The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 13, 1900, Page 1

'OLUME LXXXVII FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. ROBERTS PLANS AN INVASION Field Marshal, Being in Direct Command of the British Forces at Modder River, Is Expected to Begin SURASE S RENSBERG, Feb. 12.—Ho- birks and Bastards Nek, which the Boers took posses- sion of Saturday, have been reoccupied by the British. The Boers were shelled out. ONDON, Feb. 13—The I_ one important item of war news this morning does not come from South / It is the statem of Lord Lans- wne in tl Lords that Lord Ro direct mand of British It is London of the commander- ewhere in the ses are afloat ' plan of cam- g The preponderance of ert opinion favors a move- something like this: That ch, with every who can be spared, advance in the Free some point between Modder River; that > of infantry, includ- 1 follow under the per- mand of Lord Roberts; Kelly-Kenny and 1 the aid of General t's irregular horse, shall ttention of the Boers te vicinity, while at Jou- s, if possible, smith. position of the nvasion of the Free ecomes known it would surprising to find that ker paid a visit to the iver recently. Presum- 1 not have done this is iorce was in some way co-operate in the grand move- Lord Robert is very fond ot Kil lted regiments, and the d Brigade, under Gen- Hector MacDonald, will un- ubtedly form a part of the in- Lord Roberts in- ted this in his speech to the ie on Sunday, when he said hat the Highlanders would have n march with him which would ot be a walkover, but he be- it would be successful. the eve of the expected movement by Lord Rob- at to-day is the one hun- and twenty-fifth day of the that the imperial troops in uth Africa now number about 635,000, men with 15,000 more d and wounded and miss- ggregate 11,000 men, and viththe exceptionof the Free ers being driven from Gras behind the line of the Mod- ver, the Boers to-day hold me position that they seized hey first surrounded Lady- a smith, Kimberley and Mafeking‘ and overran Natal and Northern | Cape Colony. The failure of the Government to make any announcement with seference to the dispatch of fur- | reinforcements to South ca caused some surprise last night in Parliament. emment’s military proposals sub- mited yesterday are criticized as| BULLER SAID HIS beng inadequate and of 2 make- shit character. There is no radi- cal\reform, no attempt to build | up & second scheme of military defdnse. The proposals state that there are n ists still in the country, giv- enth (Tucker’s) Di-| s at least 40,000 men. | The Gov-| |xum at the Tugela. ,000 regulars and 12,000 |says: OF THE ORANGE PTREE STATE an Important Movement. D R T A R R IR S S R R R Y t | CLERY AND CAB® . IN COMMAND OF TH $ WATCHING EFFECTS OF -SHELLS ON " JTHE BOER TREMCHES. 13 : : : E SR AND DRAM. NEWS Qe e st debedooede ing 110,000 men available for for- cign service. But of these 110, 000 a vast majority are men who | had been weeded out of the ranks | before sending the army to South Africa and are mainly very young soldiers, or in case of reservice men with physical ailments. To this regular force the Govern-| ment purposes to add twelve bat-‘ talions. Practically very few| soldiers will be added by this to the army, for the men are to be drawn from the surplus strength of the First and Second bat-| talions, which have been sent to | foreign service, and from the re- serves. Four regiments of reg- ular cavalry are also to be added, but it is only a rearrangement of the number of men now under arms and not any addition to the strength of the army. In artil- lery there is to be a substantial addition of thirty-six field and seven horseé batteries, giving 158 more guns. As for calling out |any large part of the volunteer | |force nothing is promised, | though it is considered this is a | necessary measure in view of the danger of serious foreign compli- | cations. | =ERRI B R S S e s S ] BRIGADIERS "SOLD HIM VICTORIA, B. C., Feb. 12—A letter re- ceived by Mrs. R. A. Humphreys of this city from a captain of a border regiment, serving with General Buller, gives a graphic account of the loss of the British In part the letter, which is dated December 23, at Frere, “People hardly realize yet what a big undertaking this is turning out to be. BRITISH PASTIMES AT THE FRONT =+ OF THE CAVALRY BRIGADE AT B e e D e o e e e et} ~TUGELA —JGHE S (H.M.5.FORTE) E NAVAL GUNS, R R e R R e C C C SeCEY SRR S Rl .