The San Francisco call. [volume], March 05, 1900, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
New Armor Shield on Wheels for Protecting Riflemen in .'Action.'
¦ The exigencies of war. have put inlo active use several valuable inventions that the authorities, of the^ War Office
would not befgre hear of using, among which may be mentioned Captaln'Percy Scott's naval gun carriage,- to which' the
success of the British arms is so much due, as well .as I»rd Dundonald's galloping gun. . ' ¦ ¦'>•:'" • ¦.' '•' '.'
A new contrivance,' an armor shield on wheels for the protection of riflemen operating on; level- ground/ has been
tried with success and a large number of them will probably be sent soon to Lord Roberts for use ontthei plains of the
Orange Tree State. t' ¦' '¦ ¦ : --- '- '¦ \ .'¦'¦.'-".¦¦ : -, ¦-*.:.. -:\ -,'-.[¦' ' .• . ,r', : ,
T"\ORDRECHT, Cape Colony, March 4— General Brabant's colonial d;
\J vision, after a night march, is now attacking the. Boers in: a strong
position. at Labuschagnes Nek, on tha road from Dordrecht to James-,
town. The engagement is proceeding with great vigor and th > Boers are
gradually retiring before the British shell fire from threes -positions. *A
heavy rifle fire is being exchanged where, the British are engaging the
Boers on the right flank. So far the Beers have had no big guns'] in.
Evening— General Brabant's advance, to-day was' most .satisfactory.
After marchingr and bivouacking overnight the force reached the;strongly
intrenched positions which they occupied and»n6w;hold,' the.Boers being,
on the opposite hill. The British will remain tc-nightin/the captured
positions, although the Boers brought .two guris .into' action]' and. made
determined efforts to retake them. The British losses are six killed. and
eighteen wounded. . . -"" '*
Eperial CabV to The Call and the New York
Herald. Copyrißht. WO, by the New York
Herald Cora;*ny.
LOXDOX. March 5.— The
long period of idleness in
Northern Cape Colony is at
an end. The British are ad
vancing and the Boers are re
treating ail along the line. Boers
retreating from Colesberg are be
ing followed up rapidly. General
Clements is now at Achtertang,
the last station but one before
Xqrvals Pont. The British are
trying to seize the Bloemfontein-
Xorvals Pont Railway, when the
Boers Li the southeast and
southwest of the Free State
would be cut off frohfthe main
body at Winburg.
There has been "fighting at
Labuschagnes Xek between Gen
eral Brabant and the Boers. The
nek was captured, but the Boer
force proved larger than had
been anticipated. The British
did not score any success.
Lord Roberts and Lord Kitch
ener have returned to Osfontein.
The Boers are now* ' within five
miles of the British position, but
.there is no intelligence at hand
regarding the British comman
rler-in-cbiefs intentions or move
ments. Reinforcements are ar
riving daily, so that he must have
between 50,000 and 60,000 men,
if not more. The force in. Natal
numbers 40,000 and there are
50,000 elsewhere in Cape Colony.
The Boer force now, of all arms,
is placed by good judges at 5,000
men, but it is still much scattered.
The force facing Roberts prob
ably consists of local comman
dos and* the first detachments
sent to Cronje's help.
At Ladvsmith Generals Buller
and White are busy carrying out
the changes rendered necessary
by the removal from Ladysmith
of the garrison* so soon as fresh
troops take their place and the
sanitation of camp is accom
plished. There has been a skir
mish at Besters, half way between
Ladysmith and Van Reenans
Pass, which shows that mounted
men are following up the retreat
ing Free Staters.
The inactivity of Ladysmith
garrison and its failure to co-ope
rate with Buller is now explained.
General White's . troops are so
exhausted from want of food that
the men could not march two
miles. Artillery endeavored to
harass the retreating Boers, but
could not get near enough to
them to inflict any damage. The
Boers' big 5.9-inch. gim on Bul
wana Hill, it is reported, has
been captured by the British. At
tempts had been made by the
Boers to remove it after the^ar
rival of Dundonald's force, but
they were defeated by the last of
the few shells which remained to
the naval guns at Ladysmith.
