The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-12
Boer Invasion of South Africa
Without Counterpart.
England Stands Aghast at the
B0ldness of the Stroke.
OF THE WAR
Gen. De Wet Is Coming to Be SO
Regarded.
The British Army Continues to
Waste Away Rapidly.

| London, Jan. 12.-History fails to fur
nish a parallel TO the Boer invasion OF
Cape Colony. A whole month has
| elapsed since the republicans crossed
the Orange river, and still Great
Britain knows next to nothing of their
numbers whereabouts or doings, and
still less Of the objects of the inroad.
The only thing known with tolerabIe
certainty is that they are progressing
/ southwark over some sparsely inhab-
tied tracts. where they escape observa-
ton.
Other large bodies are traversing the
very heart of the colony. The only log
ical explanation seems to be the largely
accepted idea that the invasion forms
part of a great organized scheme of that
| Napoleon of the war, General De Wet,
to strike terror in the British colony
which unquestionably is nearly denuded
of troops and trust to the chapter of
accidents TO achieve such success as
will enable the Beers to almost dictate
the terms of peace The haltlng polcy
of the invaders, however, seems to
threaten to defeat their aims and has
enabled the hastily enrolled levies Of
volunteers to occupy vital strategic
points, while there are some signs
that the gathering of troops in the rear
of the burghers is beginning to press
them southwark into the arms of the
British moving from the seaboard, in
stead of attempting to drive them back
again across the Orange river, Wnere
they might be enabled to rejoin General
De Wet.
In the meanwhile disquieting hints are
arriving of the alarming rapidity with
which the British army is wasting away
The long lists of dead, wounded ana
diseased bear out these stories. while
there are abundant signs that the
troops at the front are becoming stale
and discontented, the general exaspera-
ton at home is becoming more acute.
and the public is becoming skeptical OF
the competency of the government to
get the country out of the wretched
tangle-
Seldom has there been such a uni
versaI condemnation of the utterances
of a public man as greeted i-he recent
address of the Duke of Norfolk to the
Pope, expressing hope Of the restoration
of the temporal independence of the
pontiff Bitter as has been the denun-
Citations of the italian press the com
ments of the London newspapers nave
been quite as caustic. Nothing couId
be more contemplate than the Duke or
Norfolk's behavior says the Daily
News *If the Italian government had
known he was visiting Rome for the
purpose of protesting against their
presence in their own capital, they
would have been perfectly justified IN
stopping him at the frontier Not con-
tent with insulting the King of Italy
address also condemned the liberation
of italian Protestants by the Italian
government 1t would be difficult for an
English Catholic to sink lower
Movements at York house, Twicken-
ham, indicate that it is the intention Of
the Duke of Orleans to return to Eng
land whence he has been ostrac1sed
since he congra tulated Willettee, the
Inner. on the caricatures grossly in
sultine to Queen Victoria which ap-
peared in Paris comic papers. Ine
dukes mother, the Countess OF Paris,
is said to have been IN communication
with the queen and Prince of Wales IN |
the hope Of patching up the matter.
The newspapers devote much space 10 /
the late Philip D. Armour Columns OF
stories have been printed, mostly apoc-
ryphal as can be judged from sample |
from the Daily Chronicle, as follows:
MIR Armour usually took six weeks I
each year for driving in coach through I
II cost me- the writer quotes hi-r
as saying g a fraction under 81 daJ' I
per head for myself and guests Tor I
Armour was careful, but not mean I
man and this low estimate Of the ccsS
was due to the fact that Mr. Armour +
and the guests he was likely to invite
drank water at their meals.
The memorial to be used as an insti-
tute by the Gordon Highlanders at Abb
erdeen which Mrs Forbes-Leith, fOr
merIy Of New York, Intends at a cost of +
Lieut. Percy F'orbes-Leith of the First
(2ovaD Dragons, who died Of fever re
Gently at Newcastle. Natal, recalls tfie
faci that Fyvie Castle Mrs Forbes
eitFss residence) is one of the many
mysterious places in Scotland said 10
have 2 curse which invariably falls on
the eldest son of the house For many
genera tioIs the property has failed 10
descend il a direct line and when Duff z
Gordon sold F'yyie castle to Mrs
Forbes-Leith it was argued that TIE
curse could not be transferred to anOth-
er family. But the death of the youns
subaltern. at the age of 20 has revived
the superstitions of all Alberdeenshire
Mrs Forbes-Leith was formerly Miss
January Of St. Louis
United States Consul Church Howe OF
Palermo. who has just exchanged posts
with Mr.. G. NJ. Johnstone, Of Shefhel3.
has found a hornest's nest awaiting him
which he has since been buSiiy engaged
in combating. During the interregnun
the vice consul who is a British subject
had undertaken to construe the consular
rules in such a manner that he imposed
additional fees on exporters for affida-i
Wits. not heretofore demanded In
fortnight the vice consul created SO
much irritation that the chamber of
commerce had to draw up protest to
Lord Salisbury, requesting that 1t be
forwarded to Washington Mr.. Howe
Immediately countermanded the vice
consuPs rulings and a speedy reorgani-
zation Of the consulate is anticipated
In spite Of the large increase IF
American manufacture of cutlery" said
Mr. Howe to a representative of the As
field articles we demand and my view
IF a consuYs duty is to in every way
facilitate the export trade Sheffield has
seen a point OF more or less friction for
Tears, but trust to make it reciprocal
Y more pleasant for both exporter and
sOnGul