, 1900-12-17

' which WAS broken TO tnc nation exact
ly one year after General Buffers de
teatat Colenso, ef~fectually dispose:
OF any hopes that the wal in South AT
RIGA is nearly ended, and completely
abates the myth that the operations
there We're merely of a guerrilla ma
ture. AS Mr.. Lloyd-George Qiberal)
said in the house of commons today:
This is one of the most severe re
verses suffered by the British, and i,
is quite evident the war will drag on
for many months to come. Dewet is
making England the laughing stock
OF the world. We have 100000 men in
the field. yet we are unable to protect
ourselves from disaster at the hands
O: small commanders drawn from a
pastoral population"
The extent of the reverse and the dis
grace of such a large body of men sur.
rendering to a small contingent of 30.
ers has created a feeling of shame and
establishment which finds free vent.
With somewhat cruel coincidence the
Northumberland are known as the
Fighting Fifth" The second battal,
len, to which the captured companies
belong, was one of the heaviest suffer,
ers at ~Stormberg a year ago The Iegi,
ment has often been pronounced by
home and foreign critics to be one of
the finest in the British army. All the
f~orebodings and criticism which Col,
erso gave rise to a year ago have been
resurrected by the disaster at Ma
g~ailiesberg. The wal Office has moth
ing to do but grin and zeal IT," and
trust to time.
Damper on Roberts Reception.
London, Dec. 15.-General Kitchen.
erer''s supplementary dispatch refer.
ring to the disaster at tbs Magalies.
berg confirms yesterdays most pes,
simistic fears and demonstrates
that the catastrophe is among the
worst of the war. The matter was
brought up in the house of commons
today but the secretary of war, Mr..
William St. John Broderick. had no in.
formation to add, except that the
wounded numbered six officers and for,
ty-fve men.
The newspapers see Encouragement
everywhere, the object being to
strengthen Mr.. kruger's hands, while
the fact that the new of the fresh dis.
aster m on the anniversary of the
battle of Colenso furnishes the editors
with an eXcuse to demand the head of
General Butler. The ST. James Gazette
National Reviews recent statement
that Butler. after his first failure to
drive the Beers from the Tugela, oun
seled General White to surrender La.
dysmith.
The st. James Gazette holds Butler
alone blamable for the disasters o. the
Tugela campaign and says:
When comparable blunders occur
red in the navy a court martial meted
out justice. Why, therefore. should not
the same rule hold good in the army
Offer Of Volunteers.
The public apparently is little affect
ed by the fresh troubles. Soldiers are
still eager to go to South Africa. the
news from the Magaliesberg having re-
suited in offers of volunteer regiments
to proceed to the front.
In contrast with the apparent INSULT
cheney Of troops to master the situation
in South Africa IN a revelation OF
the military %sourc at home still at
today's announcement that $4,000
troops will be sen from Aldershot tc
London to participate in Lord Roberts
triumphal entry January 3.
Parliament vas dismissed until the
middle of February with the reading
OF the shortest of the queens speeches
1t was as follows:
my Lords and Gentlemen thank
you for the liberal provision you have
made for the expenses incurred by the
operations of my armies in South Afri
ca and China"
The proceedings today in the house
OF commons were a repetition in min
iature of the debates of the brief ses
sion. The ministers were heckled, tn,
war was v%irulently denounced and Mr.
Chamberlain was further attacked. TIL
war funds were finally voted after tn,
secretary for war. Mr.. Broderick, hat
given assurance that the government
during the recess, would cordially &C
operate with General Kitchener in al
endeayor to and the war