hanoveriap
officer, formerly of the Twenty-second
German infantry, but now among the
military advisers of the Beers, which
says that nearly 10000 trained European
soldiers, including 300 officers, are among
the Beers. Referring to the military sit
uat ation at Ladysmith, the officer says:
owing to the strength of our positiaI.
on circle Of heights. like Sedan, we con
not be brushed aside except by relicg
column outnumbering us two to one."
Owing to the discovery that cotton
khaki is insufficient protection for troop:
sleeping on the South African plains, the
government is starting to reclotha the |
forces in the field with wooden khaki and
has already ordered $4,000 suits in Glas.
gov aloYe
Rear Admiral Lord Charles pa~esford
has started for the continent on his way |
70 Malta to take command nf the Second |
division Of the British Mediterranean |
feet.
In the house of ,ut.4alait., tl.r .uN ern- |
nent palricd ine st af HE questions in re- |
gard 10 the war ii Sauth Africa. MIR. |
George NSndham, the parliamentary un
iessecretaiy OF state for war, maintain
ID that the Information furnished by the
Intelligence. department was generally ac-
.Erate, and lie added that information in
pgard tn the forces remaining i'm the /
United Ktngdom would be included in
he statement which the government
yoUld make shortly.
Mr.. Blifom in answer to a question
aid that while the military operations
yere proceeding he could not answer any
EqniFy rs 10 the slaughter Of the high
andefs Mt Ma,ersfontein.
Regarding the dispatches of Major
General Sir William Francis Butler, who
vas in command Of the British troops In
snutli Africa until August, 1900, when
K was reliey"d by Lieutenant General
,ir Frederick William Fcsrestier- Walker,
| heinS; intimatcd that General Buffers
were IN favor Of the Beers,
dr. Hslteur said thare was ne reason to
feSea'I ts.~pa 10 the house. Ganaral Bat