‘WH+0+MM—MMHMQ—H-H+MH —e e Everything points to the Boers having not less than 60,000 men in the field with guns superior to ours in range, and little behind us in marksmanship, and until we get out a lot more troops there is no lke- 1fhood of our doing much more than hold them in check. They are undoubtedly following out a plan of campaign which they have worked out in all detalls in peace time, and they are carrying it out most perfectly. “Buller has a hard nut to crack in the Boer position in front of us, the Colenso hills defending the river Tugela, which we must cross and which is only forda- ble in places few and far between. We tried to do so last Friday and had a battle. We were 20,000 strong and the Boers between 10,000 and 14,000. Our bri- gade, the Fifth, attacked on the left, but our left brigadier made an awful mess of it, and Buller ordered him to with- draw, which we did after 523 were killed and wounded. “Something went wrong with the right brigade and the officer commanding the Royal Artillery advanced his guns up to ' [ S RACE MEETING HIEVELEY | within 700 yaras of the Boers’ position and trenches long before the infantry were at hand to support him. The Boers allowed the guns to be unlimbered and then poured in such a hail of bullets that the teams of two batteries were killed in a very short time. When the gunners were shot down the attack could not be | carried out, and Buller had to give the | order to retire, and ten guns had to be abandoned. Our total loss was 1147, and | all for nothing. | Juller almost wept and was heard to exclaim v brigadiers have sold me.’ We 11 have another division here | shortly and will then have 20,000 men, and | as the Boers have been receiving rein- | forcements they will number not far off 20,000, and all in splendid positions.” e STREAM 0}’ TROOPS FOR SOUTH AFRICA | LONDON, . 12.—The War Office is | making D ations to continue the | stream of troops for South Africa. Four | large steamers have been chartered. Japan & s to let the Armstrongs trans- ter to and four naval quick-firers that we built for her, consenting to walt | for the execution of her own order until | the hostilities in South Africa are over. v similar con- constructed by | Several European sents as lo guns Vickers' Sons & Maxim, enable England | to secure 100 Maxims. Two thousand men are constantly em- ployed at Woolwich arsenal and all the | gun and ammunitlon factories are work- | ing night and day to execute Government | orders. The weekly output of four firms | 1s 4,000,000 rounds. | Outside of the requirements for South | | Africa Great Britain is accumulating im- | mense stores of war material. Consider- | } ! : ( | | the Tugela occupy Bolds Farm and sev- circles close to the War Office that he will move at once. Scouts. have approached within a thousand yvards of the Boer in- trenchments at Magersfontein. They have found these strong and ascertained that they are used as dwelling places. Naval gunners are constantly watching the enemy's lines with strong glasses, and they declare that there is an appreciable diminution in the Boer forces. In.Natal the Boer commandos south of eral mines west of Chieveley. Two thou- sand Boers, with three guns,”are advan- cing through Zululand toward Natal. ALLEGED IMPRISONMENT OF THREE YOUNG AMERICANS | WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.—There was ARMY BACON Taliaferro 12.—Charges have been preferre sustained by the promised inve ceedings. army detective attached to the q Ruthers, while depot quarterm s lawfully disposed of 215,000 pou recently brought to the attention of the Department of State, through Represent- | ative Mesick of Michigan, the alleged | complaint of three young American-born | men of Irish parentage, Patrick, John and Henry Bushel, all under 21 years of The complaint states that, being in | Curgown and Strokestown, Roscommon | County, Ireland, they had been enrolled | ‘for services and might any day go to the | front. The department at once tele- | graphed to the Consul at Dublin to as- | | certain the circumstances of the reported | impressment of the young men and re- | port the facts to Embassador Choate for action. | The department has recefved a dispatch | from Mr. Choate stating that the Consul | at Dublin reports that he had sent the | Vice Consul to Strokestown and Curgown, | and that the Vice Consul had seen Pat- | rick, John and Henry Bushel and also | their mother, and none of them had heard | anything of the supposed impressment of | the young men. | - ROBERTS SENDS A REPORT FROM BULLER LONDON, Feb. 12.—The War Office has received the following dispatch from Field Marshal Lord Roberts, dated from the Modder River, Sunday, February 11: “I have received a telegram from Bul- ler as follows, dated Friday, February 9: ‘‘ ‘It was necessary after seizing Vaal Krantz to intrench it as the pivot of fur- ther operations. But I found after trying two da that owing to the nature of the ground this was impracticable. | It was also exposed to the fire of hea guns, in position from which our artillery was dominated. It is essential to troops advancing -on Ladysmith by Harding or Mongers Drift to hold Vaal Krantz se- curely, and accordingly we are not press- ing the advance by those roads, as I find we cannot make it secure.” " DIFFICULTIES OF FIGHTING AGAINST BOERS LONDON, Feb. 13.