NEWS OF THE WAR.

Waikato Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 546, 12 January 1900, Page 2

NEWS OF THE WAR.

LORD ROBERTS’ ARRIVAL IN CAPETOWN. BOER LOSSES AT LADYSMITH. CONTRADICTORY REPORTS. THE FREE STATERS SUFFER HEAVILY. 1200 INDIAN STRETCHER BEARERS FOR THE FRONT. (Received January 11» 11. p.m ) Capetown, January 11. Lord Roberts has arrived at Capetownl . , - . General Buller has wired that the Boers claim their losses to be four killed and fifteen wounded, although they admit they endured a withering fire# from six masked batteries, and were everywhere beaten. The natives assert that one Boer commando lost 150 killed, and there were waggon loads of wounded. The Free Staters suffered the heaviest loss, the Transvaalers forcing them to occupy the most dangerous places. London. January 11. The Queenslanders resident in London have wired to Ricardo who is commanding the Queenslanders at the front i "Congratulate you, and gallant comrades, well done.” , Dukhan, January 11. Twelve hundred Indian stretcher bearers have left Durban for the front. BRITAIN’S UMPREPAREDNESS FOR WAR. PARLIAMENT TO MEET ON JANUARY, 30th. MR BALFOUR’S OPINION. LONDON PRESS ON THE SITUATION. WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW. DISLOYAL CIVIL SERVANTS. (Received Jan. 11, 12.25 p.m.) London, January 11. Arrangements are being made for Parliament to meet on January 30th. _ This is the outcome of the growing cutcry against Britain’s unpreparedness for war, and the deadlock which the insufficiency of the British forces in the Transvaal brought about. Mr Balfour, in the course of a speech at Manchester said, the chief lesson was that Britain for the first time in the world’s history, had met an enemy who was entirely mounted. If there had been a lack of prescience with regard to the position, the blame was too widely distributed to weigh heavily upon any single individual or office. The Times declares that'the public insists upon knowing what has happened. How. and why there have been seven thousand British casualties before the aggressors’ territory was invaded. It was the business of the Government to have ascertained the Boer preparedness and the difficulties ahead.

The paper adds we are still without one mobile field army. The Standard says Lord Roberts must organise a fresh army at Capetown to invade the Free State, a task which will occupy weeks. Adelaide, January 11.

A number of civil servants having expressed disloyal sentiments, the Government issued a warning that any public servant similarly, offending in word or deed in the present crisis would he punished hy instant dismissal.