Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-11
ROBERTS AT SEAT OF WAR.
Estimated That the British Now Have


Estimated That the British Now Have
12O,OOO Men.
A dispatch from London last night says:
General Lord Roberts, the new commander
of the British forces in South Africa. and
his chief of staff, General Lord Kitchener
have arrived at Cape Town.
1t is assumed that Lord Roberts and Lord
Kitchener, with their clearer vision, sup
ported by $4,000 fresh men who are due to
arrive in South Africa within thirty days,
will alter the situation. and that the fourth
month of the campaign will witness the be-
ginning of victories for the British arms.
They are not. however expected to pro-
duce definite results for some days, but
their mere presence will restore the shaken
confidence of the men at the front In their
generals.
Lord Roberts finds 10000 men on the
defensive or watching for an opening.
Lord Methuens health, according to the
Daily Mail has broken down. and the
field marshal may relieve him. Possibly
some others will be relieved of important
comma nds. There is certainly plenty of
rank in evidence in South Africa. In addf-
ton to the field marshal there are two full
generals. four lieutenant generals and
twelve or fourteen major generals
The Times in editorial crfticisiDg at
great length the governments conduct OF
the war. alludes to the stupid and per-
verse mistakes" that have been made, and
demands that the practice of the nom
revelation of facts" be abandoned. 1t in
ssts strongly upon knowing ''the truth
and the whole truth" about the situation.
and finds fault with Mr.. Balfours defense
piGce-meal
The Standard summarizes the general
situation thus:
Well. the campaign has lasted three
months. We have something like 10000
troops in South Africa. With this huge
army distributed over the country, we are
still powerless to relieve three garrisons
from investment. We have still to see
large portions of both colonies In the hands
We have driven the invaders back at no
single point. We are actually further
from the hostile frontier than we were on
the day that the ultimatum was delivered.
The work which ministers believed could
be effectually performed with 25.O00 men
has not been DONE has not even been be-
gun, by four or five times that number.
Can any one fail to admit that this Is evil
denCe of grave niscalculation of forces
and facts?"
Beers to Have Prfvateer.
A special to the Morning News in Sa-
vannah, Ga, from Atlanta states that
Captain Charles H. Hill, now in that city,
who was an officer on the Brazilian cruiser
Nichteroy, had received a letter from
Lieutenant Mcdonald Craven. who was on
the Nichteroy with him, offering him COM
mand OF q converted yacht armed with
two 4.5 inch guns, which had been equipped
by the Boer government to prey upon
British commerce on the Atlantic coast.
+. y. Steyn was named as the Trans
vaal agent, with headquarters in Savan-
nah, who had arranged for the expedi-
ton, which was to start from the BAHIA
mas Steyn went to Atlanta, 1t is stated,
to induce Hill to join the expedition, but
Hill refused. Investigation in Savannah
fails to disclose any clue to Steyn or any
one answering to his description.
British Transport Sails.
SOUTHAMPTON. Eng, January 1.-THE
Cunard Line steamer Umbria, which has
been chartered as a transport by the Brit
ish government, will sail from Southamp-
ton this afternoon with 200 soldiers bound
for South Africa.
Sympathy for the Beers.
CHICAGO. January ia special to the
Tribune from Alton, ILL.,, says:
The Alton city council last night adopted
a resolution expressing sympathy with the
Beers in their war with England and ex-
tended the hope that they might win. The
resolution was presented to the council by
fifty citizens, with a request that it be
adopted.
1t Is Russia's Opportunity.
LONDON, January 1.-THE Calcutta cor
respondent of the Daily Mail says:
while the official statement that no
alarm is felt concerning Afghanistan is
quite true, 1 have good reason to believe
that the Indian government has received
disuuieting information regarding Russian
movements in the direction of Persia.
Russia Is taking advantage of the
Transvaal trouble to strengthen her arna-
ments and to push forward her outposts
along the Persian frontier, with view
OF ultimate annexation. a design In which
Germany would probably acquiesce in con-
sideration Of receiving railway conces-