Fighting has afready begun to
Fighting Has Begun to the Eastward
of Osfontein— Brabant's Horse in
Battle With Burghers Near Dord
recht—Boers Lose a Big Gun.
teln, except that frequent heavy, showers
have materially improved grazing," to the
benefit of the horses und transport ani
mals." ¦ ¦ ¦• - '¦¦•'. '¦ ¦ : :.•'-•
The-Morning Post has the following dis
patch from Osfontein; dated March 3: . i. .-
-"General French made a reconnoissance
to-day . and encountered - the ; enemy in
force. They were U occupying | a .table
shaped' kopje.' Shots were exchanged,, a
Boer pun. replying." i '; -.v : * ';v;-'.'": ',-¦
••A dispatch from Osfontein : to. the Times;
dated. March 2, dilates -on; "the increasing
difficulty of - telegraphing as the army ad
vances throygh the enemy's country.". The
correspondent says: ' " * -"" : v*; ¦ • • ,-¦
* .'.'Forage ; for horses 'is/almbst , unobtain
able. The whereabouts' of .the enemy is
not exactly known, butthe' mobile com
mandoes are "hovering around buY army:.
We anticipated opposition ', at ' 'Abrahams "
Kraal, .thirty miles 1 cast: of -Paardeberg,'
where' General; Joubert is reported "col
lecting" a-force l - from ; the; whole, 'of/ the
Ladysmith forces,' with; the northeastern.
Free Staters. ' President' Steyn arrived 'at
the .. Boer camp • at 'Abrahams * Kraal zon
the morning of '.February •¦: 27, ; and., ha
rangued' the . burghers; 1 ' exhorting ' them >t o
rcmeber Majuba;- and-tOvdcliyer^Cronje."
The Standard .says:.' '"We ibellevel'that
n^Rotiations ; for, England's acquisition lof •
a . port in , Por tuguese t East' Africa; 'giving
easy, access; to j Rhodesia;", are, oh' foot 'ana
are J likely ; to '¦ succeed;. In . view of .the turn
the war 'has taken;".;".; '. ' '..v\" •• •* '-..¦
V.The .^Calcutta'^'correspondent -f of 4l4 l the
Times - says : : i .V.'Telegrams t from .'all \ parts
of. lndia: show, universal; rejoicings | among
the natives at the British success in South
the eastward of Osfontein, ac
cording to a dispatch' to the
Morning. Post. . General French,
with a large mounted force,
found the Boers intrenched on a
kopje. Fighting was proceeding
when the message was sent.
FRENCH ENCOUNTERS
BOERS AT OSFONTEIN
LONDON, March s.— The War Omcehas
received. the following dispatch- froml^ord
Roberts.'t dated Osfontein, t Sunday,
.March 4:
"General Cronje,. on behalf of" his pfcrty.
and ; Commandant' Wolmarans, on behalf
of 4000 other'prisoners, asked-the 'British
officers to thank jne, for ; the. consideration
and kindness with which they have been
treated.
"General , Clements reports . that .his. ad
vanced ¦ troops' hold Achterang.' and that
railway communication .would : be opened
to JoubertS; Siding, to-night. - The enemy
is still in force at. Norvals Pont bridge.
• "General Gatacre < says ; the- number .of
Boers at Stormberg Is" daily <diminiahing.
Colonel Baden-Powell reports that all are
well at ' Maf eking, and \ that ' the - enemy's
actl\-Ity was being met. with equal ; actlv-"
Ity on the part of the defenders. ",.. 7.: V ;
"The* position Is unchanged at Osfon-
SMALL BOER FORCE MASSED FOR DEFENSE WITHIN
FIVE MILES OF THE POSITION OF LORD ROBERTS
Continued on Page Two. . . V.
