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Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVI, Issue 6583, 28 December 1899, Page 2

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After having played to overflowing' houses for two weeks in Auckland, the , celebrated American comedian, Mr Harry Conor, and Mossrs Hoyt and McJfeo's Company, from the Madison Square Theatre, New York, are 'xiow j playing the Carnival week in New Plymouth, the theatre boiflg. crowdod to excess eaoh oveniflg. Thence they go ■to Wanganui for three nights, after which they play for two nights here— Wednesday and Thursday, January 3rd and 4th—at the Lyceum Theatro. Thoy will present the two prinoipal musical comedies in their repertoire, viz., " A Trip to Chinatown" and "A Stranger in New York" respectively, both of which aro described by our contemporaries as being full of witty dialogue, and the most mirth-provoking situations, whilst they aro also replete in catchy songs and chorus, captivating dances and uniquo specialties. Mr Harry Conor, tho star of the company, is one of America's foremost comedians, having been attached to the leading theatres in* tho principal cities of that country for years. His impersonations are said to be of the most ludicrous description, keeping his audiencos in uncontrollable bursts Of laughter. When it is mentioned that the New Zealand tour is under the direction of Australia's leading thoatrical entrepeneurs, Messrs J. C. Williamson and Geo. Musgrove, no further guarantee is required regarding either tho excellence of tho company or tho olaborate manner in which tho plays will be produced. Tho forthcoming short season will be noteworthy also in the rcspect that it will be tho first tirno that a purely American corapauy has visited Palmerston, this boing their first visit to Australasia. Tho box plan for tho two nights was opened at/Mr Park's ' this morning, and playgoers generally will doubtless take the opportunity of booking their seats as early as possible, as there are certain to bo crowded ' houses.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright J (Per Pross Association) COLONIAL CGNTINGENTS. Sydney, December 27. , The Premier has received a cable from the Imperial authorities acceding to the request that tho New South Wales troops shall, as far as possible, be attached to similar bodies of the Imperial forces. London, Deoember 27. The Times, in commenting upon the position now confronting the army at Modder river, says that it is difficult to overestimate the'efteot of thee loyalty shown by Canada and Australasia. :The colonial detachments ' are extremely popular, The New South Wales troops have, says the articlo, proved their courage and discipline. Their enthusiasm has'been encouraging to iill fighters and has shamed many waverers into loyalty. The action of the colonies imposed a heavy debt of gratitude on the Motherland, , CANDID CRITICISM. Sydney, December 27. The special war correspondent of the Evening News, writing from Estcourti on November 24th, says:— | " Although the Boors are now praoti-1 cally all round us the activity at the i Cape and at Durban and the news of the absolute impregnability -of Ladysmith: has to some extent allayed tho anxiety occasioned by the hitherto apparently imbecile conduct on the part of the authorities. Up to now the history of the war has been a chapter of British reverses, and that the enemy does not occupy Durban to-day is, I think lam right in asserting, no fault of ours. Whenever a mistake was possible wo promply made it, and having made it we as promptly repeated it, until oven loyal little Natal, which out of its 60,000 white inhabitants, put nearly every j fighting man in the field, was becoming 1 disgusted. Suggestions from officers who had lived, worked and fought in tho wnro .curtfjt discredited, and the good old British war | on, adopting methods entirely uusuiteit 1 to tho country and the Boer mode of fighting — losing fine soldiers and promptly falling back from nearly every position the enemy oared to attack. What Our commanders have iit their I heads it is impossible to say, but local I officers who know tho oountry by heart, and even Imperial officers, are commenting on our apparent imbecility. As for the men, when it became known that our orders-were to remain strictly on the defensive, they banged their rifles on tho ground with language painful and free. Fighting nowadays has become a sort of polished social function—no engagements on Sundays, no night attacks and no attempt to engage the enemy until they are quite ready and have time to got big artillery in position to Bhell us out.

We have still a very uphill game to play. The early successes of the Boers have induced many- wavering Dutoh to join the enemy's commandoes. Even tho natives, who have hitherto proved very loyal, are beginning to wonder whether the "Great White Queen's soldiers" are such wonderful fellows, after all. Yesterday the apparatus for five flash arrived frcia Maritzburg, and we cart v now easily t"lk with Lady smith, j thou^irtflivirtown ilT<ru3tigf*RjNWsJpi?"j When Major Bawson, of the Koyal Engineers, was testing the light on Monday night, he tried the plain message, " All well in Estcourt." This was immediately intercepted by the Boere, who Kplied, " All right; we will be with you .Tuesday." Of course, all official oomtxu-jioaiions are coded. with what General Bailer has jjord Kitchener's Omdurman a mere sham fight, and Nve hope than Kitchener is hore, for we wnj hun. CAPE POMba Capetown, Deceiu, ar 27. 1 A body of Cape Polioe has Copied the town of Dordrecht, a railwaying, tion a few miles north east of Sir Sim. liam Gatacre's position at SterkstrooiiK A GOOD CAPTURE. The set of Marconi wireless telegraphic instruments intended for the Boers which were intercepted at Capetown have been tried by the British and were found to yield perfect communication between tho Orange river station and De Aar—about 60 miles. THE N.Z. PRISONER, It is understood that Trooper Bradford, of the New Zealand Mounted In--fantry, who was recently wcunded at Arundel, is likely to recover. MESSAGE FROM LADYSMITH. Durban, December 27. ' A message has been sent by heliograph by Sir George. White to General Buller stating that the garrison at Ladysmith can hold out indefinitely. The casualties suffered during the sortie on the 22nd inst. amounted to 24— nine killed and fifteen wounded.'

AFRIKANDERS JOINING THE ENEMY. The Boer army at tlie Tugela ■ river has been reinforced by the arrival of a thousand Cape Dutch. London, December 27. The special correspondent of the Times accompanying General Sir William Gatacre's army in Cape Colony, telegraphing from Sterkstroom, says that it is fear, not loyalty, which prevents. a general rising. There were 1850 disloyalists amongst the troops which.reeently defeated Genral Gatacre at Stormberg. • The members-of the Afrikander Bond are unanimously disloyal. . * KIMBERLEY. ■ Capetown, December 27. The Kimberley garrison is understood to still have provisions for si: months. GENERALS EULLER AND CLERY 'GRAZED BY BULLETS. ' Durban, December 27. During the battle alone tho Tugela river on the 15th inst,, a bullet grazed. General Sir Redvers Bailer's ribs. * Major-General Sir C. F. Clery also had a narrow escape, a bullot grazing one of his arms. BOER RESERVES. Capetown, December 27. Members of tho Afrikander Bond in Capetown report that an,"army of 8000 and men'skilled .in military' tactics and the use of- artillery is being held in reserve at Pretoria.. MILITARY AMENITIES. General Cronje, tho Boer leader on the western frontier, has notified Lord Methuen that ho declines to- have any communication with tho British general until the end of the war. OUTBREAK OF SICKNESS. Fever and a complaint peculiar to the country, known as "pink eye" have both made an appearance in the Boor encampment at Magcrsfontein. "Pink eye" has also brokon out at De Aar, tho British military base, south of the Oiange River, and among General Gatacre's troops at Sterkstroota. COLONIAL CONTINGENTS. Received Decomber 28, U. 35 a.m." _ Perth, Dcccmber 28-' Tho Government arc preparod to raisa. the mounted contingent to a Jiundved. Some volunteers have offered to-jpay '£50 each towards the expenses if allowed to join. ' | The Rev. Mr Reid, Presbyterian 1 Minister at Boulder, has enlisted as a I private in the contingent.