The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-11-18
JOUBERT OUTW1Ts BUTLER.

JOUBERT OUTWITS BUTLER.
Ii one were to believe the imaginative
reports cabled from London to the
American papers, the war in South
Africa would not be OF long duration.
Because Ladysmith, Kimberley and
Mafeking have not yet fallen, the Brit
ish on both sides of the Atlantic think
that the Beers have lost valuable time
and can be easily defeated when Buffers
army goes to their rescue The fact of
the matter is that Joubert has made no
mistake in prolonging the attacks OH
the beleaguered towns. He knows what
he is doing and has overlooked no op-
portunities. He has waited to see what
Butler was going to do with his troops
whether he would land them at Cape
Town and send them through De Aar
to the relief OF Kimberley and Mafeking,
or whether he would land them at Dur
ban to assist White at Ladysmith
Now that Butler has sent the troops
to Durham, the Beers in Cape Colony
have changed their front to prevent a
flank movement by the British from
Elizabeth, port on the south coast OF
the colony. They have taken Venters-
burg, which is at the center of five
pointed star, at the north point of which
is Springfontein, in the Orange Free
State, with Aliwal North at the seat,
Stormberg at the southeast, Naauw-
poort Junction at the southwest, and
Colesburg at the northwest. If ever
there was an excellent position for de-
tense it is that chosen by the Boer gen.
eral. On the north OF it are the Zwart
Kopjies-impregnable. Aliwal North is
backed by the Orange river, the Storm
berg Spruit, the Kraal river and the
Wittebergen foothills. Stormberg is in
the heart OF mountains of the same
name and controls pass leading to the
coast. Naauwpoort Junction commands
the pass through the Kikvorsch range,
and is surrounded by mountains. And
Colesburg, though not protected by
mountains, is backed by the Orange
river and strong forces Of Beers at Nor
val's bridge and Philippolis.
Ladysnlitl1 will undoubtedly surrender
before reinforcements from Butler reach
her. She would have fallen before now
had Joubert desired it, but he did not.
He delayed vigorous attack until he
knew what Buffers plans were. He will
wait until the British have dsembarked
at Durham before he makes the final
assault on Ladysmith. He has been
bringing heavy siege guns from johann
nesburg, Pretoria and northern Natal
by rail to the camp around the doomed
city, and once the British have landed
at Durham he will concentrate every man
and every gun on White. Had he de-
stroyed the town sooner and compelled
White to surrender with his army of
$1,000, Butler would not come into
Natal at all, but march in another direc-
ton from Cape Town. After the fall of
Ladysmith Toubert will march south to
meet Butler. Ii, by any possibility,
White holds out Joubert will destroy
the railroad between Ladysnitl1 and
Colenso and also the bridge over
the Tugela river. The Beers can meet
the British from Durham and whip them
to standstill, and it will be fortunate
ior General Butler and his officers if
they escape the bullets of the Boer
sllarpsllooters. The Beers under Jou-
berts command will outnumber the
British under Butler, and they have the
advantage OF knowing the topography
of the country better than do the in
vaders.
1t is evident that the Beers have not
been sleeping around Ladysmith, as the
London liars would lead one to think.
Their general is clever strategist, as
he has shown from the beginning. He
has realized that were he to make an
attack upon Ladysinith before the des-
tination OF the British transports was
known, even though he was victorious,
the objective point OF the British might
be changed, and instead of landing in
Natal, they might be landed at East
London and Port Elizabeth, and dis
patched through Cape Colony into the
Orange Free State. In that event they
could have taken him in the rear or
reach Pretoria after capturing Bloom
lontein. AS it is Joubert has outwitted
Butler, and the next news from some
authentic source will show that the
British have been caught mapping.
THE PRESIDENCY FOR A WIFE.
Since the marriage OF Admiral Dewey