Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-21

copyrighted, 1900. by The Associated Press.
K London, Eng, June 16. with ex.
citing news from the war that was sup.
posed to be over in South Africa, sen
sational reports liz regard to the war
that is said to be pending In China
and alarming dispatches relative to the
rebellion against British rule 10
Ashanti, to say nothing Of the gay
Ascot meeting, the death of Mrs. Glad
stone and the death of the Duke Of
Wellington, the week in England has
been ore of considerable interest. In
fact, so genuinely absorbed has tho
nation become in its own peculiar
affairs that those Of other countries
fail to elicit the slightest comment.
The war. "a 1t is learned Gen. Kelly
Kenny said to Gen. Tucker few
weeks ago, is 'tthe rummiest have
ever seen. II VIC treferring to- the
division oommnndsrsl do things wrong,
we are sent home indisgrnoe. If wo do
them right, Roberts gets all the credit, "
And the war is "rummier" than even
Gen. Kelly Kenny mad any idea Of.
The spectacle presented this week of
victorious British general, in command
of the greatest army his country ever
put under one man, shut off from all
communication with the outer world,
while units of his forces to the number
OF 100 men. were snnihila,el by q sup.
posedly paoified enemy whose territory
was annexed stands unique in military
history. While Lord Roberts is not
| blamed for these disasters. there ia
strong feeling among the leading South
Africans in London that he or some
| one Numbered at Pretoria. Those who
know every inch around the Transvaal
capital say Lord Roberts took the most
arduous side to approach it. whereas
| with easier' means of access he might
have gone eastward and shut off all
| possibility OF Gen. Botha's retreat. AZ
| IL ia, the capture Of Pretoria was
| practically an empty triumph, except
| for its moral effect. What old South
| African campaigners are asking Is
why did Roberts not get Botha and
his men and take Pretoria afterward,
instead of occupying deserted town
and letting the Beers calmly walk
away under the nose of his overwhelm-
ing force. = Yet, while this question
is frequently heard, there is such
genuine admiration for Lord Roberts
and belief in the efficacy of his tactics
that even those who ask 1t are loathe
to criticise MIN until they know oil
the details.
The patent fallibilities of the gen
erals fighting at the front have caused
endless criticism since the war began,
but scarcely any blunder in South
Africa has drawn upon it so much con.
domination as the recent Aldershot
manpuvres, when 10000 troops were
engaged in n sham battle on the hottest
day CT the year. The inquest upon four
of the enlisted men who died from
heat prostration records, the fact that
the troops started early In the morning
without an adequate meal, and that
the forage caps they wore were utterly
insufficient TO protect their heads from
the sun. A more damning Indictment
Of military equipment was scarcely
ever 80 quickly and efiicaciously secured
than by this simple verdict of cor
oner's jury. Besides the men who died,
400 had TO go TO the hospitals. The
result is that the obnoxious forage car
is likely 10 be done away with.
The death of the third Duke Of Wei
lineton removes one of the shyest anc
least known peers in England. He was
pronounced vaietudinarian, and also
, suffered from keen appreciation o
his own position. Once. and only once
he made an attempt to speak 10 public
1t was on the vagrancy question, il
which he was greatly interested.
piofusion of notes lay before him ~
' he. sat in the House of Lords. HI
: caught the Lord Chancellor's eye
solemnly rose up, arranged his notes
Q cleared his throat, and sat down with
out even uttering syllable. He neve
| triad aonin.