The evening times., 1899-12-12

| POssibie heSu1ts OF ONtncre's Nhcck-
The only thing of special importance to
ic deduced from today's South African
news is tie probability that Gatacre's re-
! verse at Stornberg has considerably de-
ranged the riars of Sir Redvers Butler for
| simultaneous movements in the eastern
! and western fields, and which were to be
iiaugurated by the occupation OF Storm :
berg. AS We have suggested heretofore.
the necessity for keeping Methuen's COM
EiunicatipIs open. and his rear safe from
attack, has governed the operations of
French and Gaiacre In. northern Cape Col
ony. II the Beers at Stormberg amounted
| TO six thousand men. as REPORTED, the sit
uaiion In that part of the theatre of war
| is anything but improved. We are IN
clinei tc Gcutt the returns, but if they
are to be fully credited, TWO things will
follow. Gatacie, at Molteno. will have to
| wait for re- endorsements. which he is not
| likely to A@t IT adequate numbers for two
weeks, and, in the meantime, his enemy
will be able TO detach a considerable force
either to strengthen the ocmmandos at ia
cobsdal or to fall on Methuen's rear or
communications.
Gatacre bsing out of the fight for the
moment, the question is how far French
at Naauw Poort may be able with his six
thousand troops to checkmate the designs
and movements of the Beers in his neigh
borhood. \ general opinion seems to
prevail in London that Methuen will now
abandon any idea of turning movement
against Jacobsdal, and go straight from the
shoulder for Kimberley. Perhaps he will
but. lacking the supporting advance of
French and Gatacre which he was, OF
course, counting on, his prospects for sue
cess would not seem to be overbrilliant
II is fair presumption from reports during
the past few days, that the Beers are in
strong force on his right. They are also
in strong force on his front at place called
Megarfontein in this mornings dispatches,
but which appears on the official war map
as Metgr Station-the point we have as
sumed as probably Cronje's next stand. 1t
is midway between Modder and Spytfon-
tein. Methuen's fighting ability is in
creased by the possession of the howitzers
and lyddite ammunition which he tried
successfully in Thursdays reconnaissance.
but otherwise his situation does not at this
distance appear highly encouraging. He is
doubtless in excellent shape 10 stay where
he is. For lack of proper information, We
may be wrong in suspecting that he is not
in safe condition 10 advance. But it cer-
tainly looks as if, were he to deliver from
tai attack on Megarfontein, his right would |
have to fight the Jacobsdal Beers who I'M
doubtedly would fall on it. If he were to !
attempt the turn by Jacobsdal, Cronje |
would as certainly come down from Megar |
fontein and engage his left and rear. Immo-
bile, his artillery would enable him to stand |
off both enemies until conditions were bet
ter behind him. For all this the opinion OF
his military friends at home may be cor
rect. and he may even NOW be at work.
Public criticism OF Gatacre is severe, and
that his column was too small for the task
set for ii, and his weakness in cavalry has
been commented on many times II he
omitted TO scout and reconnoitre thoroughly
before moving on Stormberg. the chances
are that it was because he had not the
means. We do not know definitely what
,orce he had before the defeat. 1t has been
reported at all the way from twenty-five
hundred to four thousand. His loss of six
hundred men, even allowing the maximum
igure, may be taken as practically certain
o leave him strictly on the defensive for
ome time. He will have to hold Molteno
he can, as, next to Stormberg, it COM
nands the southeastern angle of the stra-
egic railway triangle. Probably he will
lot be attacked in force at Molteno, but
My because as we infer, the Beers will
egard it as more important to hold him
merely in check and use their surplus ,,
roops in cooperation with Cronje.