The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-16
BRITONS ARE IN A TRANCE.
REVERSE IN SOUTH AFRICA is THE
CAUSE OF 1T.
Thought Now That the War VIII
Drag on for MOnths-Dewet Has
Made England the Laughing
stock of the whole world.


utterly unexpected reverse of the British
at Magaliesberg, the news of which was
broken to the nation exactly one year
after Gen. Buffers defeat at Colenso,
effectually dsposes of any hopes that the
war in South Africa is nearly ended, ana
clearly abates the myth that the opera
lions there were merely of a guerrilla
nature As Mr. Loyd-George, Liberal,
said in the house of commons today:
This is one of the most severe reverses
suffered by the British and 1t Is quite
evident that the war will drag on for
many months to come. Dewet is making
England the laughing stock of the world.
We have 10000 men in the field, yet we
are unable TO. protect ourselves from dis
aster at the hands Of small commandoes
drawn from a pastoral people"
The extent of the reverse and the dis
grace of such large body of men sur
has created feeling of shame and as
constituent which finds free vent. With
somewhat cruel coincidence, the North
umberlands are known as the Fighting
Fifth" The second battalion. to which
the captured companies belong, was one
of the heaviest sufferers at Stormberg
pronounced by home and foreign critics
to be one of the finest in the British
army.
An the forebodines and criticisms which
Colenso gave rise to a year ago have
been resurrected by the disaster at the
Magaliesberg The war office has nothing
to do but grin and bear It," and trust
are Transformed into mounted infantry,
and the mounted police get to work, Mr..
Broderick says, little hope of improve
ment In the military situation can be ex-
pected. But whoever was responsible for
the surrender at Magaliesberg Is likely
to suffer for the new war office OFFICIALS
are determined to make examples of gen.
erals or any other officers guilty OF such
gross mismanagement, or worse, which,
Il would seem must have occurred at
this last defeat.
government, however, by no means de-
creases the scorn and fgnomity with
which certain of the Liberal members of
parliament who are avowedly pleased by
the Boer successes, are regarded by the
major part OF the community. At a pro-
Boer meeting Friday at which Leonard
Courtney presided Gen. Kitchener's
Butcher Beast" while mention Of
Steyn and Dewet elected loud cheers.
The Pail Mall Gazette today editorially
Bryn-R Roberts and Lloyd-George ought to
be put In coventry and not spoken to
by any self-respecting Englishman. The
exp.edient, severe as It is, is likely to meet
with approval in all quarters not exclud-
ing the moderate Liberal journals. Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman. the Liberal
leader in the house OF commons. does not
escape criticism for tacitly permitting his
alleged followers to take up such an
avowediy anti-British attitude.
In view of the events I'm South Africa,
II is scarcely surprising that the public
refuses to be cajoled into taking a burn
ing interest In the Ncaraguan canal, tn
spite of the special American cable dis
patches, which broke the records for
length and seriousness. The London
Times correspondent today makes a pas
sionate comparison between the present
state of AFFAIRS and that which existed
at the time of the Venezuela dispute and
bitterly arraigns President Mckinley and
the senate; yet Lord Pauncefote has not
cabled word to the foreign office, which
amendment through the Associated Press.
Apathetic a. to America.
Such pessimisttc and Indignant cable
messages as most of the London dailies
are receiving from their American corro-
spondents find no responsive echo in
freely expressed of these cabied efforts to
apprfse the British public of how badly
the senate is alleged to be treating their
government The foreign Office officials,
ed, were frankly surprised at the size of
the majority. which served more than
anything else to open their eyes to the
fact that there was no truth in the cabled
statements that the railroad interests
were solely responsible for the opposition.
or that irrational 1ingoism had suddenly
There exists in the foreign office a sane
appreciation OF the American objections
to building the canal and not being allow
ed &c fortify It,
yet. at the same time" says an on
cial, Eve do not see why the treaty
which we made with the people who we
believed to he the responsible representa-
tives of America should be treated so
cavalierly by the senate. We do not
regard the present issues as of any great
Importance for we doubt II the Nicaragua
canal viii ever be paying Investment,
and whoever builds II. II will be of little
use to England, either In peace or war.
lessness OF making treaties with a conn-
try whose senate takes such opposite
views to those IL empowers to act In its
behalf. There seems TO be an impression
in America that the Clayton Rutwer
treaty was secured by the cuteness of The
English representatives and gave Eng
land an unfair advantage. That view has
not bother our heads about the mattor
until the senate finishes its labors and
we receive the results through diplomatic
channels. We are anxious To know what
America really does want. and until we
know II Is absurd 10 surmise what TO do
However, the Clayton Bulwer treaty
worked satisfactorily for years, and AZ
new treaties seem TO cause dissensions
In America, maybe II Is just as well n
we are Obliged 10 revert to the former
agreement the bindingness and equity
OF which we have never for a moment
doubted. In spite OF our concessions in
the Hay-Pauneefote treaty"
Memorable session.
ihe nrSt session Of the new parliament
Just closed viii ever be memorable owing
10 the extent to which personalities were
INDUCED In. The deliberntion resulted n
the voting Of sixteen millions for war,
yet this was almost forgotten in the
Hood OF personal attack and defense
which permeated the proceedings as N
never did before IN the history Of West
Munster Briefly summed Up Il may 10
said that Mr. Chamberlain. the center ~
this movement has come out OF il iittie
the worse.
The announcement Of nepotiSn ex
emptiied By Lord SaliEbury's Cecil cab
met has accomplished nothing. though
the crusade against cabinet ministers
holding directorships has brought about
moro designations OF such positions than
expected Dealing with the latter phase
the Spectator declares that the English
democracy like the American, Threatens
20 drive out OF politics the men hssr
qualined 70 be ministers, adding
When We are reduced 70 the paHtlrlans
Of France or he