Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-23


ing. reports heavy fighting Monday AZ
tcrnuun. The I,ritiah briakly ntcd on
the French cannon and lluet targets.
Tie noera replied. bombardlng the
British forts with good effect The loss
Of the British IL unknown. one bocr
was wounded.
New York. Nov. ga dispatch 10 the
Tribune from London says!
II den. Juuhert were Ia possession ot
nll the war news contained IN tudhye
London journals h. would not have q
single helpful cue. lie would be forced
20 pick and choose among dozen
different estimates Of the strength OF
the british force In lower Natal and on
the southern and western frontiers OF
the Free State. with the certainty That
every one was below the mark He
would not ma any clew to the DIS
trlbution or composition OF tlerys
troops between EHtc0urt ana Durham,
nor a single glimpse " what u going
ON within den. whites lines NJ Lady
smith. lie would also have reason to
question his own sanity we're he To at
tempt o. reconcile the conflicting the
oflcs advanced by military writer's re-
apectlng his strategy Immediate OBJ
iccts and point ni view,
Equally unlntelllglhlc IL this mass %
rumura and contradiction 10 English
readers. They know that lllliyatd II
at Estcourt with naval guns. the pro-
ylncinl horse and portion Of the Sec
ond brigade. and they suspect that Bnr.
ton Is nj Mooi river with portion OF
the sixth brigade. while the remainder
OF Ctcry's army IL scattered ut various
points lower down. with rcinf0rccments
still NJ sea. and three batteries of held
artillery and possibly several companies
OF mounted Infantry somewhere on the
shore. otherwise they are completely
In the dark respecting the situation In
Natal. and know us little " the mnneu-
vera OF their own army as " the mys-
terlous tactics OF Ioubcrts forces,
which, IN unknown force. either for
lootlng or serious warfare, have dung
themselves between Estcourt and
PletcrmarltzburE and cut on communi-
cation with the sea.
This situation causes bcwllderment.
but no alarm. Confidence " Inspired
by the superiority u numbers which
the British army now has IN lower
Natal aud ON the borders Of the Free
state, and by the assurance that Lady
smith IN d0uhly safe when portion Of
Ioubeft'H force has been Withdrawn
Tor a series Of southern raids and for
hazardous operation Of blocking clcry's
Military men In close touch with the
war oiiice assert that no misgiylngs are
entertained there, and that no nows Il
withheld from the public. They add
that Gen. Butler has sent TO lower
Natal Clcry and Hildyard. two Of the
best Htrntcrlsta In the british army.
and that they must understand the
situation fully. II nobody IN London
does. No expert attempts IN explain
how those generals can keep In con-
slant touch with the enemy without
better arrangements for scouting than
have been reported hitherto. Lord
Methuon, on the orange River, II we'll
equipped IN this respect. for he has a
fno cavalry force. His troops are feel
ing their way toward Belmont, and
have discovered the enemy therr en-
campcd with q few guns. Whether
they advance 10 Kimberley or into tho
Free state. the effect will be 10 draw M
the Dutch commandos now lowering