—Julian Ralph in a letter to the Dally Mail from Mndders | River says: { “The British defeats at the hands of the Boers are due to the fact that the methods of modern warfare have been | brought to a pause bv the demonstrated | power of the weapons of to-day. Essen- | tlal qualities of the army of 'twenty | years ago are no longer a supreme neces- | sity for success. The man behind the | gun stands more supreme than ever. Dig | a trench and line it with good shots, sup- | ported by modern artillery, and no ene- my can advance in the face of them. They may be outflanked or starved, but while their ammunition holds out none can oust them, for they can fill the whole SIHIAS TFIME = > 9 THE.HIGHLAND BRIGADE CROSSING THE B+ s00 0000003006000 edsdededsdsdedsdied ® i land on December 23 made the f Root: “I was a Government detective Corps at Jacksonville, in Septemb. reported, and I was instructed by tigate and report to him. I was fol led me to the Windsor Hotel in Jacks B. Rogers and J. P. Taliaferro ( est conversatio! approached me : tween the parties named of a quantity of Govern t “As It was in my line of ¢ learn something of Ruthers was to deliv was to dispose of it and divic ie the pre “I promptly reported to Colonel Pond Wood, chief commissary office the matter, and when the obje condemned a quantity of bacon, quartermastar’s department I he was fully capable to look repeated to the commanding o “However, 1 wes determined te interview with Ruthers, Rogers ALL HEADQUARTERS, WELLINC The charges were filed SOLD FOR PRIVATE GAIN Twenty-Three Thousand Dollars Stolen During the War. GovernmentDetective's Sensational Charges, Involving United States Senator of Florida. Special Dispatch to The Call. STON HOTEL, Major Geo 1 result in by Jay WASHINGTON, Feb. Ruthers, which, if »urt-martial pro- G. Holland, an He accuses ximately $23,000. FHol- rn statement to Secretary h the Seventh Arr ermaster, connection, which I saw Major Ruthers, C. tes Senator) in close and earn- John Walsh, conversation be- crooked disposition til my fri ed the . T made it my business to was to the effect that the Rogers company ed me to Colonel see Ruthers about tted that h added th affairs s statement [ h his reply. ¥ after my mmanded by d the X 1 shipped to Jamaica and sold Captaln Myers, on which was 1 { the meat a at the market price of fresh bacon. I made every effort to ship as one of the crew on this boat, but did not succeed. One >f the crew, on the return to Jacksonville after disposition had been made of (b meat was fed to the crew while on the which disproves any statement made te demned and was unfit for humar “During the time the Tortugas was tion between the same parties at the profits each would derive from the tra “Shortly after my suspicions were 0, told me that part of this very same and that it was perfectly wholesome, that it had been con- e trip I overheard another conversa- hotel with reference to the amount of n. d charges were preferred with the War Department against Ruthers, but nothing was ever heard from the depart- ment—not even an acknowledgment. Therefore, after the charges had been slumbering in thy department for several hs, I determined that I would ap- prise them of tgfs flagrant and dishonest abuse of au I went to see Gen- eral Miles aa/4 handed General M chi ide written specifications of the charges here sudstantfally recited. Receiving no al acknowledgment from his headquarters, I called on the Secretary of War, » assured me that the charges would be promptly investigated. In this connection nothing was heard from the department until January 22, when the adjutant gemeral wrote, stating that the charges had been received and referred to the Secretar; of War for inves- tigation™ Former Army Detective Holland has made a sworn statement to the truth of the charges, and it Is known in W directory. hington president of the C. E. Rogers Company and is so cr E tor Tallaferro Is vice d in the Congressional that 1 EoEOEOESEOHONOECEOEC EC @O NONORCHONOROBORoBOROEOR seen one or two in one battle and five or six in another. “Our men have thrown themselves upon the veldt and have firsd for hours at a time at noise or flame and trenches of the enemy, whom they could not Modder River there were whole battalions of ours that did not know at the end of the day whether the enemy was north or south of the fighting unde weapon against the Boer, who with weapons which render o good as ten and all ten invi member the old saying that an arm moves upon its belly, ard we paraphrase it to make it read ‘A modern army must fight upon its belly.’ “If Germany got in a trench that could not be turned all the world could advance oppe man as We re- and be slaughtered, "but all the world could not oust Germany from that trench.” ROBERTS COMMANDS AT THE MODDER RIVER LONDON, Feb. 12—In the House of Lords to-day, replying to a question as to whether Major General Sir Frederick Carrington was destined for a comm in South Africa, and whether | Methuen was still in command Modder River, Lord Lansdowne. tary of State for War, answered t tion of the query referring to Carrington in the affirmative, and = “General Roberts is now at the Modder River and in command of the whole forces there.” % PRO-BOER MEETING RAIDED. LONDON, Feb. 13.—The Socialists tried to gold a pro-Boer or peace meeting at Mile End, London, last evening. A hos- tile crowd invaded the hall, shouting “Down with the Boers,” and singing the pational anthem. Henry M. Hyndman, the Soclalist leader, and others attempetd to speak, but they were roughly handled and scat- L e e e L o T S T SChs S e B SC) MODDER. RIVER. able divergence of opinion exists as to the adequacy of the Government’s military proposals, even no - KIMBERLEY IS IN DIRE DISTRESS LONDON, Feb. 12.—Kimberley, twenty miles away from the Modder River posi- tion, is in sore straits. Details of the December death rate show that in a popu- lation of 14,000 whites and 19,000 blacks the mortality was 60 whites and 138 blacks per | thousand. The infantile death rate was | 671 per thousand among the whites and 912 | per thousand among the blacks. Enteric fever was prevalent. This frightful state of things in December cannot have im- proved much if at all since, and the fight- ing power of the garrison must have been greatly diminshed. Meanwhile,” the bombardment by the Boers has increased and there is imminent danger of the town falling under the very eves of Lord Roberts. It is believed in plain over a radius of at least 4000 yards with such a withering blast of shrapnel and rifle bullets that no troops can stand in the open before it.” Speaking of Magersfontein he says: “The Boers there demonstrated the fact that, given a plain, field glasses, modern magazine rifles and quick-firing small guns, and the whole German army itself could not dislodge the 65,000 men of the two Boer republics by a frontal attack on those grass-edged trenches. Not 50,000 British could have beaten 15,000 Boers except at such a sacrifice of life as no commander would require or could be_pardoned_for_occasioning. “For a frontal attack the old military manuals declared that the attacking force must be three times that of the de- fending force, but to-day, with new weap- ons, it is sald that ten men must attack one. One of the most formidable new con- ditfons of the war which we are experi- encing is one that we have never or next to never seen before, for there are men in our army who have never seen a Boer in battle. I know of officers who have only d. The polic and to cle hood nost violence compelled the streets in nall. - TO BESIEGE ESHOWE. LONDON, Feb. 13.—The Pletermaritz- bu correspondent of the Daily Mail, aphing yesterd says: ispatch from Eshowe asserts that com ers is encamped v wagons and nine umored that this force in- ge Eshowe, the intention & to fortify the Insuzi hills prevent the British traversing prevalied and to Intervens the neighbor- probabl order t sluland to relieve Ladysmith.” —— KIMBERLEY IS HOPEFUL. LONDON, The special corre- spondent of Telegraph sends Sp: CAPE TOWN, Monday, Feb. 12—Local markets are b ant on the reports that the Boers are apparently withdrawing from Magersfontein. Kimberly is hope- | ful. DIED FROM THE WOUNDS. LONDON, Feb. 12—A dispatch from Modder River announces that Lieutenant F. O. Tait, the am golf champion, died of the wound: ed during General MacDonald's olssance at Koodosberg. PR S HEAVY BOMBARDMENT.. KIMBERLEY, Friday, Feb 3—There was a heavy bombardment yesterday and to-day. The fire of the Boer big gun at Kampersdam has been very trying. Tutuila Under Naval Control. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.—The President | has issued an executive order placing the | island of Tutuila under the control of the | Navy Department. Assistant Secretary Allen is charged with the administration | of this and other islands under the juris- diction of the Navy Department. P s st L S S e s S dn . ] pa : 3 _/_\\ \ms " ¥ \l T — " i 3/ * % ) |- e j b < % men to the right of Chieveley. ? % BULLER'S RETIREMENT. Map showing the scene of General Buller's latest attempt to force pas- sage to Ladysmith (at Potgleters, Mongres and Krantz Kloof, February §, 6 and 7) with his present line from Springfleld to Chieveley and Frere, on the railroad. Also the reported flank movement by General Joubert with 6000 R e D aa S e e ] INNLAWE MT 4 S LANK o IWOVEf * L 4 * > * * + * * o * x * * * . + * + s * B ? * 5