Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-06

London. Nov. 6.-An immense weight
was lifted from the public mind by Il brief
official dispatch published this morning
by which the continental stories Of dsas-
ter at Ladysmith We're proved to be false,
although the dispatch itself revived anxi-
ETY. Of more tmidity in another direction,
as it indicates that General White, in
stead Of sitting quietly and acting only
on the defensive as it is held in many
quarters he ought to do, persists in max
ing sortles and risking another Nichnl-
sens Mex disaster.
Generally, however, the CHEEKY tone nf
the dispatch showing there is 10 anxiety
at Ladysmth as regards the ability Of
the beleaguered garrison to hold its own
has lad an excellent effect on the co,n-
try. From the fact that White is able
to take the offensive and shell the Boer
camp, it seems Ladysmith is not so close
ly besieged as was supposed.
Not much Importance. however, is at
tached TO the sheiling of the Boer aagor,
as the war office has no confirmation of
the story that the Orange Free Staters'
camp at Bester's has been captured.
We're this true it might have considerable
effect on the future attitude of the Orange
Free State, which is not so directly con-
cerned in the conflict as the riansvaal
The movement of Beers in Cape Colony
is beginning to awaken British fears that
they have greatly undercstima the
forces they will have to meet and that
General Buffers task may not be SO easy
aa anticipated.
1t is becoming apparent thai all British
calculations based on loyalty Of the pop
ulation are hopelessly at sea or there
have been very serious leakage of Dutch
sympathizers from Natal and Cape col
ony. Otherwise there is no accounting
for the large forces of burghcrs reported
from ali directions. The war office con-
seauenlly is being urged to have more
troops in readiness for all possible de-
mands.
The evacuation of Goenso and reported
withdrawal Of the British force from
Stormbe1g are still unexplained. The
former may be due to either Boer artil-
lery rendering the place untenablc or to
the fact that pressure elsewhere possibly
at Pietermaritzburg, has necessitated
concentration at the threatened point of
all available troops. If the objective of
the Beers traycrsing Zululand was Pieter-
malstzburg they ought shortly TO be
heard from. That the position is regard
ed as. serious is apparent from the fact
tnat BRUSH cruisers are hurryinS to
the station.
With regard to Stormberg. it is claimed
that il it turns ont to be true that the
place has been evacuated it may either be
due to the impossibilty at present of
providing an adequate garrison to defend
such important supplies against Boer
raids 10 a change in Buffers plans
whereby General Methuen's division will
be landed at Durham to relieve General
White. If the latter plan is decided on,
the nearest availab BILE stores are those at
StormberS, and the quickest method of
making necessary provision for the ad-
vance will be to railroad these stores to
East London, whence they would reach
Durham before the first troop ship.
A dispa tch from Portland says that a
special service squadron has been i'll
structed to coal for 4 voyage and that
no one connected with the squadron is
permitted to sleep outside the port.