The Irish standard., 1901-01-05
ARE THE BRITISH vANQU1sHEDl

The dispatches from London since
the beginning of the new year Indicate
that the Beers are getting the best of
the British in all parts of South Afri-
ca and that if things go on as ut pres
cnt the war will soon be ut an end.
The British are tagged out by the
protracted campaign. and it is csti-
mated that 30 per cent of the army is
sick and unfit for service. Col.
ThOrnycroft and Col. ID. Lisle are COIL
tinuing the chase says one report.
''but their horses and mules are very
tired" The men are very tired. too.
and many of them want to get home.
The, invasion of Cape Colony by the
Beers has alarmed the British gov
eminent and people. 1t is said that
5000 of the burghers. are already
across the Eaal. and an Instruction of
the Africanders is feared. The invad-
ing Beers are heading towards Cape
Town. and every able-bodied loyalist
i'll the colony is called on to repel the
foe. Martial law is proclaimed in sew
eral districts throughout the colony,
and the inhabitants in the towns are
leaving for places near the railway
where food supplies can be had. The
British settlers are afraid of taking up
arms lest the Dutch farmers, who are
far more numerous. may join their
own kindred and be forced into open
rebellion.
The Worcester conference excited
the Dutch throughout the colony, and
II general uprising is imminent. One
of the London correspondents frankly
admits that if the Dutch colonists
throw off the British yoke and ,jnil,
their invading kindred. Cape Town
will soon fall. the war will he over.
and britain must salute tine flag of tho
tnitetl States Cf South Africa. 1t
is admitted that 1.50O of the .Afrikand-
crs have already joined the Bocr com
n,nrdos, and the probability is that
five times that number have gone to
their aid. The British battleship Mon
arch has landed guns in Cape Town
as precautionary measure and eXcit-
ing news may be heard mt any time.
The British government cannot get
men to reinforce the played out troops
in the field. An appeal has been made
to Canada and the Australasian col
olies for volunteers. and even the Ma
oris or aborigines of New Zealand
We're asked to fight the burghers. The
Maoris are like the Indians employed
by Enllland ''to cut the Threats of the
Americans" in the Revolutionary War,
and it is said Joe Chamberlain refused
to take them as auXiliaries.
But the more troops are sent to
South Africa the better for the Beers.
They must be fed and taken care of.
and with railroads destroyed they
must make long marches and soon
get petered out According to British
press dispatches the Dutch have had
the best of the Anglo-SaxOns since the
departure of Roberts for England.
About $500 British have been killed,
wounded and captured within the past
month. The prisoners have been re-
leased. but it is reasonable to suppose
that it is on a parole. and that they
will not fight again during the cam
paign. 1t is certain that the captured
officers have thrown up their commits
sionS and left for home.
The british are at last awakening to
the fact that a gigantic blunder was
made in waging war against a hand
full of freemen whose motto is "liber-
ty or DEATH. South Africa is region
|of magnificent distances and covers