The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-11

1 COnSplCuOuS courage III pfoleClllS tHe lwagons and refusing to surrender until resistance was useless,
 The force under General Delarey was 1 almost entirely dressed in British uni forms. This made it impossible for the l infantry to distinguish between their
 own men and the enemy when their in-
 fantry were driven in upon them. They had one five-pounded and a pompom. l Delarey, Kemp Vermaso, Tromp and other commandants were present, General Methuen was seen by an agent of the intelligence department,
 He was being well cared for in his own wagon.
 In private telegram just received here Lord Kitchener adds: 'l find that
 Methuen has q fractured thigh, but he
 is reported to be doing well"
 In another message Lord Kitchener says that the wounded will be brought in to the railroad to-day, and adds: 'I
 hope the endorsements now arriving
 will rectify the situation in this area.
 without disturbing operations else-
 where"
 It is feared that Lord Kitchener's in-
 complete accounts have not told the
 worst. but among the newspapers and
 the public there Is tendency to ac- cept MT Brodricks advice to suspend
 judgment pending the receipt of de- tails
 Distinguishing features of the edito- rals in the morning papers on this matter are, first, the outburst of sym pathy for General Methuen which is quite extraordinary when it is renlen1- bered how he was assaled with hostile and angry criticism during the early stages of the war, and, second the fierce denunciation of the Irish members of parliament who indu1eed in hilarity when Mir Brodrick in the House of Commons read the dispatch announcing Lord Methuen's capture. In this con- neetion it is worthy of noting that neither John Redmond nor T. P. O'Con- nor were present while T M Healv dsclaimed any ympathy with the demonstra tion.
 At the same time the papers fully ad- init the extreme gravity and even the humiliation to British prestige abroad involved in such a reverse inflicted by body of Boers of equal numerical strength. It is recognized that although the damage is more moral than materi- al, it will certainly have the effect of prolonging Boer resistance for many months.
 The Daily News says the event has scarcely parallel since the dark disas- treus days when the North American colonies passed from British control
 The Standard says this defeat comes after a succession of mishaps for which it is impossible to account by mere bad fortune. When every allowance is made" says the Standard I've cannot but find something not creditabe to our vigilance in these continual surprises. '
 The Morning Post points out that General Methuen did not surrender but he was wounded and included in the surrender by the next unwounded off cer in command.
 It is commonly believed that large part of the mounted men who fled must have been raw yeomanry, and that General Methuens district has been used for months past as a sort of training ground for new men whilst the seasoned troops were withdrawn from his command for operations against Botha and Dewet.
 This incident, the flight of 800 British from the Boers is re- garded as the gravest part of the af- fair The Daily Chronicle says; "An uneasy feeling presents itself as to the war office may not be crip- bling it's generals by sending them raw and unreliable levies.'
 The news of the disaster in South Africa was issued too late to cause much comment abroad but the great est satisfaction is expressed in Boer circles in Holland and Germany The Berliner Tageblatt says Tt is the Boers' answer to England's high hand ed rejection of the Dutch governments offer of mediation
 De Telegraaf of Amsterdam says: Tt will give the Boers a fresh lease of ife."
 Delarey, who has proved himself to be the most able of all the Boer gem erals, has gained second decisive vic .ory within a fortnight His first vic .ory was the capture of Won Donopfs when the British in casualties .otalled 632, and he has now added to | his laurels by the capture, for the first | time throughout the campaign. of a | prominent British general and by in- 1icting what Is generally admitted to | nave been one of the worst reverseS the | British have suffered throughout the | whole war.
 It is supposed that Lord Methuen was |