The Transvaal.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 178, 15 March 1902, Page 4

The Transvaal.

London, March il. Sections of the fourth battery and irty-cighth battery fought with great allantry diu.'ng tho attack on Lord Mothuen's column.

Three hundred infantry of the Northumberland Fusiliers and the Royal North Lancaahirea displayed conspicuous courage) in protecting waggons and refusing to surrender until resistance was useless

Cellier, Kemp, and Verman's troops were present when Lord Methuen fractured his thigh. He is well cared for in ono of his own waggons. Lord Kitchener hope 3 that the reinforcements arriving will rectify the situation without disturbing operations elsewhere.

Thero is a concensus of opinion and a general feeling of disappointment and regret at ono of the most untoward incidents of the war. The temporary set-back is the more unfortunate in the face of the resolve to make greater and more determined efforts.

I The Times says that the commander dealing with Dn h Roy ought to ho a strategist of ability, exercising initiative based on good and rapid information.

The liocr loadt-rt in Holland au.:g- t the exchange oH Lord Methuon for .Commandant Kruit/.inger.

The Paris papers, while jubilant at tho 'disaster, rceognijo Lord Metliuen'a chivalry towards the hto Commandant Villebois.

I The Berlin populace repeatedly hurrahed the news of tho disaster.

A tremendous sensation was produoed in Nhw York, and tho disaster has greatly injured British prestige. Mai eh 12. Inteuae indignation was expressed in

(the Hou-of Commons at the indecent jli-ih om ilir-iiion. Si.- H. Campbell'|B,inminn >.i i.s bia.-ned for not attempting ,I to restrain Che li-h. j German papers ascribe the disinter to 'defective scouting, which was evidenced in the wiMue-aof the panic. Ljftl R>s -bery in his address at Glasgow, bo-ip iko .Britain's unflinching firmness in seeing this thing through. In the history of tho Empire the reverse was a momentary inc.done not retarding a single (1 .y the il >w of fortune. Lord Kitchener's weekly report shows that six B >e:s were killed, two wounded, eighty eight taken prisoner, and thirtysix had surrendered. Lord Mathue 1 was proceeding from .Vryberg, not Wynborg. I Da Wat's captured cave contaiaed forty waggon loads of ammunition, & Krupp gun, a pompom and a Nordenfeldt machine gu:i, and 500,000 sheaves of whe it. De la Rey captured at Tweebosob much clothing, rifles, and artillery ammunition. March 13. The partial casualty lists at Tweebosch show that four others and sixty man were killed, and ten olfiie;; and 103 men wounded ; '2oo' men are missing. Mr McNeill, the m >st demonstrative cheaper in the House of Commons, has received .several threatening letters. Mr Morley, speaking at Manchester, admitted that it was difficult to discuss the Irish question after Monday's incident, in which somo of the Nationals jists committe 1 a grave breich of fight. feeling and decency. Such an exhibition! was execrable, llcfening to, Smth. A.fric.k. he deplored the disaster prolonging the iwa,r, hub aided th it when Inrd jMilner and Mr Kruger .met at Bloemfontein, if Lord Milnor had been patient, wise and discreot—"crafty, if you like," —there wou:d have been no. war. Haplying to Lord Rosabel ry, Mr Morley said that the first business of tho Liberals was to nuke a league of peace ; meanwhile to maintain old principles. Rcuter givos the following details of the Vrede fight. The Boers twice tried, but unsuccessfully to rush through the, Queensland Bushmen's outpost linet. Then they attacked the New being led by De Wet, Wessels and Maino Botha. They rushed the loft post, killing five and wounding six. Then they worked along the flank and captured the posf Afterwards the men forming the, post on the right flank fell back on, Rimington's column. His pompom servers being filled, two. Now Zleitland.ejat undctr a hoavy fire wheeled the pompom down a gully and overturned it, thus saving it from capture. Lord Kitchener, addressing the New Zealanders, praised their gallant resistance against over-, whelming odds, The Standard's Brussels correspondent j states thatjßotha's move southwards and [his ordering Da la Rey to advance ia done to divert attention from De Wee, a'ld intended to enable the latter to reorganise. If Botha is attacked by a superior force he will enter under the terms of a secret tV^ty, New York, March 12, Wessels and Wolmarans, on being interviewed, said that they never asked, nor expected the inierveniion of any country. They only bogged to secure, civilised warfare, and wanted ty fair an,d, square fight. The Boers were able tq continue the conflict for years. Beuun, March 12. Bironvonßichthofen,German Minister for Foreign affairs, speaking at Beit, waq cheered on acknowledging which were, given fv.v. the distribution of gifts at tho concentration camps. said that England's natural susceptibili-. ties wore prop jrtioned to her unflinching sacrifices in blood and treasure in, the loss of the excellent officers. Bfe, ur.ge,d, juster criticism and quoted the German, General's eulogium on the camp at Ceylon. He said that Lord Methuen wa 8 deserving of German sympathy. He as an attache had enjoyed the particular esteem of tho first two Kaisers. The Baron added that he hoped \,hs British would accept her British oousi is' offer of ambulances for the benefit of a common, cause in South Africi. kThe Boers objected to British ambulances, feariqg the divulgation of operations, Washington, March 12. President Roosevelt has personally requested the Republican leaders to smother resolutions sympathising with the Boere, Melbourne, March 13. Major-General Hutton, the Federal Commandant, when interviewed, paid a high tribute to Lord Methuen's gallantry and perseverance in the face of great difficulties.