The times., 1899-12-10
WHY RuIIcr DcInrs.

Notwithstanding his suggestive name
and a reputation for not a little of the
berserler spirit. Sir Redvers Butler is net
a general of the Braddock straight from
the-shoulder- -frontai-attack sort He be-
lieyes in careful preparation and generally
in scientific warfare, the principles of
which encourage the idea that it is a good
deal better to outwft and outnank an enc
my than to attack his fortified position
with the bayonet, and teach that there is
more sense in sheIling him out of his en-
trenchments than in attempting to pull
him away from them by hand.
For reasons of this kind Butler has set
himself down at Frere, waiting for the
howitzers and lyddite ammunition to come
over from England Both should have been
on hand. before war was declared. AS a
matter Of fact. they were not embarked at
Portsmouth until after the Beers had
three or four 1ong-range siege guns pound
ing away at Ladysmith Then they were
despatched on the slowest transports to be
found, and have arrived at Cape Town and
Durham only within the past few days.
Evidently, staff incompetency is not the
peculiar monopoly Of the United States
under regime Of Algersm.
But the guns and shells are available at
last, and they ought to count for a great
deal in the operations of the next few
weeks. BY this time Methuen should have
six, and the Natal forces twelve of these
howitzers, and as their range is equal If
not superior to anything the Beers can
bring into action, they ought to make a
vast difference in favor of Buffers ability
to force the passage of the Tugela, and
Methuen's to storm the heights of Spyt-
fontein. So We may expect that, once be-
gun, the game of war both in the eastern
and western fields will be played yigor-
ously and decisiyely.
The British general-in-c chief is, and will
be, in a hurry to force The fighting, or
otherwise, as the defensive prospects Of the
beleaguered garrisons at Ladysmith and
Kimberley may or may not be desperate.
The Bocrs are great warriors, but they are
loosely organized and their commissariat
is reported to be wretched It is difficult
for them to keep a large force of men in
active, and under even moderately good
condition Of discipline. Moreover, where
TransvaaI and Free State commandos are
laagered together, jealousy and strife are
seen to spring up between leaders and men.
They can pull together in battle easily
enough, but not so we'll in camp. On this
account, ard remembering that all the time
they are using up ammunition which can
not be replaced, delays and inaction are ad-
vantageous to the British and disastrous to
their opponents.
This does not mean that when The time
comes the Beers viii not be able to give
the British all the occupation they want.
Joubert has shown excellent generalship
so far, and seems to have plenty Of men.
His dispositions along the Tugela line, as
reported, show that he means to offer stern
resistance to Buffers advance, and we
have no doubt that he viii contest every
inch of ground from the river to Lady
smith But the chances are that his op-
position viii be unavailing. The British
army in South Africa is being steadily re-
enforced. In six weeks it viii number not
less than ninety thousand men, qEd it IS
a reasonable prediction that before the
end Of that time Joubert will have to get
out Of the neck of Natal, and begin to
think about the defence of Pretoria. How
ever. none Of the British is likely to eat
his Christmas dinner in Kruger's capital.
unless he happens to be a prisoner. in
which case the menu viii not be elaborate.