LADYSMITH'S
GARRISON HAD
GIVES UP HOPE
Relief Came Unexpectedly to
; the Defenders of tHe
i; ¦ •:" Town.
THOUGHT BULLER; HAD LOST
Returned t Correspondents Describe
the Scenes Attending the Deliv
erance of I the , Beleaguered
Sli^ , ' Britons.
T~"i URBAN. March ! 2.— Correspondents
I¦¦ I who hav ; e- returned .'here from
¦ I I •Ladysmith say that- the' relief 'came
¦• I' J quite^ unexpectedly.; "At -noon ati
Tuesday the .firing of General Bu!-
L ler's' army- seemed- to '-recede in
stead of approach, and the garrison .was
consequently -depressed. 1 . Suddenly everyb
ody was sjartled <to :hear the ' garrison's
4.7 gun firing.* It had not been used- much
of late, owing to the diminishing ammuni-i
tlon. • On hurrying out it \was found that
the Boers^ were \ trj-ing : to • remove • the • big
gun on'Bulwana.by'the' erection of a.dej^
rick. This"; proved that something, -extrn^'
ordinary* was 'happening.!.'. The "other; g&v
rlson.guns then v di_rected . their flre^on 1 Bul
wajia. withthe"result "that ' the" Boera. were
compelled' to abandon tthe! aittempt.with
the derrick.^ Later they placed-the gun on
a'.wagipn.' which' capsized in a donga. - v^ - '
¦During ;; the _""afternoph v whenever t'tio
Boers were seen -approaching the.Britlsh
resumed •.y the > * shelling; of : Bulwana. , At
about '4 -o'clock a ; terrific- thunderstorm
broke over the^ town. Just after a' ihessace
had" been "helfo'graphed from* Wagon Hill
that'the Boers. werein'full, retreat.
officers i « said \ they, believed; they could
descry "British .cavalry.' but most people
supposed that the wish was father to the
thought.^.; i'_^ V- : :*. ¦'! ',¦¦ -¦•' ?
•.As soon as the storm ceased the British
guns reopened on Bulwana, gradually con
centrating the fire on : the left, arid driving
the Boers jbeforethemV.wlththe'object of j
preventing theenemy hampringany Br:t- i
ish approach. • •: ¦_¦"¦, '- :
'¦ *An - , hour x later, a party, of British .'lorsr
men could be" seen crossing' the flat below,
Bulwana: at.' a ? distance [ off some ¦ miles- _It •
is imposßlble Ito 'describe S the; excitement
and enthusiasm among the trcoirs that r.3i
lowed. < Most : of 'the; townspeople ; had boon
driven' Into j the" houses', by^ the storm,''; nnd .
did 'hbtileafn the good news until later.
V The -storm brokeiout again at "7 o'clock
in the V evening ? and • ; continued t until ' Z
o'clock' the; next' morning.;, It> must : .have
seriously.: hampered 'the \ retreating* Briers.
The { British » gunners . kept ?a ; sharp watch
to prevent any furtherattempt to remo. a
the Bulwana. guns, r The i ßritish naval gun
was ; fired v at 'intervals through 'the; night,
and • In the ; morning, alf orce was sent • out
to j look after ' the gun -and ito \ occupy ) Bus
wana.VLbrd Dundonald's force ,went after
the retreatlng'Boers;,whne;4ooo "oftthe best
men'of the garrison went: toward- Klands
Laagte in the hope of being able to cut o:f
the enemy.' ¦ ' ' ,' ' ">'
HOW SONS OF ERIN
LOOK UPON THE WAR
<i KANSAS! CITY. March ' 4,-^ohn Dillon*.
Irish !; leader; In ',the ; English ; Parliament,''
was , invited' to send a message to be . read
ati the; recent ' banquet r of i, the-.' Marquette
Club In i this dt y , which developed -. enthu- •
alastlo .'. Boer ; sentiments. Dillon's reply,
, which 1 was delayed In : transmission; 1 , ha*
just been made public. It is dated Dub
lin,' February 22i ana says:in]part::.'.'.*. '.'.''.
