The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Earl Roberts Tells the story of Blum
ders in south Africa.

the grave situation in South Africa This
mornings official Gazette" publishes $50
closely printed pages OF Earl Roberts tale
of war and it makes rather melancholy
reading II illustrates afresh the as
founding failure of the British Admins
tration to realize the magnitude of the
task which its diplomats of 1899 must at
least have known TO be the possible out
come of their diplomacy. 1t proves the
splendid tenacity and bravery of the Brit
ish soldier, but it also proves the want OF
ordinary foresight and business inteiii-
gence on the part of those who managed
the campaign.
Thus Earl Roberts has to admit that
the much-vaunted army corps organiza-
ton collapsed at the outset of the war
A comprehensive transport organization
covering the whole army list did not eX-
list, so that units guarding the lines OIL
communication and garrisoning towns,
who had no need of transport, were sup
Piled while the army on the march was
left with hopelessly deficient supplies
! The maps provided for the army were,
in General Hunters words, positive dan
ger and delusion. while the gunners were
not at fault, but the guns.
Rapidly of movement in pursuit OF the
enemy was made impossible by the equip
| troops, and though 1t seems an elementary
principle that an army Of borsemen must
be provided to fight an army OF horsemen.
such as the Beers always have been, GEN.
eral Kitchener is today unable to bring
the war to a close for the very same rea-
son that Earl Roberts gives in explanation
of his frequent failures 10 reap the fruits
of victory.
This week six weeks after General
Kitchener's urgent demand for mounted
men. the War Office announces with a
great flare of trumpets the Government S
decision to supply 10000. General Kitch-
ener is believed to have asked for 10000.
and on examination it appears that most
| of these 30. 900 have yet TO be enlisted, that
the total includes recruits for General
| Baden PowelIs police, quite another force.
| with different work 10 do. and that the
| 5000 fresh colonlas called for are only to
replace the colonials who are returning
home No one pretends that there Is any
lack in the British Isles and colonies or
Just the material which General Kitchener
wants What is lacking Is Government
initiative and Government organization.
and all the while the CHASTITY record OF
death comes day after day. from the seat
of war. The official War Office returns
issued this week show that the total deaths
I'D to January 81, from the outset OF the
war, were 49, 1853 OF which 1898 were due
to disease The monthly average through
out the sixteen months of the war is thus
Si2, and in January, 1901, when the war
was supposed to be al an end the total
was no less than s31. In today's Times
the casualties occupy half column in
small type, and each day has its similar
record.
Parliament meets on Thursday. and the
Government will be brought face to face
with these unpleasant facts. From no
responsible quarter are the Ministry at
tackled for sending re-enforcements. The
criticism rather is that their REINFORCE
ments are too tardy and inadequate, and
that the Beers still fighting are not made
clearly and officially to understand the
terms CT liberal self government on which
Great Britain is prepared to arrange
peace. There is no evidence that General
Kitchener's proclamations ever reached
the Beers in the field. The Peace Com
mlssioners have been informal unofficial,
and individual. The fighting burgher has
no reason to doubt that England is in
tent on his determination. English Liber-
alism never had a greater call to action
than in Parliament next week.
Cardinal Vaughan is still being severely
criticised by Roman Catholics for forbid
ding priests to offer requiem masses for
Queen Victoria. These Roman Catholic
critics feel hurt at the studied way in
seem to avoid recognition of the fact that
the Queen was Christian. The Tablet"
as the official organ of English Roman
Catholicism. gets angry with these carp
ing Catholics. and points out that by the
immemorial discipline of the Church, pub
lie masses for the dead are reserved for
those who die in visible unity with the
Church. One OF Cardinal Vaughan's West
minister priests puts the following inter
f,.~ To- 49, nab nod sNda
The Cardinal says that 1t is lawful to
pray privately. but not publicly for the
Queen. He forb. - especially that masses
be said. Does he mean that in purgatory
there is one section for Protestants and
another for Roman Catholics? That there
are there as on earth, schisms and sects
among the faithful dead?'
English collectors Of tapestries are
greatly relieved by this weeks decision
In the Court of Appeal. or nothing is ar
tistic English prouder than its magnificent
historical tapestries, and something like
alarm was spread by a recent decision of
Justice Byrne. in case affecting Madame
de Fables eighteenth-century French tap
estries at Luton Hoo. that tapestries
amounted in frames fitted to the walls)
are permanent fixtures. are in effect an
nexed TO the house, and pass with 1t to
the owner. Collectors who are not abso-
would thus be forced to present their tap
estries to their landlords. The Court OF
Appeal now has reversed Justice Byrne's
decision and has ruled that as tapestries
are only affixed for ornamental ton they
do not form an inseparable part OF the
house.
English Journals have accepted with re-
markable equanimity this weeks an
nouncement that Great Britain has lost
her pre- eminence among the nations of
the world in export trade. The United
States is given first place by last years
figures Great Britain the second. and Ger
many the third. Moreover, the percentage
of increase for the past five years is:
United States A. Great Britain q, and
Germany 20. There will be many homilies
on these figures when England wakes up
to their significance. Meanwhile. some
stir has been created in commercial cir
cles in the north by the remarks in which
the President of the Glasgow Chamber of
Commerce INDUCED in a recent address
in disparagement OF free trade. He es-
pecially instanced Americas prosperity to
point which staggered credulity under
the most drastic protection, and. declared
that England one day would realize that
1t was no part OF its duty to keep open
door throughout all the sections of the
globe under her control for the benefit OF
unreciprocating foreigners. This speech |
and the expectations of some leading Man.
chester men of commerce as to the ma
ture of the financial proposals to be laid |
before Parliament at the coming session |
are leading free traders to Turkish UP
their weapons in behalf of free trade.
Light From the Surgeons.