The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-11-21

the Tribune from London, says:
Estcourt has remained the center O
interest for the last "A hours. sine
the Dutch allies are attempting 4
carry out at the last moment th'
tactics which might have been mos
effective a fortnight ago.
The war office bulletin during the
forenoon tended TO minimize the earlier
reports Of Boer repulse by the garri'
son. 1t was slight outpost affair
with a single shell fired from the naval
gun and a hasty retreat OF the small
fire Of the enemy. 1t might have been
explained as an unsuccessful attempt
Of Free State raiders to destroy the
railway bridge a half mile away, If
General Hildyard had not reported a
large Boer force further back on a
high hill.
The inference was plain that the
Dutch allies were concentrating several
commands upon Estcour1 and meant TO
night attack the garrison or draw it in
TO an ambuscade before adequate rein
forcements with field artillery could be
sent up from the coast.
Between the lines OF the official dis
patch could be read the motive Of this
maneuver of a weak Boer force which
was neither reconnoitering nor at
tempting to carry the position by a
sudden rush, but was evidently seek
ing 10 draw out the provincial cavalry
after It a few miles, where it could be .
entrapped by larger body in reserve. J
These tactics, which had succeeded
after the battle OF Glencoe, failed on
second trial. Military men in COM
menting upon the affair last evening
derived comfort from the practical evil
dence that the British forces were be-
coming more wary and suspicious and
also from the plain admission that the
naval guns were in position.
rr, -, ...hiob .,at.av.s5 81. p,ars
decoys also dispell9d he Illusion that
Estcout was without powerful artil-
lery and incapable Of defense against
a Boer gun fire The naval brigade
was on guard, even if the three batter
les Of field artillery were barely of the
ship, with horses soft from protected
voyage.
The news from lower Natal is
meagre, since the censorship = rigidly
enforced there. But there is ID strong
probability that the Boer attack upon
Estcourt has been delayed TOO long to .
be effectual. Military men at the SER
vice clubs br-eathed freely last night
and contended that the Beers missed
their last chance in the campaign add
would be soon overpowered by su-
perior numbers and science.
Belated dispatches from the southern
frontier Of the Free State only served
to explain why reinforcements had
been sent to East London and western
border bulletins, especially from Kim
berley, were so optimistic that It was
difficult TO explain why Lord Methuen
had been orded to relieve Kimberley
The censorship has been raised in that
quarter and London now knows day
by day what the guards are doing On
the orange River.
The Standard and the Chronicle and
othei morning papers have long ac-
counts by mail today from special
correspondents describing in detail the
earliest battles in upper Natal, and the
retreat from Glencoe. These letters,
while well written, contain few Incl
dent Of real interest and appear 50 late
that little attention is paid to them.
The next mail from the Cape ought
TO have more interesting material,
since 1t will cover General Whites
unfortunate battle and loss Of Carle-
toms battalions General Hildyard, |
who commands the advance guard of
the relief column, was in the navy
several years, and is at home among
the bluejackets. He has been in the
army over 30 years and 1t was with
Lord wolseley in the Egyptian cam