'In Ireland ,we resard the war now. being
waged by the " British Government against the
two republics. of South Africa as the most un*
just, criminal "and 'cowardly war of the cen
tury. ¦ In , order to -deceive ' liberal ,' opinion • In '
¦Great Britain andv abroad a pretext was* put
forward— that the^objeqt of the attacks on the
republics: was tq| secure, equal rights' for the
Uitlanders. „ The falsity, of the. pretext has been
expose.! by tbe^ftct .that ¦ Ultranders' of .'ail
races except English are fltchtlng In the armies
of the two renubllcs* ' To use the- words of Sec
retary Reltz's creat manifesto to the t Free
Staters, according to the Colonial Secretary.
"England, has constituted herself champion of
all the Ultlanders." And what do we find? On
the, borders, vide by side with the - bughers. we
find these same Ultlanders In hundreds-r-G' 1 "
mans, .Irishmen. Frenchmen. Belgians and
Scandinavians and even Englishmen— ready to
4ay down their lives In order to rid themselves
of .their self-constituted champion. '
'All the civilized world now sees that the real
object of this conspiracy and war against the
republics. of South Africa Is to deprive the re
publics of their liberty, to steal their gold
mines, to- increase dividends by reducing the
wares of laborers In Johannesburg and to es
tablish the ascendancy of the English races
over all other races In South Africa. ' . ¦ /¦ ¦
¦ Was war -ever urged' for such Infamous' ob
jects? , ' . v . •;• -
In pursuance of this conspiracy against the
liberties of South. Africa that ' press ' ln Great
Britain and South Africa, which Is financed or
controlled by speculators and mine owners, who'
are chiefly responsible!, for' the " war, has as-,
sailed the .T»oer people with a torrent-of cal
umnies and' lies unparalleled 'in human mem
ory. .;¦.¦.*•--¦¦ ¦.< • ¦ .
The Irish' people, who' know from experience
the 'bfttfir fruits of 'race ascendancy and the
denial of; liberty, stand to-diy'for liberty and
justice In South Africa, as they stood. In 1773'
for'- liberty ' and ' Justice' In 'America,' and \ we (
looter with- conndence,-to • the citizens* of that
greatest of • republics, which throughout ¦ th«
nineteenth century, has been;th&- Mecca of all
lovtrs of liberty and the refuge -of | the | op
pressed, to extend Its' sympathy and all-power
ful aid to the .small peoples who are '•fighting,
with . splendid heroism to vindicate In South-
Africa ' to-day the j same, principles \whlch your
ancestors fought, for, and died for , ln the "great
war which save freedom to America. . ' ¦":*¦ * .;.
- '¦'•¦1-^~J- "."»'. . ' • — '• — — • '• .-¦ •
BRITISH FLAG TORN
BY HANOVER MOB
BERLIN. March -4.— At 'Hanover.- some
per.sons.-not yet identified, .tore a British
flag and .made 'an anti-British demonstra
tion in front of the-resldence of ah Eng
ishroan- who .had -displayed the .Union Jack
in celebration of t the successes lln South
Africa. '.'/ ¦ " -- ' : >/'.i
The semi-official \ Post In- -'' a
strong, article to-day again begs "the ' A
nglophobia press to' discontinue the-prac
tice of abusing British statesmen and gen
erals and British 'enterprises 'generally/
declaring that this does more harm than
they suppose.
The' Post asserts on the authority. of a
private letter from the Transvaal, re
ceived at Hamburg, that the Boer repub
lics, on January, 15. had Issued altogether
4fi,50fl/ Identification cards to .Boers in the
field. The writer, or the letter claims that
these : figures represented , the total Fed
eral forces at that time. . -V'v'W
DR. JORDAN PREDICTS
DISASTER FOR ENGLAND
"CHICAGO,* March 4.— President David
Starr .Jordan of Leland Stanford yniver
slty.; of i California lectured, at "'All Souls'
Church \ to-day, speaking fb a large audi
ence on ¦ "The ' 8100d ' of a Natipn." "He
said .that :the^ present r century would wit
ness'the'downfall-of ,• Great Britain. "._¦ He
declared • that the ''; people - of
South would have their freedom.
