The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-03
BRITISH Discomfort GROWS.
SHOCK or TIE LATEST DISASTER
IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Correspondent Charges Army Oniccrs with
Lazincss Not Untaintcd VIII, Coward
icc-Dcath List In the TransSani
Fight Larger Than at first Reported.
speeiai caoi, Ds,po,ea 70 TnE srs,

speciai Cabs Despafes 70 THE srs.
LONDON, Nov. 2,-The uneasy. dissatis-
fed feeling Of the English people in regard
to the progress of the wal in South Africa,
has been intensified by the news received
to-day of the reverse sustained by Col.
Benson. which Is among the most serious
that British arms have suffered In tho past
year,
II IS argued that such an engagement
ss close quarters. which resulted In heavy
British losses. necessarily implies equal
Losses, To the Beers. who can less afford
them, and therefore the net result is a gain
10 tho British. But people find little com
fort in such reasoning.
The Geographic news which IL strictly
censored is scanty. out during the wcok
Il vas such as to rause several optimistic
editorials 20 appear to-day side by side
with Lord Kitchener's despatch announc-
ing the reverse, for the insertion OF which
the presses OF the newspapers had to be
stopped, But mil letters, which appear
to-day and ave been appearing during
the week, show that there is little reason
for optimism. For example, I. long letter
In the Times accuses the bulk OF the British
officers of 'slackness, slackness. slack-
ness. Wherever you 60 at stations the
military I'LL the hotels and take up the
waiting rooms while ordinary civilian
travellers live on the platforms. At one
place tho hotels are full Vt military. Cham
pagnc Stilton cheese and other Injuries
would make you feel that you were in Capua
and not with an army in the field.
The same correspondent declares that
nearly oil tho Doers are armed with BIRTHS
rites and Use British ammunition and
British horses. The British soldiers re-
ceive 300 rounds Of cartridges. and shed
them like leaves when they are tired. The
kafirs nick them up in bushels and supply
the Doors. IN n word, the correspondent
pretty directly charges many officers with
~lazincss not untainted with cowardice.
The correspondents generally agree hat
tho bulk Of the men have grcwn stale and
weary by the futile trekking after an elusive
Enemy. They agree. too, that such pur-
suit will long continue to be ineffective II
the present system Of huge wagon trains
Is continued. The Beers taxi with them
only led horses on which they carry the
bare necessities of life. They keep to the
hills, while tho British columns. with in
Vulnerable wagons, keep TO the beaten
roads. Another suggestion Is that the ar
tilery guns should be sent home. 1t Ia
urged they are seldom used and more sell
dom still effective, while they embarrass
the movements Of the column even more
Than the transport wagons.
Last nights report OF the casualties
nmong the British officers in the attack
by the Beers on Col, Bcnson's column
In the eastern Trarsvaal stated that
col. Benson and eight officers were
killed and thirteen officers wounded. The
War Office to-day announces that In add
ton 70 these casualties n Captain and two
Lieutenants were killed and a Lleutehant
severely and q Captain slightly wounded.
MONTREAL, Nov. 2.-Col. Frederick Will
ham Benson, VINO was killed in the Beers
attack on the British near Bethel, was a
Canadian, having boon born in St. Gather
ines on Aug. II, lsia. He was a son OF
the late Hon. j. X. Benson. of 81. Gather
ines. a member of the Dominion Senate.
Col. Benson was educated at the old
Grantham Academy. ST. GATHERINGS, and
Upper Canada College. Toronto, and receiy-
ed his military training at the Royal Mill
tary College at Sandhurst, England. lie
served as n volunteer during IN, Fenian
raid in 1886.
Col. Benson saw a great deal Of service
Ia India aud Egypt aud distinguished hint
reli ia the service Of the Empire. la 1877
~ became an 4. p. G. 10 the Lieutenant
Governor al the Northwestern Provinces
of india. and vas Brigade-Mnjor at Poona
from 1889 10 1854, when he was transferred
90 Bengal as garrison instructor, which
post he filed until 1890. In 1929 he com
mandcd a brigade Of Egyptian cavalry.
In 1898 he went TO Dublin. ireland. rs ia
structor Of the garrison. When the war
broke out Ia 1893 Col. Benson was ordered
10 south Africa. where he had ~inoe filed
imporan, posts and had been many times
IN the thick of the hgh'ing.