The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-21
ABOUT THE ANGLO.BOER Wan

~ ct"
tues-portability, rapidity, range ana :.
The reflected rays of the sun on -a ay
distant station by means OF uu on
mirror. but may be described less 'saoe
lrately. though more graphidallv ascu'
shaving glass mounted on low 10.
BY the aid of sighting vane the ,n, p0a-
is placed in such position that Az n ~
Is reflected upon the distant station ~ ~
this Is done signals can be mads "len
pressing a key fitted to the bacL ue-
mirror, so that the light can be easha, 'ne
to the required point in the dot ana A.. oe
method. The hello is extremely Mas assa
BILE, weighing with Its stand no mora ~
soldiers rihe. 1t possesses cl,ricas
virtue OF secrecy. because to people stanss
ing even at very short distance from ~.
point onto which its rays are diractas ~
Will show how needful II is 10 nav. t ses
sun reflected full on the distant stsas sas
and to insure this the hello has IN ~,
low the sun" as he travels tbrouph ~.
sky. Two screws, one giving a vert,.s,
movement to the mirror about rs cansas
effect this, and the screws can he m. si,,, Z
lated by the signaler while in the "A, !,
sending without any interruption to MAJ =
sage.
The Anglo American company ,s IN.
principal agent of communication betve.,
this country and the seat OF war. cbarc,,.
sl.23 per word for dispatches to e,th.-
Durham or Capetown. Its wires and !,
london, it is true, but 1t receives ana
transmits dispatches through the Eastern
company to the Cape. The Eastern com
pany controls two cable routes: ona ~
way of Lisbon, Gibraltar, Malta, Alden IA
the east coast OF Africa to Durham: m
other by the west coast to Capetowu. The
former route is by far the more used ana
as kilograms in enormous numbers 20 bv
the same cables to points lying belween
London and Alden, a great deal of upneces.
sary labor Is spared the government cen.
sors, as well as a great deal of unaeces
sary delay to business. by establishing the
censorship at Alden, rather than farther
west. No announcement of censorsbip
has been made in reference to any point
on the west coast route, but 1t IA pretty
certain that, since the route is in counec.
ton with both Lisbon and Cadiz, the ar-
thorities at Capetown will take good care
OF all messages to South Africa which
come that way.
The artillery of the Beers has been a
surprise to those who have not followed
the development of the military power Of
the Transvaal Joubert is himself well
versed in all matters of artillery. He has
been the moving spirit in advocating an
increase in the number of all the guns He
paid visit in 1890 to the Gruson works
at Magdeburg, where he saw the trials Of
many types of ordnance. He familiarized
him elf with tho cn1audtd uyaa "a
out by the Cruesot steel works, the finest
ordnance factory in France. Large num-
bers of guns were purchased there, and
long before the war began Boer gunners
were being instructed in the handling Of
these modern instruments OF war. The
forts at Pretoria are all armed with TO-
inch and ll-inch guns from the French
factory. Their range Is eleven miles and
they are equal to anything England can
produce. The total guns Of the Transvaal
are said to be sixty and those OF the Frts
State twenty-fiv This. however, is an
underestimate. o ~.
Sir William Francis Butler. who came
near proving to be the Dreyfus of the An
glo- Boer war, is a major general Of the
British army and an aide camp to the
Ilt was III VI tuG Liuupe
In South Africa from early In 1898 until
Kruger declared war and his warnings 70,
the war office were so offensive that be
was called traitor and a scoundrel. Gems
eral Butler told the home authorities all
about the extraordinary preparations o!
the Beers for this conflict. But his infor-
nation was treated contemptuously and
the reports OF the intelligence office We're
preferred. The stolid Beers had easily
hoodwinked the intelligence office. But
lers protestations that there were scores
Of modern heavy guns in the Transyaa!
were turned against his own sagacity AMI
loyalty. While there is no danger now
that his honor will suffer. 1t may be said
that his country has deserved as Ill Of him
as he has deserved we'll OF it.
Delagoa Bay as a master key to the sit
uation in South Africa, can not be kept ID
the background. 1t has been apparent from
the beginning that the British could eno
the war. or nearly end 1t, by throwing
strong force into the Portuguese TERRITORY
and marching on to Pretoria. The distance
from Lourenzo Marquee to the Transvaal
capital is about 300 miles and the way Is
easy. This coup could succeed were tne
force landed at Delagoa Bay sufheiHuy
large. NJ M
One important mistake made by the
British was their refusal to buy waroas
in the United States. The war Once
thought it patriotic to patronize home IN,
dustries, with the result that the lack OF
wagons is now severely felt. The LonaoH
Chronicle says it had been better had tae
authorities followed the example OF NV
chener in the matter OF the Atbara prlase,
which was bought outright In the unNeu
States.
Whole columns Of the London newsps-
pers that come to hand are filled WITH Toe
names OF the dead, wounded and missing
British soldiers in South Africa. All ll.ss
is unique in the history of London Iourlar
ism,
The fund at the Mansion House IN LQn'f
don for the suffering relatives OF the bf'p.
lsh soldiers is said to have now reaches
the great sum OF s2,500,0OO.
This Would BE Barbarous.
Editor Chicago Record: suppose taas
the British eventually drive the Beers pss'
to Pretoria, to which city they lay slsss
and gradually starve the repuollcs l'. .,so