CABLE NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 232, 12 October 1901, Page 3

CABLE NEWS.

(By Elkotbio Teiboraph.—Copyright.)

BOER WAR. ♦ GENERAL ITEM IS, PKB PRESS ASSOCIATION. London, Gctobe? 10. The losses on both sides during the recent fight at Forts Prospect and Italia were greater than in any single engagement except Paardeburg. A regular supp'y of narivps from th» Northern districts for the Raid minrs has been arranged. Many applications are being received by Lord Milner, who invited tbe Outlanders Committee to Bend him a list ef discharged irregulars who for upwards of cine months served with the colours, with a view of arranging for their return to the Band at the earliest possible moment. Sir Hely Hutchinson, Sir James Gordon Sprigg, and the military authorities nominate a Boird of tbree to consider complaints made under martial law, except such cases where pecuniary claims are made rgiinst the Government docks, harbour?, and railways, which, with a view of minimising inconvenienre, will remain in the hands of the civil authorities, but the military exercise supervision over individu Is and information as to war material and supplies entering and leaving potts. Loyalists are pleased to see m«rtial law proclaimed throughout the Cape. Oo'oDel Walter Kitchener is pursuing Botha in the direction tf the Bevaan River, while other columns are endeavouring to capture a portion of Botha's forces and all his waggons, which are a few miles within tbe inner cordon. Botha aid Emmett are outride the cordan near the river. Fif'y-thrfe lookers and colonial -rebels sentenced to death at Cradock have h°d the sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Half of Botha's force eectped from tbe inner cordon, leaving their waggons at MaboDkulu, owing to Major-General Lyttelton's inability to blockade from the Natal-Zuluhnd frontiers across the Vryheid. DartoeH's and Bethune's Brigades an at Essowe. The weather has been awful, 36 hours', rain being experienced. The transport difficulties are enor- . mous. The men and animals have endared great hardship*. Owing to the result of the tight at Italia, much diesention has arisen among the Boers. i Extended blockhousps are being { built in Yan Beenan's Pass. Atherton's and Kavanagh's columns , have split Scbeepere' commando into , small parties, who are hiding?. Krantze's force in the "Witterburg district is 1 eing systematically hunted.

SIR REDYERB BULLER IN EXPLANATION.

A SENSATIONAL BPEKCH. Bccelved 12, 1.1 l a.m. I London, October 11. Sir Redvers Buller, after a luncheon with the Queen's Westminster Volunteers, complained of the unfairness of Uie newspapers to the Army. It was singular that several simultaneous attacks had been made on hi 3 nomination to the command of the First Army Corps. He challenged the ciitics to "mention any of kie juniors more fitted to the command. Answering the accusation recently published in the Outlook, that he advised the surrender of Ladysmitb, be said that after the Oolenao fight be informed General Sir George White that the attack had failed and anotherwas impossible before a month. Believine that La^y ; mith bad only a fortnight's supplies he suggested that it might b« necesfarv to Burrender, and advised what should be done in such an event. This suggestion was intended to cover General White'* responsibility. That advice was sent by a rode te'egrnm mark»d " private," which was afterwards fl'olen. The ep°erh created a tremendous sensation in the clubs. The Standard characterises it as an ama-ring rpeecb, and pays Sir Redvers pleads guilty of sending a message contemplating a humiliation compared with which the other reveres f'f the •war would have been trivial. Tf the advice was chivalrous it wa» i>o*. war. On sober re flection Gene-al Buller ought to resign. The Times declares the attacks were aim«d at the War Office's sys'em of rewarding past services and pu'ting men into positions regardless of present or future fitness.