The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12

to Boer Tactics, and British Losses VIII
Undoubtedly Re ayy-Trsnsports Ar
irving at Cape Town Sent On to Dur
ban Skirmish Beyond Orange River
Station Results in Loss of -Four British
oncer,, Killed md unded-Kimber-
ley and Mafcking Arc Holding Out.
SPECIAL C1bi, bslpa.tho TO THE sUS.
toynoy Nov II with the arrival OF the
jacquard o, the army corps In South Africa
,bsreis distinct Improvement In tho public
,,n,iment in this country. 1t Is recognized
,b,, the actual situation at the front. both IN
Natal and Cape Colony. Is rather worse than 1t
rs,. week ago. but the absence. so far as Is
Lnovn. OF any fresh disaster. has aroused con-
fdsnce In the pubic MIMI that iurther caiami-
ties will he averted.
Military observers do not hesitate to admit
that this confidence il not yet justified. 1t IL
.ctnowleigsd that tho original plan OF cam
,,irn ha. been changed and that the relief OF
inty,mtth will be the irst task undertaken by
Gan Sir Redvers Bull-r. This Is bad military
tactics In fact. 1t in playing the Beers game.
Int the Government Is convinced that public
,entimcnt will not submit to policy OF leaving
Gan Whites force to its fate during the SOW
sral weeks necessary to advance an army
o. invasion into the Orange Free state
from the south. The decisive campaign will
be fought Therefore not in tho broad veldt
,bos the Otnn.o River. but In the difficult
hills O, Natal where the Beers can choose
battle grounds favorable TO their deadly
methods II means that the war will be tho
most .angulnary in which Great Britain has
ever engaged. and the price paid for an ulti-
nate British victory will lie 40 heavy that
England will lament the struggle rs the worst
mistake Of this generation. said n week ago
that. while all Eugishmen are agreed that the
war mus; now proceed to its bitter end. there
are probabaty not 20 per cent. who would
have supported Mr.. Chamb rlain's bellIcose
poiey 4 the events o. the past month could
have been ioreseen This feeling Is growing
stronger In view o'this fact, now pa,pable to
al eyes. that still greater sacrifices must be
expected
In one respect only Is the public mind thor.
oughiy treasured, namely. as TO foreign inter-
ference. Lord Salisburys words on this point,
IN his sreech at the Lord Mayors dinner on
Thursday. were 30 emphatic that they brought
immense relief TO the nation. which was be-
coming uneasy under the bitter attacks y.
almost the entire Continental press. II IA
cutie lost sight OF that. VIII Lord Salisbury
gave the most positive assurances that no
rival ration would attempt to interfere betw een
Great Britain aud the Transvaa', he gave no
assurance Whatever that British interests in
the FAR East or a. other poin's would not be
attacked while the present war 10 engrossng
British energies
The British public is becoming more and
more e1asp-rasi over the delays. contradic-
tlvns and general uurcl!abillty IN the news OF
the war. The cable company insists that at
east hal oi the four days delay Of oil tele-
grams Is due - The cersor The single cable
now working To South Africa ia only two DAYS
10 arrears on business 1t must be said that
the English censoring IL much more stupid
and absurd than the faults Of this nature
charged against the Americans last year. This
repairs 10 tho cast coast cable which, II In
expected. will be finished in day or two, will
avail! little unless the functionary now acting
as Engish censor at Alden IL replaced by a
man Of some degree OF intelligence.
No exclamation has yet been received OF the
report. 10 which all tho correspondents in
Natal gave credencs early in tho week, Of dis
sster 10 the Beers. in which they were said to
have lost 1000 killed. wounded and prisoners.
IT'S COW absolutely certain that there Is no
word oil truth N tho story. The effect Of the
eanhrd after many Of the same sort earlier In .
The campaign. has been 10 make tho English
public incrsduous OF all war kilograms except
the Official dispatches. and even these are re-
Earted with good deal OF iustihabls suspi- .
eion
The chief anxiety about Gen. Whites force +
now Is In regard to his artillery. IL 10 said
that the naval guns have not bsen used re-
Gently because the cement beds on which
they are mounted are not yet SET There are
grave fears that the real reason il the exhau4.
ton Of EXAMINATION. 1t is stated that the British
msn-o'-war carry few shells for such guns as
were taken 10 Iadysmith. most OF the pro-
!ec'ilts provided being armor piercing, which,
OF course. are useless for the present purpose.
yen mites artillery Is much inferior to that
OF INC Boers, " the naval guns are useless
The most intelligent comments on the situa-
Won, because they are made apparently with
'hs best knowledge are those OF J. T.. Robin
'oh' the weN-snown South African mil
nonaire. lie cautions the public against
believing any stories OF great Boer
lo'ses He adds: Il have no hesitation I'm
saying from knowledge and experience Of
boer warfare. that England has never yet
encountered body OF men who viii fight with
'uch t"nacty and such dire results as the
Doer army. II must DO RENE m bered that
'he'' people arc Fighting with determination
" gam the tscend.ncy throughout South
urea ana their proclamations anneXing
brush territory clearly indicate that they arc
resolved to establish themselves as the para
mount power
mem hers OF the forces given as constitu-
""us 'he Two armies Of tho Transvaal and tho
range Free State are grossly exaggerated. I
MAINTAIN that tho two republics cannot nut
more than $4,000 or 25.OOO men in the field.
'u' 'heS may have the addition OF 5000 mer-
'nafl-s Ihey are all srendidly armed. and
"e "fu'ery forms an important element OF the
"maments Tho TTansvaal has expended
INN three years about threa millions In
n ""hl"nt and IN eGupping its own and the
i've states burghers. | know that cannon
ieteht hy the TranHyaal to the Orange Free
sac' anu every preparation was made to
a'V On the struggle with tho utmost deter
4'nauoh' The Natal country IL well adapted
othS Bo-r tactics"
N0"s OF tho Boer advances beyond tho
n"IKe hIver and thu increasing aggression
.sa,nst Kimberley and Mateking have not yet
FUSED serious public alarm In England. The
s'M' OF ihis country seem to take IL for
' ,a mat the Beers never attack nm In
r. -sI'1 position in an open country, and they
assume that tho British forces at
,nT. efleV' Aaieking ana I.adysml tn are all
' 'I"1 sale 40 long as they remain quietly be-
FA M ENan