The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-11-25
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER .. 1893,


The Situation in south Africa.
AT any moment developments may be
reported from Natal OF a kind 10 place The
military situation in that colony in
changed light At present it does not ap-
pear encouraging 10 the British generals.
At least is appeals seriously enough to Sir
Redvers Butler TO Justify him in leaving
the Cape and going 10 PietermaIitzburg,
where he should arrive about Sunday or
Monday II is certainly plain that the
work cut out for Sir c. F. CIery is not
in the nature Of an easy task. nor one TO
be successfully accomplished with the force
lie has in hand
Joubert has the British army in cleck
Al Ladysmitb, al Estcourt and al Helen's
Bridge He has also a column mobile
below Moot River 10 the east OF the rail-
way. No one appears TO know with what
aggregate force the old Transvaal strate-
gist is doing ali this. And here we have a
sad illustration OF British intelligence Of
fee incapacity. The military authorities
in London engaged in war with what have
been shown 10 be the mos nebulous no
lions OF the Beers ability to raise men.
They probably do not know today within
ten OF fifteen thousand units what force
Joubert has In Natal. If they did Butler
who has not had time 10 find out for him
self would be ia q better position 10 act.
AS il stands he Is IN violent contact with
a horny dilemma
One theory is that Joubert is playing
. game Of courageous bluff; that he is
in fact only keeping up show Of force
al Estcourt and MOOT River. which he
makes appear great by constantly shifting
a single column Of three or four thousand
troops. As all Of his soldiers are mounted
such thing would be possible. Assuming
that be has not the strength TO hold and
simultaneously fight the three forces into
which the British north Of Pietermaritz-
burg are divided the foregoing theory
would scan very well on reasonable STRAIT
egical grounds. II Joubert could make
CleTy believe in the existence Of strong
Boer forces entrenched TO meet him al
Willow Grange. and again at Estcourt, as
well as al Tugela River he might hope
10 delay the relief Of Ladysmith until he
could stsrve out its garrison OF perhaps
otherwise reduce the place, using nearly
his fun army for that purpose.
On the other hand, if Clery should hap
pen 10 De aware that his opponent was
making the play indicated his obvious re-
joinder 10 IL, granting his ability 70 COM
municate with White, Hildyard. and Barton,
would be 10 have ali three start in and take
The offensive at the same time. II the Boer
1srrra ante EF-
writer's seem 10 think, such a movement
would develop the fact What facilities
The British commander may have for as
certaining the numerical strength OF the
Beers. Of course we 90 not know. and il
Is possible that for the purposes Of action
upon the issue Of which thousands Of lives
must be staked, ID is to be apprehended that
they are not of the best For if il should
be found that Joubert IS justified in de-
Iaching from Ladysmith enough men 10
restrain. or 10 fight the entrenched gar
risons below, and 60 meet Clery in force
between Mooi River and Pietermaritzburg
iu addition. then the conclusion seems nee
essaIy that when Butler arrives al Durham
he VIII discover that the eleven thousand
airy, which he has sent TO Natal. must
prove totally inadequate for offensive pur-
poses. Some Of these troops are already
With Hudysrd and Barton. Yesterday
CIery was said 70 have an effective
Of nine thousand. nearly all Of which he
could use against the Beers at Moot. and
scbalk Burgers flying column between that
point and the capital The information is
too vague for intelligent use. On the face
or the returns, one cannot escape the i'm
preston that the situation promises heavy
strain on Buffers and Clery's resources and
abilities
What there is no doubt at all about is
that General Joubert has been giving the
world some most useful lessons in the art
and practice Of war Especially as applied
10 q wide field Of action and q rough coun-
iry. be has already demonstrated the prop
osrion that mounted infantry well backed
by light artillery. mountain guns. and so
on, are man for man vastly superior 10
foot soldiers, even when the former are
fronnersmeu unframed in anything but
craftsmanship. and the latter the excel
lent material OF the British infantry line
regiments. The surprising celebrity with
which Jouberts columns can deliver an at
tack. disappear and suddenly appear twenty
or thirty miles distant, not only gives the
Boer general the vast advantage Of mobiI-
sly over his adversary. but guarantees him
another one quite as important His mount
ed columns may suffer reverse. but they
viii not be routed and demoralized. They
viii merely get on their horses and 90
away. and, as likely as not, three hours
later be found attacking the rear Of the
force that has bur Just defeated them in
front
It is this marked superiority Of the Beers
Tor operations in South Africa over a Zoe
ridlcuIousIy deficient in cavalry that con-
veys The idea Of long campaign. Unless
driven 10 the defence Of cities and towns
whore the advantage Of mobility would be