The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-14
FOR THE PRESENT CONSERVATIVE
GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRIT
AIN AND HER COLONIES
CONDUCT OF THE BoER WAR
PIeases the Conservative Element
in Press and Public No Better
Than 1t Does the
Opposition
TOO MUCH OF CENSORSHIP

LONDON, July 13-The Vlakfontein in
cident has come near to spelling Water
loo for the government.
An apparently unimportant incident,
the censorship of one of the newspaper
dispatches, has had the effort of crystal
izing all the widely differing sorts Of
public dissatisfaction concerning the con-
duct Of the war in South Africa. This
dissatisfaction has long been pent up
and now finds fee vent, not, strangely
enough, through the columns Of the op-
position newspapers, but in --.e govern
ment journals.
For months past the public belief in
and admiration for Lord Kitchener has
been waning and now he is openly and
severely criticised. rumor which can
not be substantiated is current that he
shortly will be succeeded in the com,
mand Of the British forces in South
Africa by Gen. Sir Bmgon Blood, who
has been operating in eastern Transvaal.
Should this change occur, it probaly
would be due to the difference of opin-
ion existing between Lord Miner, of
Cape Town and Lord Kitchener and it
would be announced in the form of
promotion, accompanied by the state
ment that the operations in South Africa
no longer justified the presence there of
an officer of the seniority of Lord
Kitchener.
KITCHENER AND MILNER AT OUTS.
There Is little doubt but that Lords
Miner and Kitchener have had several
disagreements and the high commission
er does not want to return to South
Africa as long as the high-handed Gen
eral Kitchener remains in control there.
Amid the storm of disapproval resulting
from the Vlakfontein affair and which
the governments supporters are pouring
out upon the war office on account of
the suppression of news and the fragrant
VagaTies of the censorship, the Liberal
party through it's hopeless differences is
obliged to sit stupidity and see the best
opportunity probably ever offered, pass
out of their hands.
The extraordinary spectacle has been
presented of an advanced radical news
paper, the Daily News, patting the war
office and Lord Kitchener on the back for
suppressing the story of alleged Boer
outrages to British wounded, while the
Times, and other government, though
less radical, organs, like them, say the
feeling aroused in the general public,
who has up to this time blindly and
enthusiastically supported the govern
ment's war policy can scarcely be esti-
mated
Sir Charles Dixie, advanced Radical
member of p.E'iament, speaking at For
cSt Oeslh' IN ceSLersHnre, tIlS evening
said:
Mr.. Chamberlain must indeed be an
optim1st. Having entered parliament as
an advanced Radical twenty five years
ago, he has been advancing ever since
1t is difficult task for the patriot to be
an optomist at present, when the failure
of the government to finish the war is
so disastrous to the interests of the coun-
try. L have never recognized party obli-
cations in considering the interests Of
the army, and it will be necessary to con-
quer both parties in solving the reorgani-
zation of the military system and 1 ann
convinced that this will sooner or later
be done"