The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-11
MULES DID 1T.
British Explanations of De-
larey's Second Victory.

larey's Second Victory.
London, March 11--Delarey, who has
| proved himself the most able of all the
Boer generals. has within fortnight
gained a second decisive victory.
His first victory was thea capture of
| vondonop's convoy when the British
casualties in killed, wounded and men
made prisoners totaled 632 and he has
/ now added to his laurels by the capture.
| for the first time throughout the cam
| paign of prominent general, and by
| inflicting what is generally admitted to
| be one of the worst reverses the British
have suffered throughout the whole
| war. 1t is supposed that Lord Methuen
| was marching with the intention to
| avenge the capture of the Vondonop
| convoy.
| The newspaper correspondents in
South Africa have not yet been allowed
to describe the affair. The only addi-
| tionaI details available are contained in
| the further dispatch from Lord Kitch-
ener which Mr.. Brodrick, the secretary
| for war, read Just as parliament was
adjourning. This dispatch shows that
+ the first confusion was caused by. ma
tive Beers with led horses who gallop-
ed through the N ule convoy as the lat
ter was endeavoring,by Lord Methuen's
directions, to close on the OK convoy.
The disorder among the mules COM
municated itself to the mounted troops
and the Beers, dressed in khaki and rid
the attempts of the British officers to
rally their forces. Great confusion
sued among this portion of the mount
ed troops, they and the mule wagons
galloping three miles beyond the OK
wagons where they were cut off.
Sections of the Fourth and Thirty
eighth batteries of artillery fought with
great gaHantry, and 800 men, composed
I4ancashires, showed conspicuous cour-
age in protecting the wagons and re-
fusing the surrender until resistance
was useless.
The force under General Delarey was
almost entirely dressed in British uni
forms. This made it in possible for the
infantry to distinguish between their
own men and the enemy when the
mounted troops were driven in on them
The enemy numbered 1900 men. They
had one 15-pounder and a pom pom.
Delarey. Celliers, Kemp, Verraso,
Tromp and other commandments We're
present. General Methuen was seen by
an agent of the intelligence department
He was being cared for in his own
wagon.
In a private telegram just received
here Lord Kitchener adds:
II find Methuen has fractured thigh,
but he is reported to be doing WE'LL
In another message Lord Kitchener
says the wounded will be brought into
the railroad today, and adds:
Il hope the reinforcements now ar
irving will rectify the situation in this
,
elsewhere
It is feared that Lord Kitchener's in
complete accounts have not told the
worst, but among the newspapers and
the public there is a tendency to ac-
cept Mr. Brodricks advice to suspend
judgment pending the receipt of de-
tails.
Distinguishing features of the -edi-
toria1s in this mornings papers on this
matter are, first, the outburst of sym
pathy for General Methuen, which is
quite extraordinary when it is remem-
bered how he was aSSailed with hostile
and angry criticism in the early stages
of the war; and second, the fierce de-
nunciation of the Irish members of
parliament who INDUCED in hilarity at
the reading by Mr.. Brodrick in the
house of commons of the dispatch an
nouncing Lord Methuen's capture. In
this connection it is worth noting that
neither John, Redmond nor T. P. O'Con-
nor was present, while NJ. Healey dis
claimed any sympathy with the demon
stration. At the same time the papers
fully admit the extreme gravity and
even the humiliation to British prestige
abroad, involved in such a reverse in
f1icted by body of Beers of equal nu-
merical strength. 1t is recognized that
although the damage is more moral
than ma teriaI, it will certainly have the
effect of prolonging Boer resistance for
many months.
The Daily News says the event has
scarcely a parallel since the dark dis
astrous days when the North American
colonies seeded from British control
The Standard says this defeat comes
after a succession of mfshaps for which
it is impossible to account by mere bad
fortune.
when every allowance is made"
says the Standard, 1--WE can but find
something not creditable to our vigil
lance in these constant 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
Ger in command
1t is commonly believed that a large
part of the mounted men who fed must
have been raw yeomanry, and that
General Methuen's district has been
used for months past a sort of train
soned troops were Withdrawn from his
command for operations against Botf1a !
and DeWet.
This incident the flight of 500 mount |
ed British from the Beers, is regarded !
as the gravest part of the affair. The |
Daily Chronicle says:
IAN uneasy feeling presents itself as |
to whether the war office may not be |
Gripping its generals by sending them |
raw and unreliable levies.''
The news of the disaster in South |
Africa was published too late to receive |
much com ment abroad, but the great |
est satisfaction is expressed in Boer |
circles in Holland and Germany. The |
Berliner Tageblatt says:
ct is the Beers answer to Englands |
high handed rejection of the Dutch gov |
ernments offer of diation.'
De TELEGRAPH of Amsterdam says: s'It |
will give the Beers a fresh lease of life |
nDElP ArVTnN STYCGESCETTT