¦' The, speaker,' in terms,' assert
ed i that the present" inhabitants -of (Great
Britain werea mere. shadow of their fdre
fathers.ln point 'of brains and health. Mr.
Jordan '¦ thinks • that >a : nation that - founds
Its \ destiny on .war • must . reach ' a ''= speedy
decay. "He sald*a.great\war saps' the vi
tality . of k the bestj blood of the nation. ':*
i "; Dr. ; Jordan deprecated, the . fact * that •so
many, of, the best youths of , a .nation | are
killed during times of war;— He remarked
that this accounted : for, the existence of a
weak nation,: both y mentally and . physi-
GERMANY MAY
BE REQUESTED
TO EXPLAIN
Rheinbaben's Attitude To
« ward American Consuls
Resented.
HIS WARNING TO OFFICIALS
• ¦¦ -
' Instructed Them to Withhold " Coxn
. mercial . Information • Prom Bep
resentatives of the "United
States.
Special Cable to The Call and th« Kew Tork
-. Herald. Copyright. 1900. by th» New Tc*!e
Herald Conjj>any. "_
BERLIN, March A.— The revelation
of Herr Kunert. a Socialist Deputy,
regarding secret Instructions Issued
by Baron yon Rheinbaben to Ger
man officials, warning them not to
give any information to American Con
suls, has caused. a great . sensation here.
¦The secret circular, is dated Ousseldorf.
July 24. 1899. and bears the marks "C. B.
(Central Bureau) 2324, secret." It runs as
follows:
In the terms of the circular of June. 19, 104.
questions and requests by various Consul* ac
credited to Germany may be answered by.
German officials so lons as these do not refer
to matters of general Importance.
Among communications which must not
under any circumstances be made to Ameri
can Consuls are statistics regarding; breaches
of adulteration laws, especially of manufac
ture and sale 'of articles of food and drink In-
Juriocs to' health, and of articles of commerce.
Including ' toys, and adulteration and sale of
such 'wares. i
.'Regarding > trichinosis and foot and mouth,
disease in German cattle or condition of health
la Germany- among -men or animals there Is,
however, no objection to referring Consuls who
ask such ' Information .to publications of Im
perial Health Bureau. : No further Information
must be given them. , "„• . ."'•'»•'-..
¦ I request you to', regard the«e Instructions as
strictly confidential, and to communicate U>«m
to your- subordinates with express instructions
to keep them secret, -.
: Tou are forbidden ¦to convey them •to i th«
Burgomaster by sending him a copy, and you
will .take special means of malting communica
tion! of Baron yon Rheinbaben to Laadrathe
tind head . Burgomasters. '* ... . . . ';
¦WASHINGTON. March 4.— The i restric
tions imposed- by the Governor .'• of
Dusseldor,. Germany, upon American
consuls to prevent them from getting
information of a commercial charac
ter may be objected to by this Govern
ment in case an official dispatch regard
i ing them should be received by the State
Department. Reports of this character
have been, current In this country for sev
eral months, but an official of the Stato
Department ''satd to-day that ' no official
dispatches, had reached the department. If
the* facts are as stated in the press, re*
ports, then, he said, the department would
require Germany to live up to the provis
ions of the treaty of 1871 respecting Con
sular officers.
Article 2 of this convention provides that
"the respective Consuls Generaf. Consuls.
Vice Cqnsuls"or Consular agents, as well
as their chancellors and secretaries, shall
enjoy in the two countries all privileges^
exemptions and Immunities .which have
been granted or may In future be granted
to agents of the same lank of the most
favored nation/! The! authorities are not
Inclined to t».e belief that the restrictions
imposed by the Governor of Dusseldorf,
were prompted by the Berlin Government,
but were rather the act of an official who
desired to make political capital with the
Agrarian party. f.
