The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-01-31
BULLER TO SOLDIERS
Hs Expects to Reach Ladysmith
Within q Week.
ADM1RALrY's DEMONSTRATION"

The Channel ssuad,on VIII Esercss<
OF the Irish Coast, ProbabIy a. 9
warning to Other Hatisns-Tel
Thousand Troops Detained at Home
London, Jan. 31.-The Cape Town
correspondent of The Daily Mail, tele-
graphing yesterday. says:
| General Butler on Monday read the
following message from the queen to
Sir Charles Warren's force:
Il must express my admiration of
the troops during the past trying week,
, especially Of those regiments you
specify. and Of the accomplishment of
your arduous march,"
General Butler told the men that
they ought not to think, because they
had retired from their position, that
all their work was OF no avail On the
contrary, in hts opinion, they had
gained the key Of the road to Lady,
smith, in which he hoped to be within
q week. General Butler then called for
cheers for the queen, which were heard
for miles around.
1t is now known that the cabinet
devoted much of its discussions on
Saturday to the mobilization of the
fleet: Nothing was settled except that.
until further security to the home
coasts has been obtained by naval
preparations, the Eighth division shall
not be sent to South Africa.
On Monday the admiralty issued or
ders that the channel squadron, in
stead of leaving Portland this week for
Gibraltar, as previously directed, shall
assemble on Feb. OF Eddystone and
proceed to Bantry for fortnight's
exercises of the Irish coast, thus keep
Ing IN home waters for time.
This decision to delay the Eighth
division at time when reinforce
ments are SO urgently required may
mean only that transports are not yet
available. The Inference Is that the
feet may be mobilized as q general
warning to other countries to keep
their hands OF the Transvaal ques-
tion, or the ministry may have definite
knowledge that the neutral powers
propose to take some advantages else
where while England is busy In South
Africa. One thing Is certain. Ten
thousand men, all ready to 20 to
South Africa, are detained for reasons
OF which the public has no knowledge.
In the debate in parliament yester-
day none of the speakers is considered
to have risen to height befitting the
gravity Of the situation. The feeling
is that the ministers failed. Lord
Salisbury professed ignorance regard
ing the Boer strength and ornaments,
Mr.. Balfour and Lord Lansdowne de-
clared that these were accurately
known. But not one Of the ministers
had word of enlightenment to offer
regarding either the past or the fu-
ture, and the leaders of the Opposi-
tion had no suggestion to advance nor
an alternative policy to expound. Mr..
Chamberlain preserved desire for
silence, although throughout the an
tagonistic speeches Of Sir Henry
Campbell-Bannerman and Mr.. Balfour
he displayed unusual excitement. Lord
Rosebery's speech was the only one
which made strong impression, and
1t Is interpreted in many quarters to
indicate readiness, in the event of a
change of ministry, to assume the
burdens Of the premiership.
The queens speech read at the OPEN
Ing of parliament, asked all English
men to stand by the government to
prosecute the Boer war until victory
had been won. The valor of the troops
was highly praised, and the queen ex-
pressed her qualification at the loyalty
with which the colonies had rallied to
the defense of the empire. Sorrow for
the great loss Of life was expressed,
and hint ct fear Of foreign interven-
tion was conveyed in her plea for sup
port for all measures to increase the
national defenses and add to the power
Of the navy,