The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-11-09
TIE SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION.

| llllu TIE reverse or Pleasant labor.
F. TIE SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION.
1t was only recently that lying Brit
ish correspondent announced that Gen
eral De Wet was dying from the eff
fects Of a wound received in a sklr-
mish, and that his days as Boer COM
mander were numbered. About the
same time another son Of Ananias re-
ported that General Botha had mar
row escape from being captured, and
made such a precipitous flight that he
left his hat behind to the British. A
few days subsequently came the news
from General Kitchener saying that
General Botha with 1000 men had at
tackled the rear guard of Colonel Ben
sons column and killed and wounded
223 officers and men, including Colonel
Benson himself. The battle was fought
in the neighbohood Of Bethel, eastern
Transyaal, and was one Of the most
desperate Of the smaller fights of the
whole war. The Beers came within
800 yards Of the British, fully deter
mined to capture the invaders, but a
British reinforcement having arrived
they were forced to retreat. They car
ried with them two guns which they
captured at the beginning of the fight.
In a later dispatch it was said that
the Beers suffered heavily and lost be-
tween 300 and 400 men, but nobody
believes it.
| This recent attack by General Botha
upon the British has thrown all Eng
land into Mysteries and the government
is deeply depressed over it. More troops
are going to South Africa to annihilnte
the brave farmers. Ihe Seventh Hus-
stlrs, an aristocratic regiment Differed
by Prince Arthur Of Connaught and
Prince Alexander of Teck, is ordered
to the front to be captured by the Beers
unless it keeps at safe distance from
them. OF the 1000 mounted troops
now in England. 5000 will be sent
within the next six weeks. More mem
are being enlisted every day, but it will
take some time before they are able
to ride and shoot.
The news which has produced the
greatest alarm in England this week is
the capture of 5000 British horses by
lhe Beers. 1t is not Kitchener who
sends the sad news. 1t has come from
Il correspondent in Lorenzo Marquee
on DelagOa Bay, and it is not yet con-
trn,Mcted. The horses are said to be
acclimated and lin good condition for
military service. Some Of them were
undoubtedly shipped from America,
against the protests of Boer ENJOYS,
and they were sold to the British by
Missouri farmers, not because they
sympathized with the British, but be-
cause they wanted high prices for their
stock. The original owners Of the ami
mails will be glad that they have fallen
into the hands Of the brave farmers of
the South African republics. Once they
received the money for them from
British agents they did not care what
became Of the equines. The captured
horses must be replaced by others, and
the American farmers will be glad to
supply them ut advanced prices.
The capture of G,OOO immune horses
is IL great disaster to the British-a
greater disaster by far than the cap
ture of 5000 men, for the latter would
be released on parole while the quadru-
Mds will be kept for mobility. If the
Beers have captured so many horses
us stated the problem of relnounts will
not bother them for Il long time to
come. The Beers are considerably
strengthened by the seizure while the
British are colrrspondin@ly weakened.
The Beers are NOW riding British
horses, using British rifles and khaki
uniforms, and eating British food sup
plies The reason they do not destroy
the railroads is because they want IA
tionS to reach their women and chill
lrcn iii the Recommendation camps after
they have ii sufficient supply for them
selves to subSst on. No wonder the
/ British expenses of the war amount to
$7.OiO.oo0 Il week.
The British are now in possession of
the railroads and the cities. but the
Beers have the rest of the country TN
der their undisputed sway. Complete
conquest of the Beers is as remote as
ever, and the war will so OH for years,
il Chamberlain and his imperialists are
not oustcd from power. 1t Is not the
ending of llostilities, but the bringing
of order out of chaos when the war is
over THAT will be the problem most diff
ficult Of solution for British statesmen.
The outlanders who emigrate to the
gold fields, and the Africanders and
Beers of Cape Colony, Natal, Trans
vaal and Free State will require tender
treatment under British rule to prevent
perpetual strife and bloodshed. A big
standing army will be needed to en-
force Anglo-Saxon law in the dark con-
tinent.
In a recent address Joseph Chamber
lain declared that the struggle in South
Africa will determine whether the
Briton or Boer shall be predominant.