New-York tribune., 1899-11-12
WOLSELEY CONFIDENT.
BELIEVES THE WORST is
OVER FOR THE BRITISH.
,o,-y MORE TROOPSHIPS, WITH NEARLY
EVE THOUSAND MEN. REACH THE
CAPE-TWO ARE HURRIED
ON TO DURHAM.
ON TO DURHAM.
ivy CABLE 10 THE TRIBuNE.l

- .,,,ation both at Ladysmith and Kimberley
VI. measures yesterday for ascertaining
,.o,r whether these apprehensions were
.o, bv the Commander in Chief can state
-,.,,.slv that Lord Wolseley is not anxious re-
.,,ng the condition of affairs in South Al
-, brt most confident that the worst is over
IT, .ho. Iadysmith will hold out until rein
..,orts enable General White to take the
,,o He has been anxious. but not since
.oo,shins have begun to arrive at Cape
pe can be quoted as saying that General
,, ,,, needs to keep still and remain on
~. ao,snsive until a relief column can be sent
,"~u-ors from Durham, and that ne has already
...,o.ded in holding back the Beers from Lower
Nal AS practical proof that Lord Wolseiey
:. .o,isAed with the outlook in South Africa
"a &c not IN dread of any reverse for British
~.s ls the fact that he has gone out Of Lon
don over sunday.
rhs news received from the theatre OF war
srring the last twenty-four hours has indicated
t,st the Dutch allies were making determined
.,,ack on Kimberley from two points. and that
,hsv we're massinC their forces in defensive
rosi,ions south of Ladysmith. in order to plocN
tho nrogress Of the relief column to be detached
,rom the army corps. General Cron)e' "ho
commands the Beers investing Kimberley Is
one Of their coolest and most energetic Generais
and Is likely to make a desperate effort 10 Ell
,ect the capture Of the town during the next
week and carry Cecil Rhodes in triumph 10
rsneson's cell in Pretoria. Kimberley Is not III
favorable position for defence and II Is eN'-
asnt that the feeling Of overconfldence pre-
vsIlinc in the town is not shared ny Geherdl
Purer for he has ordered a reconnoitring force
from De Aar to feel the enemy, and ma out
how, difficult ii will he to relieve the garrison
This force had a brisk skirmish on FRIDAY WIN
Free state troops about seventy miles OF 50
from Kimberley and lost two officers lncIuulhs
Colonel Keith-Falconer. Of the Northumoerlaho
Fusiliers a brilliant officer and popular IN the
ernov who did fine work under Kitchener up the
Nile three years ago. a midnight bulletin from
General Butler reported that the troops were
engaged hotly for several hours.
Four troopships conveying over four thousand
seven hundred men arrived at Cape Town yes
terday and two Of them. with 2UO troops
were dispatched for Durham II the Aurania'
As reported has landed l65O men at cape
Town It is a sign that Kimberley. as well as
Ladysmith. will be speedily relieved. and that.
General Butler is determined to avert a posi-
bic reverse on the Western border
NATAL RELIEF PROSPECTS.
The best informed military writers are not
disposed to believe that the British garrisons at
De Aar and Orange River Junction will be
strongly reinforced until Natal is cleared OF
tho enemy The voyage from Cape Town to
Durham ,s equal to that around England and
Scotland Each transport will require three days
for making the distance and il will be fully two
weeks before Lord Methuens division of 10000
men is ready to advance from Estcourt. While
General White is closely invested. he under
stands the art OF defensive warfare, which he
learned under Lord Roberts when he was shut
m IN Cabul twenty years ago. General Whites
friends in London assert that he is not only Sc
cure against long-range fire and unsclentinc
siege operations. but he also serves a useful
purpose in holding back the Boer forces from
raiding Lower Natal where the British gar
rIsons cannot now exceed 5000 men. even with
the naval brigade from the cruiser Terrible ana
The other ships.
There were stirring scenes yesterday al oout"-
ampton. where over three thousand troops saileu
by three ships about the time when the FAMOUS
Iancers who made the brilliant charge at ON
durham we're disembarkng from their long voy-
age from India
There was even a more moving spectacle at
Windsor where the composite regiment OF the
Household Cavalry was reviewed by the queen
and greeted by her with a tender ana aHec-
tionate message of farewell. Helmets were
swung onto bayonets and the Life GUARDS ana
Blues cheered Justify for the queen anu 'ne
great concourse Of spectators was fairiy choKeu
with emotion The Horse Guards ala not wear
their beautiful uniform, with blue tuhic sH'-
tering cuirass, scarlet plume, white oVeraiis anu
big boots but appeared in serviceapie khahi' III
which the cream of the British noolesse VIII
fight the enemy in the South African DuSn'
These popular troops were Wildly c"eereu !"
the streets Of London and VIII nave al Ell
thusiastc send-off early next week
FLAWS IN WAR OFFICE WORK
The greatly abused War Office has been SUD
iected TO severe test by the moohhza'ioh
scheme and has come out well. the proportio"
of absentees under the first call TOT resei 'i'.'
was per cent and the percentage OF men '"eu
icaly unfit was under per cent. Ihese resu'''
are most remarkable. but the experts 90 'io' Oe
heve the same averages can be maintained d"
the second or third call for reserves peoa
these Will be veterans out Of service ioi " iO'e
period. There has been no lack OF ciothi"e' -
visions and military supplies ana 'he '''U',N'
service has been we'll organized. EXpeItS "''o
are well satisfied with the general results po''''
out some flaws. Arrangements for the S'e
train have been deferred until the last moment
and gunnery instructors are now giving cues -
non-commssoned officers which ought 10 nav
been received long ago. The provision maze III
many ships for transporting horses is delec'i'''
The stalls have been too long for the hofseS'
which I'm bad weather have been nung against
the ends. over one hundred and nfty horses
were killed on one transport alone from inns
cause. The transport arrangements OF 'he Au-
miralty also have been less systematic IMAM
they ought TO have been
The entire army corps is not yet anoat' De-
cause there has been failure 10 secure an aoe-
quate number of troopships Moreover those
NEW-YORK DAY AT THE PHILADELPHIA