Show BALFOUR THE SCAPEGOAT British Press is Bitter in Criticism of the Government London Jiin I 0Tint plight of British arms in South Africa li oxvishadowed for the piesent by the storm which Is brewing over the head of the homo Government Gov-ernment The Manchester spLCchcH of Mr Ualfour the Government louder in the IIousu of Commons has loosened such a storm of ruinmont from the press and individuals of his own parly that vere Failiamcnt to reassemble today to-day it ls doubtful If time Constrvatives would retain power In spite of their tremendous majority of the past session ses-sion Time pentup dissatisfaction with the Governments lack of energy In waging the war Is no longer concealed Whom such ardent Conservative papers as tho Times and the Globe come out boldly With reproof there Is no knowing here the agitation will end The provincial presshas already taken up the cry BALFOUR THE SCAPEGOAT 1 For the moment Mr Balfour Is time scapegoat but thero Is a terrible rod In pickle for the Marquis of Lansdowne Lans-downe while Lord Salisbury and other Cabinet Ministers xvlll not escape unless un-less a o ml erf ul change comes over the wan situation A reporter of time Associated Press learns that the Conservative leaders privately admit the gravity of their position but fall to see xvhat can bo done In the meanwhile the successes in the field xvlll abate tho popular clamor Some of the Conservative papers go so far as to regret the extreme age of the Cabinet Ministers and refer to time Cabinet as a body of patriarchs Under these circumstances It is doubtful whether events transpiring before the reassembling of Parliament would be poeiful enough lo restore the confidence confi-dence In the Government and maintain Its majority TVO MAY BE SACRIFICED There is the important alternative that Lord Lanbdoxvnc or Lord Wolse ky may be sacrificed A repies cnla tlxe of the Associated Press learns that Lord Wolseloy not only disapproved disap-proved of Lord Robertas appointment lo the chief command of the British troops In South Africa but allowed his dlsapproxal to bo generally known It is the fact that Lord Wolsoley know nothing of the Governments intention in this respect until ho saw the announcement an-nouncement of the appointment In the newspapers WILL GO FOR SALISBURY Whatever happens the Immediate fu tuie xvlll doubtless see attacks on the Government such us Lord Salisbury has not had to withstand during all the course of his political career The borrowing powers conferred on the loxernmcnt at time last session of Parliament arc almost exhausted About seven and a half out of the eight millions of treasury bills authorized author-ized have already been Issued The largo rexenucs coming in xvlll however probably furnish ample funds until Parliament Par-liament meets DEARTH OF NEWS There was a singular dearth of news thla morning from all parts of the theater of war Gen French supplements supple-ments his advice of yesterday by reporting re-porting that Capt Ricardo and four troopers of the Life Guards are missing miss-ing showing that his reconnoitering party met with opposition BOERS HOLD STORMBERG Gen Gatacre dispatched a strong force Monday January Sth to recon nolter Stormberg xvhich the Boers wore reported to mayo evacuated The British Brit-ish found the burghers strongly In trenqhed and returned to SterliitRj The Sailors and Firemens milton of Glasgow ib trying to block the sailing uf the transport City of Rome by demanding de-manding Increase In xvages |