The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-11

LONDON, Oct 1O-The wholly unsatis-
factory situation in South Africa con-
unues to call out the most severe criti-
cism. Lord Kitchener today wires that
Gen. Botha has crossed the Pivaau rivtr,
twenty miles north of Vryheid, which
means that he has again escaped the
British Gordon.
Gen, Butler in a speech this afternoon
complained of the general crit. S.cism. es-
pecially in the newspapers, of himself. He
admitted he had advised Gen. Sir George
White that it would poss- bly, be neceS-
sary to surrender Ladysmith but bear
ing in mind all the circumstances of the
case he is quite prepared to let the pub
lie Judge of the justifiability of the news
paper attacks.
The secretary for war. Mr. Brod-
rick, replying to Sir Charles Howard
Vincent's offer to raise fresh troops or
do anything else to assist the govern
ment, declines the proposal and, in doing
so, lengthily reviews the British posi-
ton in South Africa, obviously in answer
to the persistent and searching criticirms
of the ministerial journals and members
OF parliament that the government is
languidly content to let the war drag
on. Mr.. Brodrick says to begin with,
that what Lord Kitchener has asked for
has been promptly met. He adds:
HUGE BRITISH FORCE.
1--WE have roughly. 100000 men and 45o
guns in South Africa. and over Ice, ,0C0
men are under training at home. We
have no difficulty, therefore, in keeping
strength by drafts, and, if a further
call be made, We are in a position To
meet it with the utmost promptitude.
Notwithstanding this there seems to be
an impression abroad that the close OF
the war is retarded by a scarcity Of
troops or the want Of mobility of our
column"
This impression Mr.. Brodrick COM
bats by reciting what the war office is
doing, providing supplies for 314,000 per-
sons directly or indirectly connected with
the war Office, feeding 42S000 horses and
mules anu maintaining four months re-
serves of food for men and animals. Six
ty-nine mobile columns. perfectly
equipped, are now in the field, and 10000
remounts are being landed monthly, be-
sides those captured.
Mr.. Brodrick says the anxiety can be
set at rest at home. The government
has never interfered with Lord Kitchen
er, in whose vigorous prosecution of the
war they have entire confidence.
He points again to the vast extent Of
the country.
Abiding to Lord Kitchener's sending
back poorly-trained yeomanry, Mr.. Brod-
rick replies that they would have been
trained earlier but for the opinion Of
military advisers in South Africa and at
home, up to November, 1900, that no fresh
troops were needed
when Lord Kitchener asked for 9,Oo0
more says the war secretary, the gov
ernment sent out to him $1,000 fresA
troops ~uring the first six months Of
1901. besides arms for 10000 local levies''
The chancellor of the exchequer, Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach. speaking at Old
ham today, said he believed parliament
would be summoned earlier than usual
but would not be called to attend an
autumn session, contending that organ
ized resistance in South Africa really
ended a year ago and that only guerril-
las were now in the field. He said the
British government of the Orange River
colony had raised as much revenue as
was raised before the war.