The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-11
CHASING De WET.
Every British Trooper Possesses
Three Horses.
Kitchener Still Fails to Catch
the Foxy Boer.
CONSIDERED A HERO.
Imperial Soldiers Have Degree
of Admiration
To-. Az NJ xayr cs-ao---crg
For the Man Who so Successfully
Outmaneuvers Them.

New York. Dec. ia dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
A singular comment was made upon
the fox hunt after DeWet by a veteran
of the British army who had spent many
years in India. He said that the troops
engaged in running him to earth were
ready to cheer for him and to take him
up on their shoulders and carry him in
triumph to the nearest camp as the chief
hero of the war in South Africa This
old soldier had been talking with off,
GERS of the Guards who had taken part
in Intellectual hunts after the willy raider
and was convinced that only a true
sportsn1anlike spirit of fair play and adj
miration prevailed respecting him. NO
other Boer commander, he maintained,
had commanded in an equal degree the
admiration of the British army in South
Africa, and that when the war is ended
the officers whom he has outwitted and
bafaed many times would like to join in
complimentary reception to him in
London.
Further news respecting DeWet is
eagerly awaited. A rumor. which how
ever at present lacks confirmation, was
current last night that severe fighting
had taken place between his forces and
those of General Knox.
Lord Kitchener has already fulfilled
the forecasts OF experts in one respect
he has adopted a laconic style in his
bulletins. His dispatches have declined
in compass day by day since he assumed
the chief command. and a single sentence
suffices for the official announcement
that the last batch of British prisoners
has turned up at Bethu1ie. The experts
are pleased with this economy of words.
They assert that Lord Roberts uncon-
sciously dignified guerilla warfare by
devOting a long bulletin to it daily, and
that Lord Kitchener will minimize the
Boer operations by allowing all the
petty incidents to pass without Obserya-
ton. While Lord Kitchener is taciturn,
he is fairly aflame with energy. Mill
tary men say that every trooper in
knox's column has three horses, and
that with fresh remounts constantly
available the pursuit of DeWet into the
last ditch has been possible.
Germany has given one more proof of
her resolve to maintain friendly rela-
tons with England. It is generally
agreed that the imperial chancellOr'S
speech in the reichstag must dispose
once and for all of any hopes of Euro
pean Intervention which Kruger and his
advisers might have entertained
Mr.. Chamberlain's vindication of his
personal honor, which was inpugned by
Lloyd Georges amendment to the adj
dress In the house of commons, was
veritable triumph. The colonial secre-
tary has seldom spoken with so much
dignity and feeling and the house cheer
ed him to the echo. In straightforward
language he told what his principles of
public life and when at last he sat down
he had succeeded in destroying the case
SO diligently worked up against him.
The suggestion that a memorial to the
colonial soldiers who have fallen in
South Africa should be erected in Lon
don is taking practical shape and the
royal colonial institute, which in it's
membership is typical Of the empire, is
considering several projects which have
been formulated for it's approval.
The ministers are striving to shorten
the present session of parliament by
explaining how little needs to be done.
Broderick has some estimates to pre-
sent and the chancellor of the exchequer
requires a slight increase of borrowing
powers, but everything can be put out
of the way by Saturday, if laxative
radicals will only respect the English
prejudice in favor of a long Christmas
holiday. Joseph Chamberlain content
ed himself with a curt yea and nay
when questioned about the South Afri-
can letters and the debate on the queens
address was allowed to limp and drag.
Mr.. Bartley's amendment relating to
the predominance of one family in the
cabinet brought up Arthur Balfour in a
speech of great dignity in defense of
Lord Salisbury. 1t came with good
grace from him, because he has OBJ
own merits and without any reference
He countered Mr.. Bartley's attack neat
ly by haunting the Radicals with first
complaining of the ascendancy of Mr..
Chamberlain in the cabinet and then
talking about the prime minister's
60,