PRISON REVOLT IS
QUELLED BY BULLETS
Five Cairo Mutineers Are Shot and
Two of Them May Die of
? CAIRO, March t.— A serious revolt, of
twenty convicts *at Tourah.^ the great
prison ; near Cairo, nearly Involved 500
other prisoners. . Blank , cartridges having
failed to overawe the malcontents, a' vol
ley was fired ;. from a ' window opposite
there through . the window of the , room
occupied by them." • '-- ', ¦"¦
Five of i the ; mutineers - were shot and
two/ It -Is believed, fatally wounded. - All
. then .. surrendered and were confined in
cells. '
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
SAN FRANCISCO, MO^^Y;V:M^ R cH- 5; 1900.
VOLUME LXXXVH-XO. 95.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL
NATAL CARBINEERS ATTACKING BOER WAGON TRAIN.
;. .The; Boers, retreating- from Ladysmith toward Elands ¦, Laagate ".and- Van
Reenans Pass were closely followed by, the British mounted troops. Several
times hot flghtingensued. A large proportion of the cavalry of "Sir Redvers
Buller's army, as well ;»s ,the garrison of Ladysmith, is made up of Colonial
troops, ywhose knowledge of. the- country .makes them much- : more efficient
for such service than the British regulars. On the' other hand, compara
tively, .few ..of Lord Roberts'.! mounted 1 metaoperating in. a level country-are
Colonials. - *. «/. %. v^ : „¦.• ¦"-. "i -'••. -, . :.:'*.*
Africa., The native army Is particularly
enthusiastic." . ' .
The ftueen.has abandoned her, lntended
visit ¦ to : the Italian Riviera,- and has de
cided to remain at' home. ¦:•. Her, decision tc
give, up^her, customary spring holiday ii
accounted as ; another .proof "of. her) dcci
Interest, ln and devotion to, the welfare oi
her: people. On ~ Thursday she will"com«
to ; London for a brief visit," remaining un
til Saturday; and she will undoubtedly ; re
ceive a, splendid; ovation.'-. Her? heartfelt
homely [dispatches Uo the , generals In th«
Held and her, visit to Nettley* Hospital
have 'greatly "endeared her. to her, people, i
.-Spencer .Wilkinson* in .the Morning (Port
to-day I merely, reviews 1 the ... small >l evanti
announced iln i the } dispatches ¦? from | th<
front, arid | expresses the { opinion ' that! th«
BoeTs cannot i place " more ' than '. 4o,ooo mer
to oppose Lord Roberts, except ', by. a"com
plete abandonment of Natal. , He says: ".^
: tliat'the* Boers must' keep twe
strong ' rear " guards,; one: at ; the ; crests jOl
the"' Free "State passes, arid 'the;: other ?ai
Biggarsberg. a General ¦ Buller. is ]• betweer
them and can \ threaten' either, at ihia ' dis.
crctloh.V IHej can*,% therefftr'e.Vco'mpel then
to- kefep 1 .f. f a j dlspf oporttonrite * forced on _-. th«
two ; lines,' or.'Jca ye • one -or. the- other'oper
to*his advance.". V-ii-.'^.vv^,;^--^.'-- •¦:.;,^.. k ;"•;
Natives Cut the Wires.
MAZEREUX. '*. > Basutolarid,, 1 !
March . 2.f-A' telegraph line bet ween ' Maf e
tins: arid r<Maxereuk-]r < Maxereuk-] was _• cut '^Wednesda j
nljrhC a7 whole jwction ¦ being,' removed. : *'. II
Is ; believed ; thla i'wm * the Twork? of natives,
prompted 'or; bribed by, the i'B«iri.' iy .»'y ;.1 ,
?j
f3
H
?.
1
t
t
;
t:
t-
«
|
i
I
I
!
4
?j
f3
H
?.
1
t
t
;
t:
t-
«
|
i
I
I
!
4