Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
THE BRITISH VIEW
Already Figuring on the Outcome of
the War.
ATTITUDE OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE
Demands That England VIII Make
When Peace Comes.
ALTERS OF INTEREST

| I hear today that it is not improbable
| that when the Beers are compelled to with
| draw from Natal they will ask the British
government what terms peace can be Sc
cured. BY that time President Kruger will
| have recognized that his great plan of driv-
| ing the British out of Natal into the sea
has completely failed, and 1t Is quite likely
| that the Transvaal government will en-
deavor to ascertain on what conditions the
British government will grant peace. In
such case the party in this country who are
in favor of moderate and reasonable set
tlement might make their voices heard with
some effect
The Beers themselves and their friends
here must recognize that it Is impossible
simply to go back to the settlement of
1884. A state which makes an attack on
another and fails must be prepared to pay
| price for its failure; but many liberals
think that settlement could be effected
which would not be dishonorable TO the
Beers, and which would accomplish the
protested objects of the war.
Whether equal rights can be secured in
South Africa without universal British cit
lzensh1p is point on which differences of
opinion exist. 1t is true. however, that
Gen. Joubert before the beginning Of the
war told n newspaper correspondent that
the solution to which he had looked for
ward was South African fedora ton I'M
ger the protection of this country. If this
view were shared or accepted by the Beers
1t might form the basis of q settlement. It
would practically place foreign affairs and
the control of ornaments In the hands of
the protecting power. 1t is still possible to
communicate freely with Pretoria by let
Ter, and the best thing that President
hrusers friends can do is to urge him to
oHer reasonable settlement before the in
vaSioh OF the two republics begins. If he
old d powerful party in this country would
urge ITS acceptance, and it Is believed that
Lord Salisbury himself does not wish to
orr ca very hard bargain. If. however.
tle war Is carried out to the bitter end the
settlement Is likely to be all the worse for
the Transvaal.
Looking Far Ahead.
1 have heard it said by some of the SIM
porters of the government that no peace
VIII be made until it is dictated to the con-
quered Beers at Pretoria. This l do not be-
heVe. 1t is quite likely that any conditions
or peace which. the British might offer
would include the demolition of the forts
at the Iransvaal capital, but that is q diff
lerent thing from declining to make peace
uhtl! the town itself is occupied No gov
ernmen. could refuse, If solicited by the
governments of the TransvaaI and the
! orange Free State, to say on what condI-
lions they would be prepared to end the
war. 1t is probable that in twelve or if
teen days the Beers, from the attacking
Will become the defending force and when
that takes place natural opportunity
arises for reviewing the situation
have had an opportunity Of learning the
views of distinguished officer who has
had exceptional opportunity of studying the
| Boer character, ON the general situation in
South Africa. There will be in his opinion
! heavy lighting in Natal, but from a strate-
gical point of view the Beers have already
| been beaten, since they have failed to
| carry out their intention of overwhelming
Gen. Whites small army and overrunning
Natal. AS to Sir George Whites ability to
hold Ladysmith, he was emphatic In as
sorting that not the smallest anxiety need
be felt on that account. From his personal
knowledge of the BOer character he be-
HeYed that an unsuccessful assault on
Iadysmith would be followed by the return
of large numbers of the Beers to their
farms They had been miSled, partly by
their own ignorance. partly by their pre-
vious experience of fighting against British
troops, and partly by the Pretoria officials
as to the character Of the fighting they
would have to do, and when they realized
how mistaken they were he was firmly con-
WINGED that the Beers would collapse. Il
give the war to the end of December-aud
no longer" he declared. This is certainly
not the view which finds most support, but
it Is interesting as rejecting the carefully
formed opinion of clear and cool-headed
observer who has had better opportunities
than most men of forming opinion that
Is entitled to respect.
Gen. Buffers Objects.
Gen. Buffers plan of campaign has been
modified. and Will probably be greatly
changed, by the military position in Natal
and the frontier of Cape Colony. His
first duty is to relieve Ladysmith and KIM
berley. and his general advance into the
enemy's territory must be subordinate to
these objects. 1t is now clear that Lord
Methuen's division is going to Natal, and
that 1t VII! be sent to relieve Ladysmith.
The infantry and cavalry which compose
the division will be at Durham by the end of
this week but the Armenian, which is
conveying the three batteries Of field artil-
lery that form part of the division, only
arrived at Cape Town this morning. This
delay may make 1t impossible for Lord
Methuen TO advance well toward the end Of
next week. Whether Sir Redvers Butler
will accompany the relieving forces Is not
known. Some of the other troops landed at
the Cape have no doubt been sent 10 De
AGr, from which. in due time, an advance
may be made on Kimberley. By the end of
next week a force of 5000 or 10000 men
should be at De Aar. and probably this will
be sufficient to undertake the relief of Kim
berley. Sir Redvers Butler may, however
think that a direct advance into the Or
ange Free State Will be the most effectual
method of drawing the Boer forces away
from Kimberley. and possibly also from
Mafeking. As to the latter place 1t would
be almost impossible to send a sufficient
force for its relief till late in next month
1 learn that the Duke of Connaught
wanted to go to South Africa, but Sir
feQVerS Butler dld not care to have royal
duke at the head of one of his divisions
He put the matter to her majesty with
singular tact. and courtesy. When the
queen was suggesting that it might be the
duty of the duke to go to South Africa, Sir
Redvers Butler replied, Your majesty has
many generals, but only three sons" 1t
would have been impossible to put his OBJ
lection more gracefully.
News From the Front.
The letters from the war correspondents
at the Cape, which are now beginning to
arrive, make 1t clear that the press censor
ship is extremely strict. The correspon-
dents are not allowed to say single word
in their kilograms as to the disposition of
the British forces. 1t is not surprising
therefore, that we In England remain very
much in the dark to what IS going on.
In their letters the correspondents can
speak more freely, as. by the time the
letters reach England, the need for secrecy
regarding the facts they record is at an
end. A succession of these letters may
be looked for almost day by day now; and
since the Geographic service has been so
vague and fragmentary, the letters, though
about three weeks old, will be by no
means out of date.
A Narrow Escape.