CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 13 January 1900, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

+ The Transvaal. A RASH PROPOSAL. While General French's column was approaching Colesberg in Northern Cape Colony, the New Zealand Mounted Infantry offered to capture the enemy's big gun. General French, while he 'expressed admiration for the colonials' pluck refused to allow the attempt to be made, declaring that the operation was too risky. GENERALS AT VARIANCE. The accounts furnished by newspaper correspondents at the front show that differences occurred between N Lord Methuen and the late General Wauchope, of the Highland Brigade, as to the manner in which the British attack should be made on the Boer entrenchments at Magersfontein. CAPE COLONY REBELS. News has been received that a, thousand rebels now garrison the town of Dordrecht to the north of General Gatacre's position at Sterkstroom. I ; The prisoners captured fay Colonel 1

Pilcher at the recent Sunnyside engagement, in which the Queensland and Canadian troops took a conspicuous part, have been brought to Capetown. They will be tried on charges of treason. HINTS OF A GENERAL'S RECALL. The " Daily Mail " hints that one of tne British generals now at one front will shortly be superseded. HOME VIEWS. Arrangements are being made for Parliament to meet on January 30th — an outcome of the growing outcry against Britain's unpreparedness for the war. The Hon A. J. Balfour said the chief lesson learned was that England had for the first time in the world's history met an enemy who were entirely mounted. If, he said, there had been a lack of prescience shown with regard to the position, the blame was too widely distributed to weigh heavily Upon any single individual or office. " The Times " commenting on the position, declares that the public will insist upon knowing what has happened — how and why there have been seven thousand British casualties before the aggressors' territory has been even invaded. It was the business of the Government says "The Times," to have ascertained what prepaaations had been made by the Boers, and what difficulties were ahead. LORD ROBERTS. The steamer Dunottar Castle, by which Field-Marshal Lord Eoberts, the new Commander-in-Chief, and Lord Kitchener, Chief -of -Staff, are passengers, has arrived at the Cape. BOER LOSSES. - General Sir Redvers Buller, the I divisional commander in Natal, has wired that the Boer estimate of the losses on their side during the assault on Ladysmith last Saturday is four killed and fifteen wounded. The enemy, however, admit that had to endure a withering fire from six masked batteries, and were everywhere beaten. Natives who have arrived in the British £amp, however, state, says General Buller, that one Boer commando lost 150 killed, in addition to which waggon loads of wounded were seen. It is understood that the Free Staters suffered the heaviest loss, the Transvaalers forcing them to j occupy the most dangerous places. GENERAL FRENCH. Lieut. -General French, with a detachment of the Household Cavalry, operated on Sunday-on the left flank of the enemy, near Colesberg. The Boers were obliged to withdrew in order to protect their lines of communication with Norval's Pont — the railway crossing on the Orange river. ' . FURTHER FORCES. Mr H. S*. H. Cavendish, traveller and explorer, who formerly held a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, is organising a corps of gentleman riders, travellers and huntsmen to act as scouts in the Transvaal. The Government has decided to add six new batteries to the Royal Artillery. The Indian Government is ' despatching eight hundred horses beyond the number previously announced.