The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-12-27

saw YORK. dec ss-A dispatch
n u. 1llbluc ,rlm London. says.
trl,ss an signs nul Tommy Atkins
has c,t,u hn Christmas dinner as
pulouy as nn uri.nary English house
holder The war ofice has asucd a
serious = caarL,y lists from Cape
Town M,Id-I rlyr. Pi.t,1uurit-hurg
aud l.niyrmilh. bu, uth.rwiHe has not
,hruAu any new hgm upon tn mill
,nty situation Thc i.aiysmith llSi
shows chat typhull fyy"r and dyson
terry are more effective thlu the Bosrs
artillery Ia rydurt9S N, Strength ~
the garrison la by diy tn military
stnn S,,ms TO have chosen AN unsam-
tury 49, we'll ~ an Ind r,uNblc posi
tlou At i.adysmiih bcf,r. the opening
ut ,hr campaign. whou "a much
sruus,l site fur camp might have
been selected az t,lcusb m Es,court.
with a superior water supply Gen
uruh BuH g and White have bv.n re-
't"i'N N' i"9 AT lNhtNfNf'" ''' Wv
,rF.ull blunirr u The engineers who
recommended Ladysmih and Glencoe
at Sites fnr Butish camps when IN"
TIE.F line was th, natural ilne oi de-
frns. 100 Natal. with station ln ~
serve at Moor RIVER Concentration
ot their fnc.s - nuN undertaken
with great difficulty. as IS cy.dant
from the reports OF Buffers battle
Witch alr sull coming in.
Ten lays 1tty Longs artillery was
lvst il BIS clear that General Butler VIII
renew ihr atump, to relieve Lady
suuM white Lord Robrr.s is on the
s.u i.r .s receiving rruforcements
ana frsh batteries and ought Co be in
position 60 rropl hosttltles In u
Wr.l ~ ten days. unless he waits for
tn, ~Jgr ualn The movements ot the 7
bltUl!uns arriving at Cape Town urN
now concealed by thg authorities, but
General Butler Is cyi@cuty taking II, .
fresh troops aud replacing his lost /
artillery white GeA'r,u Methucu is /
forced {, stand by ana watch the
Beers while they extend their rifle .
trenches and strengthen thdr position
IN front Of Modder rivm. General Bul-
Ter Is justified In this course If Lady /
smith, as ia generally believed, is In a
more critical condition than kimber-
ley About 1880 troops will arrive
during tho next cightern days AZ Cape
ToNn before LoN RoOarts assumes
command with this body " rein
forcemaHts Generl Butler will not
have the facilities for setting every
column agaia on The 1froaslve, but he
will At least have sunlclen. strength
for mancuvering against Colenso and
attempting TO turn the oncmy's posi-
tion there This 's what military men
In London are now expecting him 70
do within fortnight, One rrassur-
ing sign is the publication Of man
letters from Ladysmith. Estcourt and
other points In Natal. which evidently
hlv. not been submitted to the mill
tagy censor, This budget " cores
pnndence deals in a critical spirit with
the blunders made by the stan aud
the irritating fussiness of the marti-
nets in, repeatedly changing camp and
eNhaustlng the patience Of the
soldiers, The letters also contain evil
dcnce that the British field artillery
is distinctly inferior not only to
the Boer guns in range, but to the
guns Of almost every important Eu-
ropean power, This campaign is bring
ing cut many unpleasant revelations
OF which full politcal use will be
made when the liberal opposition
learus the true points of attack,